South Lakes

grantus

Had stuck this question in Amateur Race so maybe not the best place for it!

I am going on holiday to the South Lakes for a week in July and would like some nice 30-40 mile route suggestions please.

I'll be staying in Grange-Over-Sands but wouldn't mind driving 30 minutes or so to get to a starting point.

Quite fancy trying some of the famous climbs as i've never been down this way before.

Cheers.

(Also looking for a nearby chaingang if I can get permission to sneak away for a couple of hours one evening )

Philip S

Keep off the main roads and you can't go far wrong - some beautiful roads down there.

You're about 15 miles from the bottom of Kirkstone Pass, which you could reach on lovely back roads by Back O' Th' Fell Road (honestly) to Cartmell Fell, Winster, Lindeth Lane, dropping down into Windermere.

Another nice loop is up through Satterthwaite up Grizedale, then down into Hawkshead, over the top towards Consiton and back along the side of Coniston Water. May be heading towards 50 miles from GoS?

The real Lakeland beasts are a bit further NW, so beyond your 40 mile range.

grantus

Thanks mate.

Solis

Couple of suggestions:

Ride/Drive up to Newby Bridge then take in following route - Bouth, Spark Bridge, east side of Coniston, Hawkshead Hill, Skelwith Fold, Clappersgate in to Ambleside and climb "The Struggle" to meet the top of Kirkstone Pass, turn right, Bowness, Crosthwaite, Bowland Bridge, climb to Gunners How (Beer at the Masons Arms en route ) then back to Newby Bridge.

Park up on any of the free parking areas on the east side of Coniston, cycle to North end of lake and down into Coniston, Torver then take right to climb Broughton Moor (did this a week ago for the first time and its a nice little climb), Stickle Pike then drop into the Dunnerdale Valley heading North, Cockley Beck then climb the "easy" side of Wrynose, left at bottom and climb Blea Tarn, Chapel Stile, Skelwith Bridge, Hawkshead Hill and back to car.

Both of these will give you a good feel for the Lakes, 2nd one is paricularly scenic and whilst you will not have taken on the ultimate Lakeland climbs (as said they are NW) The Struggle must rate as the 4th or 5th stiffest, Wrynose the "easy" way is only relative to how brutal it is in the other direction and Blea Tarn, Gunners How, Broughton Moor are decent climbs in their own right.

Have Fun

grantus

Thanks for that.

Which ones then would you say are the main/toughest ones in the NW??

Solis

Just my opinion:

1. Hardknott from west
1. Wrynose from east
3. Hardknott from east
4. Honister from south
5. Honister from North
6. The Struggle
6. Wrynose from west

rolf_f

Solis wrote:

Just my opinion:

1. Hardknott from west
1. Wrynose from east
3. Hardknott from east
4. Honister from south
5. Honister from North
6. The Struggle
6. Wrynose from west

Not done Wrynose and Hardknott from the east or the Struggle but I've done the others. I reckon Newlands either way is harder than Wrynose from the west. Wrynose from the west is a bit like a smaller version of Honister from the west - a fairly easy climb up spoiled only by a git of a 1 in 4 plus at the end!

Good route from Grange over Mud - head to Broughton, Torver, Eskdale, Hardknott, Wrynose, Coniston and back to Broughton. If sensible, take a right up a killer climb not far past Coniston because, although it is a horrible little climb, a long fast descent follows. The main road saw tooths interminably up and down and is a bit of a killer.

rhnb

I live near Grange (about 18 miles away).

I started putting some local rides up on a website here...
http://www.bikeit.eclipse.co.uk/localrides/index.htm

These are longer than you're wanting to do, but for example, you could do ride 1 by driving to say Lowick and picking up the route from there. That gives you a couple of good climbs (Wrynose East and the underrated (unknown!) Kirkby Moor). The off road few hundred yards after Foxfield can be avoided if you dont fancy it, but it keeps you off the main road. It's a lovely run down from Cockley Beck down the Duddon Valley too.

Ride 4 could be tinkered around with to maybe skip Corney Fell and do Birker Fell instead.

Anyhow, hope it gives you some ideas and hope the weather stays good for you!

Cheeers... Allan.

grantus

Thanks for the suggestions.

I have also considered driving to Kendal and cycling the A6 up to shap then coming back via tebay and along the road you can see above the M6 when you are heading down the motorway. I'm guessing the A6 will be fairly quiet traffic-wise due to the proximity of the motorway.

Another thought was to drive to Levens and do a brief incursion into the Yorks Dales.

Hopefully the weather will be ok and I can get out for a couple of hours each morning.

On a complete tangent, is there anything in the area that you local folks could recommend for a family day out with a 7-year old?

P.S. rhnb - i've seen your wbesite before - just so happens I go to the same weekly chaingang as Sadiq - small world, eh 8)

rhnb

Small world indeed! Pass on my regards next time you see him.

For a family day out, I guess something like...
Haverthwaite Steam Railway up to Lakeside and then boat trip up Windermere?
Rowing boats on the Lake (if here's any water left by then ;-)
Lakes aquarium at Lakeside.
Grizedale Forest - hire MTB's - some good trails in there for all abilities.
(http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/fore ... nfd-5k2c5b) Look out for the wood sculptures.
'Go Ape' - zip wire type things in Grizedale http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-5n8a6n
(not sure if there's an age limit on that).

Cheeers... Allan

Solis

If you are looking for a 30-40 in the Dales one suggestion is drive to Kirkby Lonsdale then take the back roads south of the A65 to Ingleton, take the quiet lane that runs parallel and eventualy joins the B6255, Ribblehead then on to Gayle Moor, left down the beautiful Dent Valley, then left again after Dent village, Barbon, Kirkby Lonsdale - lovely ride.

Also re wife and kids you could hop on the train across the bay (spectacular bit of railway in itself) to Arnside (they may take bikes which opens up more possibilities for you as the coast road is interesting) and explore Arnside/Silverdale.

World of Beatrix Potter in Bowness always seems popular though always avoided myself. Holker Hall is not far from you, Muncaster Castle kid friendly but a good way from GOS, kids would probably enjoy the car ferry across the Lake from south of Bowness and you can take a picnic park up on the other side and find yourselves a quiet spot on the Lake shore.

Also probably more for you and the wife but if you are in GOS you should nip up to Cartmel Village bit touristy but well worth a visit.

grantus

NIce one chaps, thanks.

P.S. please no jokes about the drought - it's sure to P*ss down the week i'm there :P

ourdave

This is a gentle little 35-miler that I would tend to do from Lowick Bridge but there are a few places you could start. No particularly difficult climbs but if you get clear roads some of the descents are a good laugh!

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3810433

Dave.

grantus

cheers Dave, should be more than sorted with a week's worth of cycling there.

Thanks all.

grantus

Well, only managed one ride as over-indulged a bit on the old swally each night

We were staying at the Haven Park in Flookburgh.

I did a ride up to Staveley via Cartmel to the bottom of Windermere then went up Gummers Howe and down to a cracking looking little pub at a junction near the bottom of the other side. Mason's Arms perhaps?

Followed the signs for Cartmel Fell then got totally lost. Made my way down an absolutely evil road which looked as if it would be twice as hard as Gummers Howe to cycle up. Finally found my way back to Back O' The Fell Road via a couple of roads that went straight through farmyards via a couple of closed gates.

Lovely roads - I reckon on the single track stuff from turning off the Windermere Road to all the way back to Grange I only got passed by three cars and a tractor in nearly two hours of riding. Nice surfaces too.

The only reference to the road I came down is on the OS map and is marked as Tow Top? It had wheelbase signs up for their sportive next week.

Never heard of this before but couldn't believe the steepness - it was fairly tricky coming down never mind trying to get up it. I wouldn't attempt it as I have 39*25 gears and it was a struggle to get up Gummers Howe on that - it was a bit of a grind to say the least but lovely views from the picnic area near the top. Reckon the other way up looked a bit harder mind you.

If this isn't even mentioned on folks hardest 'to do' lists of climbs in the Lakes then I dread to think what the likes of Hardknott, etc. must be like. In saying that, Kirkstone Pass didn't look that difficult coming up from Ullswater (albeit I was in a car ) Drove down the Struggle - gave that a miss later in the week as I realised i'd be well undergeared for it.

Cheers for the tips and suggestions beforehand - will need to get back down there with the bike sometime for some proper exploring.

What an absolutely beautiful part of the world - would have liked to spent a fortnight as we hardly ever left the park and there looked like so much to do nearby. Just a pity I only discovered the excellent little bakery next door to The Chocolate Shop in Grange on the last day of the holiday

Cheers

rhnb

Glad you enjoyed yourself!

Tow Top - well it certainly isn't the steepest, but you're right, it's tough. Not sure if they still do, but they used to do a Hill Climb on there many years ago. First time I'd seen a bit of 4x2 laid on the road to put the back wheel against at the start!
I noticed they've put it in the Tour de Stavely. That'll surprise a few ;-)

Cheeers... Allan

freddiegrubb

:oops: What's all this "climb the struggle & hardknott rubbish,I'll have you know I've pushed the steed up every bloody hill in the lakes bar none. I couldn't climb them when I was 16 now 50 yrs. later I still can't. But now I can wire a 2 way light & hit a tennis ball so my life hasn't been totally been in vain. A nice day out for the kinders may be Dalton animal park, lions tigers etc. & it's reduced admission with Morrisons supermarket receipts. I could have rode in the 59 TDF.but I had my paper-round to do . shame!!!!