Lakeland routes over steepest passes

taz3611

Hi All,
I'm possibly looking at spending a few days in the Lake District in September and I was wanting to try and get some routes in over some of the steepest passes. I've singled out the following; Blea Tarn Road, Hardnott & Wrynose passes, Honister Pass, Kirkstone Pass, The Struggle, and Whinlatter Pass.

I was trying to get in as many of these into a couple of days without having to drive or ride around for miles and miles on excessively busy or 'boring' roads. Any of you Peeps ride any of these on a regular basis and can give some advice?

I will be on a road bike and will be looking at around fifty miles in a day.
Thanks in advance

rhnb

Where will you be based? Should be able to map out a couple of 50 mile rides taking those in (and probably some more ;-)
Cheeers... Allan

taz3611

I was thinking of staying fairly central to these passes and roads. Somewhere around Thirlmere maybe. I'm not looking to go racing around, I just want to ride up and down some nice roads. We don't get many hills in Suffolk.

rolf_f

Newlands is better than Whinlatter.

There aren't any boring roads out there that you'll end up on accidentally and there is little potential to vary things much so look at a map and work it out for yourself.

Otherwise, you can go over the Struggle from Ambleside, on to Keswick, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, long but pleasant route round the back to Eskdale, Hardknott, Wrynose, Blea Tarn and back to Ambleside. There won't be much option for varying it and that route probably gives you overall the most interesting ascent directions.

Depends on whether you are going out and back to a car or just cycling. You'd probably have to camp at Buttermere if the latter. If not, then Honister, Newlands and Whinlatter can be done easily from Keswick - the others from Ambleside. You could probably go to Coniston and over Ulpha fell to the far side of Harknott, over Hardknott and Wrynose, Blea Tarn and then finish with The Struggle and a descent of Kirkstone if you weren't already dead! Personally, after the first lot the furthest up The Struggle I'd get is The Golden Rule in Ambleside............

AndyD2574

Take a look on the Fred Whitton Chellenge site.

I did this back in May and it was amazing!!!!!!!!

Hardest day in teh saddle I have done.

Takes you over all of teh hard passes and you can plan your route so you cover your 50 miles each day I suppose.

rhnb

Well as someone's said, the Fred Whitton '4 seasons' ride would be an option (get the dibber in Coniston with instructions - see the FWC site). We did something similar as a two day ride, stopping at Stair (foot of Newlands - Keswick side) then completed the ride next day.

If you are staying around Thirlmere, then I'd suggest trying...

Grasmere - out the back and up Red Bank (25%) - at the top take a right signed Langdale, stay on the small road running along the hillside rather than the first drop to the main road and you come out at Chapel Style, then up Great Langdale, over Wall End(25%) to Blea Tarn, drop down to Wrynose road, turn right, ascend Wrynose(25%+), down to Cockley Beck, down the Duddon to Ulpha, right over Birker Fell(25%) keep right and up past Boot and then it's the old red phone box and off up Hardknott(30%). Down to Cockley Beck and retrace from there (Wrynose, Blea Tarn, Wall End, Chapel Style, Red Bank Grasmere). Don't think it's not worth using the same road to go back on. Totally different and some stonking views as you come over the top of Wrnose and Blea Tarn on the way back (if you can still see - or care ;-)

Personally Whinlatter's a bit of an anti-climax I always find. Don't get me wrong, it's tough but it's not in the same league as say Newlands from Buttermere for scenery etc.
Again, from Grasmere area, something like up Dunmail Raise (there's a nice back road out from Grasmere to half way up the climb, but I doubt I could describe it here!). Down the west side of Thirlmere, rejoin the main road and up and over to Keswick, then along Derwent Water to Seatoller, up Honister, down to Buttermere, over Newlands, down to Stair, back to Keswick, start the climb out of Keswick on the main road but at the first sort of hairpin, follow the Castlerigg Stone Circle signs (straight on at the bend - nice quiet road). At the top drop down into St Johns in the Vale, keep right, along St Johns and as you're nearing the end look for a turn off to the right which will take you directly opposite the road end for the West side of Thirlemere, cross the main road and retrace the route along Thirlmere and back to Grasmere.

That should keep you busy ;-) Let us know how you get on.

Cheeers... Allan.