Walna Scar road

busta gonad

Riding this at the weekend and no nada about it, how technical is it? not very i would have thought, i just looked online for info and some cycling club was riding it on rigids with baskets!, the vertabrate guide grades it black!!??
yours confused Busta.

stumpyjon

The climb up is very steep although relatively untechnical, I pushed a lot. the descent to Coniston is very technical, lots of loose stuff, baby head sized rocks and bare slabs of rock with biggish drops. I'd definitely grade the descent as black.

busta gonad

Cheers for that, looking forward to it.

busta gonad

As an afterthought any opinions as to how good this ride is?, would you recomend this route, a few rocky bits, on what is basicly a 4x4 track, just found out it is open again to vehicles. Some good clips on youtube of lets off road types driving up the more challeging sections.
Wavering now will possibly do Nan Bield instead!.Unless you can convince me otherwise.

stumpyjon

It's a long slog up, the descent is pretty good, especially if you like techy rocky stuff, be interesting to know how 4 x 4 get over some sections. It's definitely not your average green lane.

busta gonad

Yeah pretty impressive viewing, the bit with the rocks in the small gorge, various clips of guys in camo and baseball caps, having it large in SUV's, ok i concede landrovers and such.
Think i'm going to do nan bield, i don't like the smell of Diesel fumes in the morning.

" lets off road"

sniper68

We're doing this loop on Saturday so I'll give you an update.

sniper68

Can't stress how good Walna scar is.The climb up fro Seathwaite is a real slog but the drop into Coniston is a real gnarly rocky Tech-fest.
We did a loop including the Dunnerdale fells and It's the best route I've ridden in the Lakes.

busta gonad

Ok i will take you on your word, hopefully not a bridelway mincing jeyboy, it's back on the list. Had a fantastic day on Nan Bield, three mile descent of singletrack heaven, beautifull outlook with technical interest - as good as it gets in the Lakes i think.

Giggsmaster

ibbo68 wrote:

Can't stress how good Walna scar is.The climb up fro Seathwaite is a real slog but the drop into Coniston is a real gnarly rocky Tech-fest.
We did a loop including the Dunnerdale fells and It's the best route I've ridden in the Lakes.

This is the route I took in last year sometime. Walna Scar Road. Starting and finishing in Torver.

Like you say the DH towards Coniston is nice and rocky. How did you find the first bit of the uphill from Seathwaite, I didn't manage much of it until after the gate.... :oops:

Probably looking to go back this summer for some more of this....

sniper68

We didn't manage much of the ascent either.Its a real slog but the descent down the other side is worth it.We went over the bridge half way down and straight into Coniston,next time we might go to the right of the bridge and drop into Torver as we were told it's also good.

Giggsmaster

The turn off for Torver is still a little bit further down after the bridge IIRC, just after what seems to be a small rocky drop off. You journey across grass but then desend through what used to be a slate mine, nice end to a very good descent.

sniper68

Will have to investigate 8)
Ta 8) 8)

trailpuppet

what I do is;
park along the road from Torver, climb the descent in pic above through old mine workings. Turn left up Walna Scar, over the top and down. Before reaching a gate there is some old mine workings on the left, ride through these towards Broughton Moor and Stephenson Ground(?) to Seathwaite. From Seathwaite ascend Walna Scar again, up and over turning right and riding through the mine works and down the first ascent back to start.

A bit like this but keepinh left @ Natty Bridge and following the BW(green line)beside the beck/burn to Stephenson Ground;
http://www.bogtrotters.org/route/showrouteframe.php?route=49

cammer

For those dropping into Coniston, make sure you turn right at the gate in the car park and follow the wall along to another gate = Fairly techie descent back to Coniston, rather than tarmac road

busta gonad

Still not convinced looks like a British A road, a little bumpy.

sniper68

cammer wrote:

For those dropping into Coniston, make sure you turn right at the gate in the car park and follow the wall along to another gate = Fairly techie descent back to Coniston, rather than tarmac road

A rider we met in Seathwaite recommended that to us.Unfortunately my fork had blown the air cartridge so I effectively had no travel so I limped down the road.

busta gonad wrote:

Still not convinced looks like a British A road, a little bumpy.

The climb up from Seathwaite is,the descent on the Coniston side however isn't.Photo's don't do it Justice.

Airienteer

busta gonad wrote:

Still not convinced looks like a British A road, a little bumpy.

If you don't believe the numerous reports then don't bother, stop telling us you're not convinced. If it helps, it's a really fun descent, and the difficulty depends on how hard you ride it. If you keep on the brakes then yes it's probably easily rideable by most. However if like me and by the sounds of it other you really go for it then it becomes qutie techy, and you can certainly get some good high speed drifts going.

busta gonad

Tongue firmly in cheek governer.