Doing Hardknott - where to stay?

supermurph09

Hi

A few of us are heading up to the lake district in August, the plan is as follows:

Drive up from Derbyshire early saturday morning to Great Dunn Fell, warm up, do the GDF climb then drive "somewhere" so that we can do a route taking in Hardknott on the Sunday morning. So ideally Hardknott would come early in a 60-70 mile ride. Return home Sunday evening.

Where would be a good base for the overnight? Eskdale perhaps?

Help appreciated.

chippyk

Stayed here last year, right at the Western end of Hardknott and next to a pub.
https://www.sallyscottages.co.uk/rowan-bank

peat

I've found Broughton-in-Furness to be a half decent base for the Lakes. Straight off the main road and ample amenities. A couple of pubs, a couple of hotels, some AirBnB options too.

ugo.santalucia

Seascale

supermurph09

Thanks for the suggestions, I guess I am trying to limit the transition from GDF area to an appropriate route start and balancing that with the trip home to Derbyshire on the sunday evening. Maybe asking too much.

Considering this.
Derbyshire >>> GDF area (ride GDF and a bit around there)

Leave GDF area >>> windermere (stay here or nearby)

Then the sunday ride can begin with about 30 odd miles before hitting Hardknott and Wrynose etc. Route can be extended as required.

benjamess

Supermurph09 wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions, I guess I am trying to limit the transition from GDF area to an appropriate route start and balancing that with the trip home to Derbyshire on the sunday evening. Maybe asking too much.

Considering this.
Derbyshire >>> GDF area (ride GDF and a bit around there)

Leave GDF area >>> windermere (stay here or nearby)

Then the sunday ride can begin with about 30 odd miles before hitting Hardknott and Wrynose etc. Route can be extended as required.

well you could base yourself in windermere then? head to ambleside, hawkshead, conniston, over corney fell (looks a nice climb!) then come back on yourself over hardknott and wrynose pass (hitting them at about 40 miles) then ride back, route must be about 60 miles because I had to drive it at the weekend and was thinking how good of a ride it would be! even the option to head through the langdale valley on your way back if your legs feel up to it!

mrb123

In your position I'd forget about staying on the West side of Hardknott and so save yourself the drive over Hardknott and Wrynose on consecutive days.

Instead, book yourself accommodation in Ambleside or Langdale - loads of choice. After GDF you've got a simple drive over Kirkstone to Ambleside.

Then do the Lakeland Loop route on the Sunday which is about 70 miles. The only difference is that you'll be hitting Hardknott and Wrynose (and possibly Blea Tarn) much later in the ride, but really that is the correct, authentic way to be doing it if you bear in mind the Fred Whitton/Lakeland Loop routes.

supermurph09

MrB123 wrote:

In your position I'd forget about staying on the West side of Hardknott and so save yourself the drive over Hardknott and Wrynose on consecutive days.

Instead, book yourself accommodation in Ambleside or Langdale - loads of choice. After GDF you've got a simple drive over Kirkstone to Ambleside.

Then do the Lakeland Loop route on the Sunday which is about 70 miles. The only difference is that you'll be hitting Hardknott and Wrynose (and possibly Blea Tarn) much later in the ride, but really that is the correct, authentic way to be doing it if you bear in mind the Fred Whitton/Lakeland Loop routes.

This resonates with me as I tried to get a place on the Fred and failed. I'll take a look, thanks for all the other suggestions so far.

bianchimoon

Good luck getting a one night stay in central lakes in August. Find somewhere outside of tourist area and drive in to do the ride

matt_n-2

Doing something similar as I'm up that way with work mid-June.

I'm just doing an out and back from the west side, Hardknott, Wrynose, Ambleside to visit Push Cartel, then back.

I've only got late avo to do it, so it's a 30 mile route but has 4600ft of ascent.

mrb123

Supermurph09 wrote:

MrB123 wrote:

In your position I'd forget about staying on the West side of Hardknott and so save yourself the drive over Hardknott and Wrynose on consecutive days.

Instead, book yourself accommodation in Ambleside or Langdale - loads of choice. After GDF you've got a simple drive over Kirkstone to Ambleside.

Then do the Lakeland Loop route on the Sunday which is about 70 miles. The only difference is that you'll be hitting Hardknott and Wrynose (and possibly Blea Tarn) much later in the ride, but really that is the correct, authentic way to be doing it if you bear in mind the Fred Whitton/Lakeland Loop routes.

This resonates with me as I tried to get a place on the Fred and failed. I'll take a look, thanks for all the other suggestions so far.

Lakeland Loop route details here.
https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=3811

You could consider staying in Keswick. That way it's a very easy drive in along the A66 after you've done Great Dun Fell and then easy back out to the motorway on the Sunday, plus that way you'll hit Hardknott a little earlier into the ride.

Midlands Grimpeur

I've stayed in Windermere and Ambleside, both very convenient as has been mentioned.

supermurph09

Change of plans, decided to just do GDF now. Seems a lot of hassle and travelling around so we are thinking of either a day trip or hitting GDF twice, once as part of a longer rider and again the next day after a stop over near to the climb itself.

This route looks appealing: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16615685

https://roadcyclinguk.com/cycling-route ... -pennines/

mrb123

Supermurph09 wrote:

Change of plans, decided to just do GDF now. Seems a lot of hassle and travelling around so we are thinking of either a day trip or hitting GDF twice, once as part of a longer rider and again the next day after a stop over near to the climb itself.

This route looks appealing: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16615685

https://roadcyclinguk.com/cycling-route ... -pennines/

It is an excellent ride, sometimes called the Big 4 (GDF, Hartside, Killhope, Chapel Fell). I would suggest doing it clockwise as you then get the classic/harder ascents of the main climbs. There is a bakery at Melmerby and a cycling friendly cafe (The Chatterbox) at St John's Chapel. The cafe at the top of Hartside burnt down recently so there's nothing there except possibly an ice cream van. Plenty of places in Alston and Middleton in Teesdale though.

supermurph09

MrB123 wrote:

Supermurph09 wrote:

Change of plans, decided to just do GDF now. Seems a lot of hassle and travelling around so we are thinking of either a day trip or hitting GDF twice, once as part of a longer rider and again the next day after a stop over near to the climb itself.

This route looks appealing: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16615685

https://roadcyclinguk.com/cycling-route ... -pennines/

It is an excellent ride, sometimes called the Big 4 (GDF, Hartside, Killhope, Chapel Fell). I would suggest doing it clockwise as you then get the classic/harder ascents of the main climbs. There is a bakery at Melmerby and a cycling friendly cafe (The Chatterbox) at St John's Chapel. The cafe at the top of Hartside burnt down recently so there's nothing there except possibly an ice cream van. Plenty of places in Alston and Middleton in Teesdale though.

Good info! Thanks.

mrb123

100mph winds on Great Dun Fell today apparently!

lakesluddite

MrB123 wrote:

100mph winds on Great Dun Fell today apparently!

Well the general rule of thumb with GDF is, look at the windspeed at sea level and double it at least! And it's not exactly been calm at sea level here in Cumbria the last few hours.

Monty Dog

I travelled regularly to the Lakes on business I found Broughton was one of the best points to start for an 'evening ride' - turn left at Ulpha, across to Eskdale, Boot and up Hardknott, drop down Wrynose and do a loop of the Langdales, back up Wrynose and then down Cockley Beck, Dunnerdale back to the start. Extension is to come back via Coniston and the far side of the lake.