Tour of Coniston and Walna

A message from Stu resulted in a ride round Kentmere on Thursday night. The weather yet again looked dire at the start but turned out OK in the end. A short and steady clockwise circuit down Kentmere Hall then Green Quarter- HP Plantation was enough for the night. Between the gates on the last descent I had a little off due to slow speed and a large rock banging my knee on the bell as I ejected, I hoped to just ride it off but am still feeling it now We called in to the Eagle and Child in Staveley to sample the Hawkshead ale after the ride, we were long overdue an after ride pint and it went down a treat. A few more would of been heaven.

I could only entice two people to join me on the Tour of Coniston ride planned for Saturday. Gareth and David traveled up from Leicester together, both seemingly recovered from the mental scars from the last lakes ride up Great Tongue I arranged a lift from Prizet Filling Station to save Sarah taking me all the way to Coniston. I waved at Gareth and Dave as the drove past at speed. A quick phone call and a hasty new meeting point at Hadwins Approved was made. We got there but there was no sign of the Volvo, another phone call eventually homed them in and we loaded the bike up in the rain. The forecast of light rain and winds of 40 mph gusting to 70 on the Peaks was a little ominous, the rain coming down at the moment wasn’t a good start
Kitting up in Coniston the rain had stopped but it was cold and the weather was looking grim. We opted to set off without waterproofs in an optimistic frame of mind (I think having a fall back for Walna was a swaying factor), a decision soon justified as we soon heated up on the climb up Lawson Park. The forest provided great protection from the elements, the threatening Grey cloud hanging low over the hills never built up courage to dampen our day. Perhaps they knew we were more than a match for mere rain I promised Parkamoor would provide us with some wind and it didn’t disappoint, it wasn’t as bad as I had expected but was still strong enough to ensure there was no loitering on the exposed ridge. With the climbing out of the way for now I pointed Gareth downhill and let him loose. David and myself followed at a slightly more relaxed pace. I was riding a demo E-5 with sketchy tyres and had forgotten to load my leg armour into my bag of kit, with my knee already hurting I didn’t want to risk a fall. The rock was slippy but the E-5 didn’t seem too bad at all on the whole. The rear tyre was “interesting” in these conditions, sliding out for no reason at all. I caught Gareth up when we met some 4×4’s coming up which needed a drastic line choice in the middle of the technical bedrock section, I lost my flow and dropped well back as I started to dab until I could get back up to speed. Grins all round at the bottom and the uphill was now long forgotten as we enthused over the fun of the down
A short linking section of road took us to Blawith where after a bite to eat we headed over the Fell. A man with his young son passed as we ate, the young lad was giving a great show of himself on the muddy tracks when we swapped lead a few times along the way until we turned off to head in the Torver direction. We took a slight detour from the planned route and went round a section I knew to be boggy, the alternative proving easy to navigate. A little up and down soon had us on tarmac and enticed us onwards to Hummer Lane. It looks steep as you approach and doesn’t disappoint, the first section is the steepest though.
My map was consulted a few times in the Broughton Moor Forest but it turned out to be pointless. My memory of the route was vague around here, Garmin have still not returned my GPS but we did have Gareths PDA if needed. It seemed fairly simple looking at my printed route map, take the first left fire road and the bridleway would be down here on the right. It seemed a long trek with no sign at all of a track, when we reached a dead end it seemed my map was lacking somewhat Gareth’s 1:25,000 mapping showed we were off course somewhat and he decided a footpath ahead was the best route to take. It was rather boggy for a while but got us back on route eventually. Clouds were closing in on the long drag up the forest track to Natty bridge making available daylight look limited. At the top we discussed route options, we could of headed straight up to Walna and missed the loop round the Dunnerdale Fells but felt we would have enough time to complete the route, maybe a slight shortcut would be needed to ensure it. The descent starts off tricky and has a few sections to catch the unwary out- Gareth took a trip over the bars after losing his front wheel in a hole. We were all grinning at the bottom though.

We decided to take the bridleway between Caw and Brown Haw rather than head round Carter Ground. I had never ridden it before but it could save us a little time if it was good going. It proved a worthy choice and led us out onto the great descent to Seathwaite. Gareth was really in his element now but I found this section really hard going on the E-5. I just seemed to be pinging off every little stone and the large rocks were bogging me down. As they slowed me it made the riding harder as I lost the momentum to roll over obstacles. I did stop at one point after hearing a muffled shout from behind me on the trail. I thought David was off but it was just a close call. With Gareth still grinning from ear to ear we headed towards the foot of the final climb up Walna Scar Road.

There was little to be seen of the summit from the bottom but you knew it was going to hurt. An early attempt to ride the bottom section soon gave way to sense and I pushed. I did try a few more times but eventually decided I might as well just push up to the gate and save my legs. We regrouped here and headed up the final hurdle. I set off riding and David followed, the air went extremely cold at one point but with a wind behind us we were being favored for our attempt. With the right hand corner in sight I thought I was going to make it up but a wobble led to some snaking, David pulled ahead of me as I struggled to keep pedaling but then came to a stop followed by me. We pushed a few yards then got on and rode the final section to the summit, just heading over the peak to shelter on the other side to wait for Gareth.

The first section of downhill was tough going on the E-5 again it felt like it was bogging down in the big stuff. On the smoother stuff it flew though and felt quite assured, it was great on stuff it could cope with. Theres plenty of things to keep everyone happy down Walna Scar, high speed or technical theres not many who would be disappointed. It was Gareth’s first ride down here but I suspect it wont be his last. We made it down with plenty of daylight to spare, fuel left in the tank  and with the waterproofs still packed away. A good days riding but sadly lacking in pictures.

Family rides

With the good weather continuing over the weekend I opted to spend some time to get the kids out on their bikes again. It was a bit of a shame to miss doing an epic in the lakes but the family should come first. Now and then Sarah had been out on the town Friday night but surprisingly offered to join us for a little ride in the afternoon.

I decided to do a short circuit taking in the drop through the woods from Witherslack Hall. After a matter of yards Kyle was hitched onto me and the pace picked up. The first section of bridleway saw Bradley going commando after complaints of his boxers being swallowed……. The next section after we had completed the climb saw Sarah take a slow tumble on a straight, well graded slight decline on doubletrack. After all the sympathy she has given me after my crashes all I could do was laugh as she sat crying, maybe that will come back to haunt me The drop down was fun and an easy spin back to the car ended a nice little ride.

The following day with Sarah at work and the sun still shining I took the kids out again for a little circuit of Bell Hill, an all bridleway loop just of Crook Road. Kyle pedaled for a while until he fell off on the first downhill, taking after his mum. He still hasn’t got to grips with his braking yet and careered down the track until falling off with style. Not wanting any further bruised family members I hitched him up to me for the rest of the ride. A few muddy patched provided entertainment for the kids along with a stop to get some suitable branches to make some slingshots as seen in Bradley’s Dangerous book for Boys. A lovely little circuit for a short ride.

Tonights ride was a lonesome affair again after everyone bailed for various reasons from the normal ridethelakes midweek jaunt. I am sure it wasn’t the cold rain which came to remind us that the Sun and fine weather has graced us for too long already this month. I headed down to Witherslack and rode the woods again as we had intended doing but chose to head up Lyth Valley and back home through Underbarrow and up the Scar. The rain stopped after a while and whilst pedaling the night wasn’t as bad as I had expected. I made it a fairly short ride mindful of the Tour of Coniston ride at the weekend and the fact my knees were aching a touch. An enjoyable little ride but I do need to add some new tunes to my playlist.

Allithwaite or bust

With a few days to recover after the Garburn ride I was feeling fresh enough to ride to Allithwaite to meet up with Andy, Sioelan and Craig for a guided tour of the local lanes and bridleways. I aimed to set off nice and early so I could bumble along but had faffage issues which meant I set off a little later than planned. The distance was around 14 miles taking a route to miss out the main roads, it didn’t take as long as expected and I arrived with lots of time to spare.

The route was all new to me having never ridden that area before, without a GPS (still away for repair) I have no idea the exact route we took. A few place names were familiar but I would struggle to ride it again alone. A noise from my rear wheel up the first off-road climb sounded like I had a twig stuck somewhere, stopping at the top it turned out that I had snapped two spokes Twisting them out of harms way I opted to carry on regardless, I checked the others a few times throughout the ride but all seemed well. A few stiff little climbs gave way to frozen cow trampled fields which were sapping to ride, one little descent saw me (I think Andy found the same line) stuck in a rut which shock the fillings loose but the wheel stood up to it OK. More lanes and bridleways looped us round, I stopped trying to work out where I was and went with the flow.

Sioelan’s batteries died as we approached Cartmel race course, not really a problem as we were just left with a road section back from here so light was shared. A quick wash of the bikes once back saw us then retiring into the warmth for a hot drink and a slice or three of home made cake as a reward for the nights work. A little biking natter as befits a mid week night ride saw the time creeping on and with a few miles back home I decided to head back. I opted to head back the way I had come, missing out the main roads and riding through Meathop. At Levens I decided to limit the dual carriageway and head up through Brigsteer and down Whetstone Lane. The climb wasn’t as bad as I had expected after a long night in the saddle and I was soon on the final run in home, getting back just after midnight. With a few cold symptoms and feeling a bit tired a rest tonight is in order I think.

Flaming February

A good weeks biking yet again, I met Pridds and Stu at 7pm Wednesday and clocked up a few miles in Grizedale before meeting up with Andy, Sioelan, Craig and Jono for a ride round Claiffe. We were yet again blessed with a dry night but there was enough water on the ground to get us quite damp. No major incidents, Pridds had another puncture which almost covered me in his milk but thankfully he missed

With no plans in place for a weekend ride I suggested Garburn to Stu. A post on the forum got plenty of interest and a last minute flurry saw Nigel and Richard decide to join us. Strak and Lee both managed to make a showing on the day which brought the numbers up to nine. I rode up from home with Nigel, calling in for Richard on the way. A heavy night on the beer left him sore headed but it didn’t seem to affect his pace much as the roadies showed their superior fitness throughout the day. We got to wheelbase in time to order a coffee whilst the others got ready and enjoyed it sat outside in the Sun, it was already a glorious day and warm enough despite the frost still lingering in the shade. The pot soon emptied and with everyone ready we set off for the warm up which is Browfoot Lane.

At the top of Browfoot we regrouped and a few jackets were packed away, the blood was pumping now. A few puddles and muddy sections along the bridleway gave some interest as we headed to High Borrans, with plenty of us we were able to leap frog the gates and soon hit the short tarmac spin to Dubbs. As always there was a few monster puddles to negotiate along the first section. We passed a bloke who was taking his young Son up Garburn, they passed us a few times as we stopped to re-group before they stopped off for lunch. Commendable effort there We spread out a bit stopping at the gates and soaking up the Sun and the views, I can’t say often enough just how good it was to have the warm Sun beating down and the clear blue Sky offering postcard panoramas. A real day to be out in the hills whatever your persuasion

I have still not cleaned the ascent, today was no exception with me spinning out in my normal place. I think it’s become a mental thing now, maybe I need to session that section one day until it’s done. Nearing the top Nigel and Richard said they would crack on and see us at the bottom as they didn’t want to hold us up on the descent, no worries there really as they seemed to do ok. They stopped after the hairpins, everyone made it down with no real problems. It was rather sketchy and loose in places and provided a few scares but thats the fun The bedrock section near the top proved tricky for some, I am sure they will conquer it next time. The second section whilst not as steep or severe still packs a punch and gave everyone another rush or scare (delete as appropriate). On hitting tarmac Nigel nearly did his Pope impression and knelt and kissed it Lee was on borrowed time and had to take the road back to Staveley at this point, better to of rode some of the day than none of it though.

A little bit of tarmac with a sharp little climb took us on to the bridleway to Hallowbank where we doubled back and headed up Stile End over to Sadgill. The descent down is rather tasty, Nigel said he would be walking the bedrock section before the gate so I told him there was a chicken run option (which I admitted I had never tried) to the right. Richard followed him down there and I think they both wished they had taken the proper track, a lesson learned then A few walkers made it interesting just here, they moved aside and let us plough through though. With the gate open we continued down without stopping, the next gate was open too so it was a clean run right down to Sadgill. We waited a while then began to get a little concerned, Pridds and Matt were taking a very long time, even a puncture should of been fixed by now it seemed. Three of us headed back up to see what the problem was, it turned out a puncture then a stop to figure out which way we had gone at the gate had lead to the delay. A relief it was nothing more serious.

A short section of road again took us to the Wads Howe climb, it sets off as a push for mortals with it being steep and slippy but can be ridden once the worst is over. A quick bite to eat just after the gate gave us a little rest before tackling the track across towards Staveley Head Fell. A little undulating and a few small boggy sections can make it a bit draggy, but it is a lovely bit of trail with a real “out there” feel. Nigel and Richard left us at the final gate and headed home to salvage brownie points, we headed across to enjoy the cracking descent down HP plantation. I enjoyed a few moments down here which was rather nice At the bottom all safely down it was decision time. I couldn’t persuade anyone to join me on the Kentmere Hall loop so told them to leave some cake at Wilf’s for me and said my farewells. I made good time and managed to make it back to Wheelbase to join them for a drink and a slice of cake with the exception of Steve/rubber boy who had made tracks. After once again bidding farewell I made the journey home through Burneside and gave the old bike a wash off. If only every Sunday could be so sublime, a top quality day out which everyone enjoyed

Back on track

Wednesday saw a night ride starting from the YHA at Hawkshead and heading over Iron Keld to Hodge Close before looping back via Coniston and Grizedale. Everything seemed to hold up well and the weather was rather kind too, I was expecting to to be rather cold but it turned out quite mild. A good enjoyable variation led by Craig with Stuart, Andy and Siolan enjoying the mystery tour.

The threat of snow cast doubts over Iain’s farewell ride in Grizedale, indeed one or two chose not to make the journey but as it turned out fears were unjustified. With a thin coating laying in Kendal Saturday morning I did expect to see much more over Grizedale way but this was not the case, I don’t think it was over 25mm at the deepest point we came across which gave a great picturesque scene without hindering biking at all. Nine of us set off from the YHA just after 9.30am.

We took the permitted bridleway up from Hawkshead which soon warms you up before hitting the fire roads to take in a section of the North Face Trail. Despite appearances the sections of boardwalk gave no problems and we started to bunch up again at Moor Top, having to wait a little while for Pridds to catch up after stopping to put a tube in a slow puncture. Iain had the birds eating out of his hand whilst we waited, Stu had one sat on his helmet. Them Robins are rather tame in Grizedale A section of fire road took us to the sweet Lawson Park descent, we took a left at the farm rather than descending all the way though. Another climb and another puncture stop as Matt took his turn, blame was laid at Stu’s door for his claim that there’s no thorns in the Lakes on Wednesday night

Back on the move we continued up and then along to begin the Parkamoor to Nibthwaite section, a really good bit of track which spread us out a little. It’s often rather exposed on the top section of this and today was no exception, the wind blew cold and hard andHaving caught up with a group of 4×4’s we regrouped until they were out of sight before finishing down to the tarmac. A road spin along the lake shore took us to a long climb back up into the forest joining back onto the trail we had taken previously. We spun past the Parkamoor turn this time and headed for the long and rocky sections taking us down to Satterthwaite, affectionately known as Dentist, dad and granddad by the forum now due to the influence of Matt, Craig and Jono. There’s a story there somewhere……….

W e had our crashes for the day on this section, surprisingly is wasn’t Pridds this time as he managed to make it down without adding to his ever increasing scars. Andy was the first I think, doing a Superman over the bars but getting away unscathed. I had a close moment after Stu waved me past him and I took a rather dodgy line (the worst option available I would say) on the rock outcrop just past him. Unfortunately for Stu he followed me and had a low speed off which tore through his coat but at least left him unscathed, physically anyway but the mental scars may put him off following my inept line choices in the future

Once we were all down we set off to the visitors centre for a snack, the talk of cumberland sausage sandwiches for the last hour had by now made everyone ravenous. The food hit the spot, theres some rather tasty dishes in the VC cafe I must say

Fuelled up we went straight across the road to climb the 4×4 track towards the final descent down the fox. The climb is rather testing, perfectly do-able on a good day it was a little slippy in places and I spun out in a couple of places. It was a relief to have a little respite and let my lungs catch up so it didn’t bother me too much. It’s one to clean another day. The descent proved as good as ever, it was rather muddy in places which added to the fun and it was a change to do it in the light. Everyone managed it without incident, leaving a short rode spin back to the YHA for a bike wash and coffee. An enjoyable days ride which ticked of Iain’s desired descents which he won’t be seeing quite as much of in the future.

Winter break

After my last ride I came down with yet another cold so keeping off the bike for a short while to allow the knees to recover became easier. I was feeling a bit better by the weekend but a Saturday night on the beer meant Sunday came and went with no riding, maybe for best as Monday evening saw me feeling almost back to full health. I enjoyed a very steady hour and a half on the back lanes with seemingly no real protest from the knees which was a relief. Hopefully with a bit of TLC they will stay that way. Looks like I may be heading for Grizedale tomorrow night which might make better reading than tales of snot running from my nose

The Weather has been kind

Despite all the rain that we have had this week I managed a dry ride every time I was out I met Craig and Jono at Hawkshead YHA on Wednesday night for a loop round Claiffe. I went a bit early and went up to Moor Top and back to the YHA via The Fox descent to clock up a few miles first. Once on the move it was a perfect biking night but the tracks were like streams in places and were rather soft going where it wasn’t rocky. Craig was on his downhill bike due to a bust wheel on his other bike so was struggling uphills a little, Jono on his hardtail  managed to keep a good pace down as well as up. A double run down Colthouse made a good, somewhat damp finish to the ride. A good nights riding.

Stu hadn’t managed to make Claiffe and was keen to ride Thursday night so I felt compelled to join him. We met at Staveley  to do a loop round Kentmere. The weather had yet again faired up and we enjoyed another dry night bar what was on the ground. The route choice kept us on mainly well drained tracks and was quite enjoyable. My HID battery was with Tom Owen up in Scotland for the Strathpuffer 24 hour race so I was just using my Exposure joystick max which proved quite adequate on the whole by itself which was a surprise. It had been a week or two since Stu had been out and with a skiing trip planned it would be a while before he was back out so it was a good job he enjoyed it

With a late start due to family commitments Saturdays ride was to be a lone trip somewhere. I rather fancied The Calf again but as it was after 2 when I set off it was maybe a little too late. I didn’t really have a route in mind but pedaling up the lane my knees were giving a few symptoms of  stress so I opted to take a low level road ride at a slow pace. I did 3 hours looping round the Lyth Valley which seemed adequate, my knees had held up OK but afterwards they were a little tender. I am going to have to back off a little and spend more time stretching until they recover I think. I am hoping for a Wednesday night ride and a bigger ride or two next weekend with my camera to hand.

Heading for the Howgills

After a little lie in delayed me a bit I set off with the intention of heading over towards Sedbergh and hitting the Calf for a change. My legs were feeling tired from the off and going up the Greyhound hammered it home. A rest day tomorrow (it’s supposed to be a wet miserable day) will no doubt do me good. I took the A684 to just outside Sedbergh, I did eye up a promising looking bridleway I had seen on the the map but decided to leave the exploring to another day. Looking again there is potential to incorporate one over Firbank Fell into a similar ride one day.

After Hitting Howgill Lane for a short while I turned right at Birkshaw and started the Ascent to the summit of The Calf. It was a few years since I had been up this way and I was surprised how much of it had stuck with me early on. The weather was doing OK, cloud obscured the summit but as I climbed it started to heat up quite nicely as the Sun beat a few rays on me. It was almost like a Spring day as I set off trying to ride the grassy ascent but being forced to push as I lost traction in places. I rode a decent amount, much more than I had attempted with Basher all them years ago…… What I had forgotten was just how long and steep the climb was, it went on far more than I had recalled and reduced to walking my calfs were soon burning as I trudged upwards. I’m sure it’s all ridable but I needed to leave enough in my legs to get home

Approaching the top at last the Sun had long disappeared as a freezing cloud blanked it out. I zipped my top back up and rode the ridge South. I don’t know if my brake pads still needed bedding in or the small rotors on the 19 couldn’t cope with the Christmas podge but the downhills were taken a little quicker than expected, I seem to recall the last time I rode this it seemed rather tame but with speed on a hardtail I almost let out a whoop or two The fun was over too quickly though and soon I was dropping off Winder back onto Howgill Lane.

A tarmac ride back beckoned but I planned to take in the bridleway at Lambrigg and drop down to Haygarth. It was well worth the diversion, the first section I had done with Nigel in the snow so it was nice to see how it normally looks. Initially a little boggy it soon gives way to a rocky track and a decent descent. Heading back to Kendal I took Paddy Lane to Mealbank before heading to Mintsfeet to pick up a van for work. Not a bad little route to take to do so, a good 4 hours riding 33 miles/5100ft and a pair of tired legs.

Trifle damp

I didn’t get much chance to ride at the weekend so saved myself to guide Lee round some of the local bridleways and lanes on Monday. It put a fair amount of rain down Sunday night and the river was swollen as I made my way up to meet Lee. The route I had in mind would of been rather muddy in places after all the rain, we never got much chance to see though as almost as soon as we met my front brakes were grinding as they had worn and I didn’t have spares in my bag We turned round and headed back to mine to change them but the rain came heavy so I swapped bikes and took the 46 rather than make Lee loiter getting soaked and cold. Being on this side of town I decided to start with Gamblesmire, I expected it to be a little soggy and it didn’t disappoint. It was by far the worst I had seen it after all the recent rain and we were rather caked by the time we hit Underbarrow. A long road section took us through Brigsteer Park- bridleway options would of been a wet grass fest so we stuck to the tarmac. It had faired up by now but all the standing water made sure we were kept damp We headed to Sedgwick and took the Larkrigg bridleway to Natland then road back home. A good two hours riding and back home in time to keep Sarah almost happy.

Wednesday night round Blawith Knott with Jono and Matt was always going to be on the damp side after heavy rain on Tuesday but with it staying fair all day we had hope of a fine night at least. The rain started as soon as I set off in the car and turned very heavy. By the time we got set off it had eased somewhat but this proved short lived as first rain then sleet fell on us. The ground was sodden to start with, we were riding streams almost all the way round but it proved good fun but a little hairy at times. As we started the tarmac climb a head wind appeared and the sleet started to turn to snow. By the time we reached the top it was blizzard like, the flakes were huge and settling and quickly building up. I hadn’t quite realized how bad it was until I looked at Jono and Matt how were looking like cycling snowmen We headed back to the cars, Matt was struggling with his lights so we kept regrouping until we hit the final tarmac section where me and Jono crept ahead again. We made it back with no sign of Matt, he had got a puncture but chose to ride on it rather than stop so turned up a few minutes later. Not a great mileage racked up but it was a ride to look back on, sweet trails in which in better weather a second loop would make into a reasonable distance.

Tonight was fine after a very wet morning which had caused lots of local flooding. I went out just before Eight and clocked up 27 miles on back lanes. Despite some rather deep puddles, the deepest was 1′ by the handy marker at the side of the road I managed to get back with dry feet. I can’t recall the last time I made it back with dry toasty toes but it was a great feeling Quite a decent week for the training miles but it seems an age since I rode a proper MTB route. I have no plans as yet for the weekend so might get out on some proper trails then.

Friday fun

Nigel extended his holidays and joined me for a spin round the local lanes and bridleways. A bit of snow overnight was thawing in Kendal as we set off at 9 am but we were likely to find some on our travels. We headed up the Greyhound and then over to Old Hutton to check out a bridleway to see if it would be suitable for the kids. It was somewhat damp and muddy in places but seemed ideal to take the kids down. Trying to recall where the next section was (having forgotten a map) we headed upwards, stumbling upon a bridleway at the next junction. The snow was a few inches thick at this point but was soft enough to track through without much problem. Nearing the end the obvious track disappeared leaving us scratching our heads and setting off in the wrong direction until we found a farmer on a quad bike who sent us on the correct trail which he added was vague at the best of times. We paddled through the hidden gateway and made out way down to the tarmac again. I really should keep a map to hand when exploring

We headed along the lanes past Killington to take in the bridleway over Lambrigg Fell. Despite it being so close to Kendal it was still on my “to do list”. The snow here made it really hard work, most was passable but a spin here and there was inevitable. It proved worthy though so I will return again in more favorable conditions. By the time we hit tarmac we were getting a little chilled so decided to head back to Kendal and it’s lack of the white stuff. A decent little workout- about 27 miles in three hours moving left the legs feeling worked and with luck a few more ounces of Christmas fat shifted.