- This event has passed.
Lakes Weekend Away
October 19, 2012 @ 3:00 pm - October 21, 2012 @ 5:00 pm
Details and specific location TBD but it will be Friday/Sat night accommodation (bunkhouse/hostel), hopefully close to a town/pub. Big ride on Saturday, another ride on Sunday. Aiming for gorgeous autumnal views, big scenery and some great riding and banter.
We’re now booked in to a hostel in Keswick so will most likely be riding trails in that area.
Please post up if you are interested in this weekend away as I’ll be making accomodation enquiries soon.
Count me in, thanks.
I’m up for it. I’ve stayed here a couple of time it’s great for groups and is close to a pub. Glenridding is really stunning part of the Lakes. http://www.gillsidecaravanandcampingsite.co.uk/bunkhouse.htm
It is surprisingly cheap, mainly because it shares a building with a hydro generator which they carelessly forget to mention on the website. I’m not too fussed where we stay, except Windemere on account of it being awful.
Hi, my vote would go for something near Coniston (Langdale, Hawkshead, Torver) with easy access to rides near Walna Scar adn Grizedale ( not the trails but the BW’s) or even on the other side of Walna Scar in Dutton Valley. Kentmere is good with plenty of all types of trails. Patterdale is also good ( near Glenridding with both Helvellyn and High Str as an option). but the bunkhouse at Gillside can be very loud and my ear plugs did nothing to stop the noise…
Dave and I should be able to come along with maybe Bill and potentially one or 2 others from Delamere group. will get this confirmed over the weekend.
depending on numbers, a cottage might be even cheaper and more comfortable option? happy to help to sort out accomodation.
http://theymc.org.uk/pages/hut-guests-fees.shtml I can recommend this hut. clean, good showers, good kitchen, communal area with fire place, amazing location although uphill back to base. but has a pub just down the road :-). £125 per night sole occupancy and sleeps 12. don’t be put off by the comment that place should be booked a year ahead, worth trying…
http://www.bmasc.org.uk/cottage.htm don’t have to be a member of BMC and cost is £8 per head.
http://www.wordsworthcountry.com/accommodation/coniston.htm#cottage more options from caravans to cottages
http://findabunkhouse.co.uk/#/the-lake-district/4531598798
Paivi
George Starkey hut might be an option too…. if you choose Patterdale area…
http://www.abmsac.org.uk/gshut.pdf separate rooms for women and men…. but spacious, clean and close to a pub.
Hi,
Put me and John down too. It will be the end of our 2 weeks DIY, and reckon we’ll need a break on the bikes by then!
Like Paivi’s idea about Walma Scar- we got lost on it last time and meant 3 hours hikey-bikey!! Or, I’d be up for further North, around Keswick as we’ve been the not there, meant to be some great natural stuff north of there (will need to find details), and been to Windamere/Ambleside area a couple of times already. Not so keen on Patterdale, as won’t be doing High Street… Sam
Sounds the damage. Count me in.
Hey as we spoke about this waaaay back am totally in! So long as it doesnt clash with my holibags shd know for definite this week and give you an answer 🙂
Sounds grand. Will bring sleeping pills, ear plugs, eye mask, and a bottle of gin this time… I need my kip before a ride…
😀
Graham – don’t see any mention of this partly being arranged due to you and I both turning 40 near to the time. Are you keeping it quiet? If so, I won’t say a word…
Angling for a birthday cake are we Gav?? 😉 80 candles is a health and safety risk!
I’m just commenting so that I can tick the box that says “Notify me of follow-up comments by email”….
80 candles – holy fire stations Batman!
I’d like to go, but not sure if I can make it as teaching will be in full swing. Can you put me down as a maybe?
This look like a great weekend. Would be nice to catch up with you all after moving to Aviemore.
Zoe
Hi Zoe – how things? Any chance you could make a BACS transfer for the hostel? Not sure if you’ve got any problems accessing your email but the payment details should be in your inbox. As I’ve booked this out of my own pocket I’m keen to sort out the payments ASAP. Cheers, Graham
Hey Graham,
Really sorry I didn’t realise that you thought that meant I was confirming a place. I just meant that it sounded like a great idea. I am not even in the country that weekened.
Since the beginning/mid of September I have been booked up to going to a wedding in Ireland… hence why I haven’t been reading the e-mails.
Can you get the money back? Sorry I just thought that you would have expected me to confirm or send something more official than a blog post. Assumed that as you hadn’t heard from me since beginning of september that you knew I wouldn’t be going.
Zoe x
Hey. I’m interested in riding that weekend. I dont need to be considered for accomodation as I will be camping that week with the family in the Lakes. 🙂
Grant – noted you’re interest as a maybe.
Zoe – hey. Noted!
Al – great stuff. If it’s October Week for the schools then that might add a little complication to the accommodation hunt.
I’ll make enquiries and hopefully confirm location & costs by the end of the weekend. I’m aiming for bunkhouse/hostel accommodation or perhaps a (large) self catering house if it will do it for a weekend.
Walna Scar is a shadow of it’s former self following the path improvements which obliterated the fun tech sections on the descent. How on earth did you manage to get lost Sam?
High Street is good if you go part way up and head along the footpath via Angle Tarn to Boredale Hause. It’s one of the finest sections of trail in the Lakes. It connects on to the Ullswater shore path which makes for a great day out.
If planning on doing Skiddaw, the descent off of Ullock Pike is the route to take. Steep and loose at the top then it becomes a flowy trail along the ridge. It has to be one of the best mountain rides in the UK. The Back of Skiddaw route is pretty poor in comparison.
In or around Keswick would make for a good base if you want to ride the Western Lakes.
The scope for riding cheeky trails is high. All the best trails there are cheeky and it’s rare that anyone gives you any hassle on the peaks these days. The attitude to bikers in the Lakes is markedly different from the Peak District which is no bad thing.
Cheers
Sanny
Hi Sanny
Planning on your Skiddaw off Ullock Pike on friday pm but need more route details and how long hrs?
cheers Chris
Count me in, definitely. Love the lakes. Shame about walna scar, used to be awesome, although the descent down the duddon valley to seathwaite (on the way to walna scar) was even better, but I hear it has had the same treatment. I love the sound of sanny’s unlock pike route.
Ullock pike! Bloody predictive nonsense!
Update on accommodation: I’m waiting for 2 hostels (1 in Keswick and 1 in Patterdale) to get back to me about availability but I’ve found a place in Grasmere (Thorney How) that has space for us. Looks like a good set up. Would you be happy being based in Grasmere regarding access to rides? It seems fairly central in the Lakes.
All of those would be great, Graham. There’s so much great biking in the lakes, I don’t think it really matters where you stay, there is biking nearby. We stayed in grasmere last time, and rode the borrowdale bash, and garburn pass. Both great days riding.
my only concern with Grasmere hostel is the access road/parking. they got over 50 beds and space for 12 normal sized cars and no turning space for vans etc but this could easily be checked with the hostel. we would need to take the van as got 3 people coming up ( plus that according to their website they don’t have enough showers as they did not get planning permission to extent the shower facilities). Otherwise it looks like a nice place. Most of the YHA hostels around Coniston, Hawkshead, Langdale and Borrowdale has space in 3,4 and 6 bed rooms. trying to find something in Lakes can be difficult but you could try some of the climbing clubs as most of the huts are really quite nice and comfortable and also close to pubs. Paivi
Agreed, grasmere is a nightmare to park. Last time we only just managed to get one of the free Sunday spaces in the main street, of which there is only 6 or thereabouts. The only other option was to park in a layby outside of the village.
Denton House Outdoor Centre in Keswick comes highly recommended by Donald.
We drove past it on Sunday after we had been on a mini adventure over Whiteless and Grizedale Pikes – a cracker of a technical ride at only 16 miles but with well over 5000 feet of climbing. I’ll get round to writing a ride report soon. It’s not a gentle spin kind of ride and to be honest, it’s probably shouldn’t be the first choice when both have you have cracked frames (oops!) but the riding is absolutely first class and was too good to resist.
Gasgale Gill which we rode up looks like it would be stunning on the way down too while there are a couple of lines off Grizedale Pike that look to be worth exploring. Itching to get back for some more high level trail exploring down there.
Update: the x14 people that confirmed are now booked in to a hostel in Keswick & will have an email with all the details.
Al/Grant/others interested but not committed – you know where we are so hopefully we’ll see you on the weekend for some riding and/or socialising.
I’m going to try and make it for the Saturday ride.
D
Any ideas on routes yet, Graham?. Borrowdale bash would be good on the Saturday, takes about 3 hours iirc, then for those who want a wee bit more, head up threlkeld and ride along Lonscale crags and down the latrigg ‘spoony’ descent back into Keswick. That would add on about another 90 minutes.
GMBC? Plan a route? 2 weeks in advance of a weekend away? I think you’ve confused us with an organised bike club. Usually we meet up at the hostel with a pile of maps, route guides and a weather forecast and figure it out the night before over a few beers. Will probably depend on the weather and those present.
If you’ve got more ideas then post them up. I’ve only ridden in the Lakes once before and I couldn’t tell you where that was so I’m taking a backseat on the trail selection duties. Sanny and Donald are pretty clued up as are Paivi & Dave. Happy to go with the flow myself, taking my Heckler so up for most stuff but would probably want to avoid having to drive too far/anywhere on the Saturday
Cool, look forward to it.
Agreed the Borrowdale Bash 27km is a club classic a little bit of everything plus some optional extras from Greg or Skiddaw Loop 44km or a bit further away Conniston loop 40km. There are a couple of short rides around Skiddaw and Ambleside too <20km each
Chris
Skiddaw loop is a smashing day out, but the section from Skiddaw YHA down to Mosedale will be a muddy purgatory just now. Good call re the riding down by ambleside and coniston, some tremendous riding down there, and it tends to be better drained due to its rockier nature.
I didn’t realise Sanny was going, Or I wouldn’t even have suggested routes, due to his Lakes knowledge!. 😉
Bit late in on this chat but I’ll probably be heading down.
I take it there’s no more room at your inn? If not I’ll drag wife and kids down and stay in cottage/chalet/campsite sort of thing.
I’m up for big mountain riding and epic descents. Especially Sanny’s suggestion of Skidding and Unblocked Pipes.
D
Hi Dene – I’d need to check with the hostel. Unlikely I think, they were full last time I spoke to them, unless they’ve had a cancellation.
Hi Greg
You flatter me with your comments though my knowledge of Lakes routes isn’t anywhere near as extensive as I would like it to be. Still an awful lot of exploring to be done. Happy to sit and pore over maps. We’ve done a lot of riding down there over the years but there is still much more to explore especially in the quieter western Lakes. By opening up the route options to include footpaths (if it’s good enough for the locals!) there is some tremendous riding to be had such as the ubiquitous Ullock Pike and Blencathra etc. And then there is the singletrack by Angle Tarn……..
Ive only ridden the lakes a few times myself, Sanny. Did the big Skiddaw loop with John Henry, only other rides were Walna scar from torver via seathwaite, the southerly end of the bash (castle crags and the other cracking descent), garburn pass from troutbeck and grizedale through to low parkamoor.
I’m going down for a few days next week with the family, planning on heading to walna scar again to see if it’s as badly sanitised as people say.
Lots more places to explore. Poring over maps with an ale or two is almost as good as biking!. Happy days.
Looking to tie up with the Saurday ride as i will be down there all this week. Cheers. Al
The weather for friday afternoon looks ok at the moment, with that in mind I was planning on leaving Glasgow lunchtime for a short ride near Keswick. Happy to give/share a lift anyone interested?
Chris
Chris, I’ll have a chat with Dave and see if he is happy to drive over in the afternoon. Could do a ride on Friday too….will keep you posted. Paivi
I’m up for that, Chris. I could pick you up as I’ll be heading round the m74 extension From Prestwick?.
Great, if it’s not out your way. How about Premier Inn East at M74 junction 3A, (the old zoo) http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/GLABLA/glasgow-east, hopefully there will be no parking restrictions. Say 12.30pm? and ready for riding at 3pm – Skiddaw/Ullock Pike?
ta Chris 07816512885
Chris, sounds ideal. I’ll text you nearer the time.
My number is 07795551998,
Greg.
Skiddaw – Up the Bridleway, descend the scree slope footpath to the obvious whale back ridge and follow the ridge line down Longside Edge. One cheeky bit you will need to walk down . After that, head along the Allerdale Ramble heading back towards Keswick. Keep as high as you can as you head up to Carsleddam for the steeeeeeeeep descent down doups…..which is fantastic in a steep, eroded grassy, silly manner. Oh and you will be under two hours to get to Keswick leaving from Junction 3A so may even get riding by about 2.30.
You can omit the Doups section but it is really nice and a wee favourite of mine.
Great ride. Bank on a couple of hours tops to summit from Keswick then take as long as you want for the descent. If you don’t faff, I’d budget 4 to 5 hours tops.
Oh and it’s a bit tech in places so best not to go full beanz!
If you’re in Keswick early just a reminder that we won’t have access to the hostel until after 3pm. The hostel have a list of the names who are staying as part of our group, to make the checking in a bit easier. Text me if you have any questions.