The Lake District Lakeland Loop

Introduction:

Having completed Britain's most difficult cycle route with three friends, Len, Mark & Chris, I thought it would be appropriate to put down some of my thoughts now I have had time to reflect on what we have all achieved. I didn't really understand the sheer size and scale of the task in hand before we set off but had been warned by two of the other riders, Len and Mark, who were on the second Lakeland Loop!

The Lake District Lakeland Loop is a six day cycle loop thought up by Tim Woodcock. The loop takes you over the most challenging unforgiving terrain in Britain and to make the task harder we decided to do it in four days.
I don't know the exact distance of the loop, which is actually insignificant as the route and rocky terrain regularly takes you up and down hundreds of feet, supposedly the distance is around 180 mile and you scale around 26'000 feet in total over the route.

The week we went I off I was off work laid in bed with a virus / throat infection and did not feel well the whole four days. I was held together with a cocktail of ibruphen and paracetomol and literally dragged up some of the Mountains and Fells by Mark, Len & Chris.

Day 1: Friday 1st July 2005 : Threlkeld - Skidaw - Bassenthwaite - Wythrope Forest - Watendlathe - Rosthwaite.

Woke up after another poor nights sleep feeling rough and certainly not fit for a short bike ride, nevermind this epic! I forced as much breakfast down my sore throat as possible, said good bye to the family and made my way down the road to Lens house. Me and Mark met at Len's house at 07:30 got the bikes on the rack and set off for a two hour drive from North Yorkshire to the Lake District. Chris is Lake district local and would be waiting for us at Threlkeld car park, our start and finish point.

We arrived at Threlkeld at about 09:30 in good spirits with the sun shining. We got our bikes sorted, back packs on and all commented on Chris's body armour which was to keep us all very amused for the next four days.So feeling a little nervous fearing the unknown we set off at a steady pace and headed for our overnight stop at Rosthwaite in Borrowdale. The weather was good and the pace was fairly gentle compared to our normal Sunday morning riding pace but it was soon apparent this steady pace was going to be as much as I could handle, especially on the ascents. We made it to Skidaw Youth hostel area in good time by which point it was starting to dawn on me the sheer size of this landscape. We then headed towards the top of Bassenthwaite Lake and back down to Bassenthwaite village via fairly easy going terrain. Mark the local Joker and chatter box had managed to prize out of Chris the body armour was for the more technical tricky decent, especially the decent from the Old Man of Conniston/Walner Scar as Chris seemed to convinced he would not be able to ride down what must be one of the longest technical decents in the UK. I was more worried about the getting up the Walner Scar road, this point in the ride on day three actually turned out to be a very significant for different reasons.

I am not sure were we stopped for lunch that day I think it was somewhere near Braithwiate, however I do remember having sat outside in the sun eating fish & chips. Mark got collared by a handicapped guy on the way to the bar telling us if he had a bike he would do loads of skids in the car park. After dinner we headed off towards Wythrope forest and Watendlathe with me 50 -100 yards behind everyone on the up hills which turned out to be how the next four days would go, me struggling at the back fighting my virus and demons. At arriving at Watendlathe we stopped at a farmhouse serving tea and scones and had a much needed rest. From there we followed the track for several miles and descended toward Rosthwaite via a very tricky downhill section which was great fun. All of us managed to ride 95% of the decent with Chris's body armour still intact and unscathed.

On arriving at our B&B in Rosthwaite we cleaned our bikes had some more tea and scones and went to our rooms to get cleaned up ready for the homemade scran.

Me and Mark were sharing a room for the trip which turned out to be very amusing due to the childish banter which mainly involved talk of pile cream, muscle rub, paracetomol, body armour and general tiredness. I remember laying in bed that night after tea at 20:15 fairly shattered thinking how can I possibly ride a bike for the next three days feeling ill, little was I to know that day one was the easy day, days two and three turned out to be absolute killers!

Day 2: Rosthwaite - Honistor Pass - Buttermere - Black Sail Pass - Wasdale head - Burnmoor Tarn - Boot - Ravenglass.

After the best nights sleep I had had in a week I still didn't feel that great but was ready for the day ahead. We had as much as we could eat for our breakfast got packed up and set off for 8 to 9 hours cycling.

After a steady 30 minutes on the road we got to the bottom of Honistor Pass, probably the steepest and longest road in the lakes, and from that moment on the majority of the day consisted of going up and up and up. It took what seemed a lifetime to get to the top of Honistor Pass, which we rode all the way with me last as usual. It then took about 5 minutes to get down the other side, one of us may have broke the 50MPH Barrier down Honistor! All I remember coming down was smelling the burning from everybody's brakes and holding on for dear life, our next destination was Buttermere.

The track around Buttermere was a typical Lakeland path, lots of rocks which constantly stopped your momentum. From Buttermere we headed up over towards Enerdale which consisted off pushing and riding until we reached Enerdale forest and followed a 14 mile fire road which gradually took us up to Black Sail Hut at the bottom of Black Sail Pass, the first official carry of the ride. At the bottom of Black Sail Pass we met another group of bikers who were doing the coast to coast ride, however with no time to spare we had a quick refuel of power bars, carb gel and flap jack and started pushing towards the top.

Within five minutes I was at the back struggling to keep up with Len and Marks pace, Chris had decided to drop back and stay with me and help me up the first stage. I remember getting about half way feeling absolutely shattered and not having the energy to pass my bike up over the small rock face. Having got up over that stage my throat was really sore and I was having trouble breathing I just kept plodding on at my own very slow pace. I remember looking up and seeing Mark about 300 yards away near the top and Len and Chris not to far behind, this was probably the lowest point in the whole four days for me as I felt like I was not going to make it. Len could obviously see I was struggling and when he was near the top came back down and carried my bike for a good 200 yards to give me a rest, this was extremely appreciated as I was exhausted. When we reached the top all I remember was a lady asking me if I was alright, yes was the reply, but no was the real answer I felt like laying down but we had to crack on toward Boot via Wasdale Head for a late dinner. I got back on my bike feeling terrible as my pride had taken a big dent up Black Sail Pass never before have I been in the situation were I needed help like that, without Len I would not have got up to the top, thanks Len!

From the top of Black Sail Pass we headed for Wasdale Head and our much needed dinner. I don't really remember to much about the terrain between Black Sail Pass and Wasdale Head due to my state of mind, I believe it was another typical Lakeland decent that needed your 100% concentration to get you down in one piece. I do remember Len trying cut off a corner of the track by going down a vertical grassy bank but didn't quite make all the way as his back wheel decided to pass the front one, it was a good effort though. At about 13:30 when we arrived at the Wasdale head pub for lunch. When the barmaid collected our dishes she offered me a 500mg dissolvable Paracetomol so with that inside me and all our bellies full we got ready for the next stage towards Ravenglass.

Just as we were leaving Wasdale Head the coast to coast riders were arriving so we had a little idle chit chat about Black Sail Pass then hit the road toward Burnmoor Tarn. It was a steady road climb for 30 minutes until we reached a rocky uphill track which required a mixture of riding and pushing. Chris got a puncture half way up which meant I could plod on up the track at my own pace and actually get to the top first for once. Near the top we took a sharp left up a very steep grassy fell and once back on our bikes peddled across the grassy sapping moorland toward the most remote Tarn I have ever seen, Burnmoor Tarn, on the way Boot. The decent into Boot was typical rocky Lakeland decent which we all rode down at a good speed with ease. Chris still had not had tested that body armour which was still keeping us highly amused and usually contained the word gay boy in the same sentences. All that was left now was to follow the River Esk toward Ravenglass via a pleasant woodland track which was a nice rest as the majority of the day had consisted of climbing uphill.

The woodland had a rocky ford which we all tried to ride through at the same time as been watched by a group of walkers, they found it amusing as we all got pretty wet and I nearly fell off.

The last big climb of the day was a road climb to the edge of Ravenglass and then a much needed freewheel down to sea arriving in Ravensglass around 17:30. It had been an extremely long and challenging day especially when the Paracetomol started to wear off!! We all got scrubbed up at the B&B and headed of to Ratty's for some well earned food. I remember having a large mixed grill and jam rolly polly with custard then going straight to bed feeling totally shattered.

Day 3: Ravenglass - Waberthaite Fell - Kiln Bank - Lickle valley - Walner Scar - Conniston - Grizdale Forest - Windermere.

I remember waking up this morning extremely sore and tired after a poor nights sleep due to the room being red hot. Again we all had as much breakfast as we could possibly eat and got started for the mammoth task of getting to the top of Walner Scar. Due to us being at sea level the day started instantly with a uphill road climb and for the next 5 hours didn't change that much!!

We were on the road for about 30 minutes heading for Waberthwaite Fell. A track turned of the road and led us to the fell, the fell consisted of tufty moorland grass and bog. when the track disappeared Len navigated by sight and map. It was hard going up to the top of the fell which required a combination of pushing and a little riding. I briefly took a moment to look back at the top of the fell and Ravenglass seemed miles away! We headed down a fast grassy decent towards Bigert Mire farm and keep going towards Kiln Bank in Dunnerdale. Dunnerdale valley seemed different to the other valleys we had been in it felt more like the NY Moors than the Lake District. Just before we got to Kiln Bank Chris had a major mechanical failure as his free wheel hub broke and he could not peddle his bike, this could be a major problem if it could not be fixed! As the other guys tried to fix Chris bike on the trackside I slowly headed up Kiln bank at my own pace. As I reached the top Len was just behind me with Mark a minute or two behind and Chris running up the bank with his bike. Chris wheel was broke and we needed to get it fixed or find a replacement fast otherwise Chris could not finish the loop. Chris called his regular riding partner, Bob, and organised to use his wheel, however he needed to meet him at Broughton to collect the wheel. As an unbelievable stroke of luck a school party had just come of the fells and were headed back to near were Chris needed to meet Bob. There was room on there mini bus and Chris managed to get a lift with them, how lucky was that!?!

We now headed toward Walner Scar via the Lickle valley without Chris, our plan was too meet him in Conniston. It seemed so ironic that Chris had been extremely worried about the decent from Walner Scar that he had bought body armour but unfortunately he would not be riding down from the top of Walner Scar due to a mechanical failure with his bike. The ride from the Lickle valley to Walner Scar took us through a bare felled forestry landscape on single track. This point in the ride turned out to be my second lowest point after Black Sail Pass. My throat was killing, I was exhausted and had hit the wall everything seemed a blur for the next hour till we got Walner Scar. Len who had been the leading the way from the moment we left Threlkeld actually asked if I was going to make it, I answered yes, but the truth be know I was hanging on by a thread and in the next hour I nearly blacked out twice. I needed to get to Conniston and get some more ibruphen, paractomeol and food so I just keeped telling myself Conniston was were the ride ended for me.

When I arrived at the Walner Scar road Len and Mark were talking to the coast to coast riders, this was now the third time we had bumped into them. I remember looking up to the old man of Conniston thinking the only way I was going to get up this extremely long and steep climb was by air ambulance. With no time to spare we headed up to the top pushing our bikes as it was virtually impossible to ride on such steep and rocky terrain, the slow walk up actually provided me with a much needed rest . Len did have a go at riding up and managed a good 300 yards being watched by walkers and me in the distance as they pulled away from me as usual! I just kept my head down and put one foot in front of another for what seemed like a lifetime till I finally reached the top. The views for the top were magnificent and Conniston about 5 mile away on the valley floor looked like a toy town. After a short rest we all refuelled with carb gel and power bars and got ready for what turned out to be the longest decent I have ever done.

The decent is rocky, steep, technical and about 3 to 4 mile long, it truly is an awesome decent that required all of us to have two rests on the way down its that long. My feet and hands were on fire at some points but you just had to hang on for dear life!! It made me immensely proud that we rode down all this decent without coming off, it truly was an epic decent and I will remember it for the rest of my life. Now feeling like I could ride down Everest we made our way into Conniston for some well some earned dinner at 14:00. Still high on the decent from Walner Scar I decided to stock back up on ibruphen and extra strong paracetamol from the local co-op. Half through my pie, pea's and gravy Chris arrived back with a new wheel and ready for action again, disappointed that he had missed the Walner Scar decent but relieved he could finish the ride.
Now full of food and me loaded back up on pain killers we took the road toward Grizdale Forest. We soon turned up a steep rocky track which took us to the top of forest, from here for the rest of the forest the tracks were easy flowing enjoyable woodland trials. Once out of Grizdale it was virtually a mixture of on and off road to the Winderemere ferry, via Ulfer. Coming down the hill in the late afternoon sunshine passing the queuing cars waiting for the ferry was a great feeling, our next challenge was to find our B&B. After being given wrong directions and sent the wrong way by a local shop keeper we eventually found the B&B, as if we needed an extra few miles riding after the day we just had. The day had been an extremely long and challenging day which I was glad to get through still intact. I have two memories of staying at Windermere one when Mark tried to kick his covers of the bed he thought he had pulled his hamstring and two when Mark dropped his three litre camel back bladder all over the bedroom floor on the morning of the fourth day, both incidents were extremely funny!

Day 4: Windermere - Troutbeck - Kentmere - High Street via Garburn Pass & Gatescarth Pass - Cockpit - Ulswater - Patterdale - Threlkeld.

The last day of this epic ride had finally come and after three days of riding eight to nine hours a day, it felt like my bike was welded to my arse and my sole purpose was to just to ride a mountain bike. When we decided to do the Lakeland loop some 6 months ago one place on the loop had been talked about more than any other, High Street, this is the highest point in the lakes and involves carrying your bike for the last 1400 feet up over the top.

It had rained biblical proportions most of the night so I had not had a great nights sleep again. Mark's first words after he had looked out of the window were "do you want the good news or the bad news?" The good news was it had rained all night and his hamstring was killing and the bad news was no one had stolen our bikes so we had to ride them all day again. After another hugh breakfast we got packed up and headed out of a damp and misty Windermere. Straight away our topic of conversation was about High Street and due to the inclement weather it would not be safe to go up to the top if visibility was poor. The last thing any of us wanted was to be lost at the top of High Street after cycling over 150 miles it would be sole destroying. We did have an alternative bad weather route which took us around High Street via the Garburn Road and Gatescarth Pass.

The alternative route didn't involve a very big climb like High Street but just two big climbs and a lot more mileage, so until we got near High Street our route was in the hands of the gods. We made steady progress via Troutbeck, Kentmere and the Harter Fell Area this consisted of typically going uphill, which by now had become the norm anything type of flat terrain now felt like a downhill. At the point most of High Street became visible we made a decision not to go over it due to the poor weather conditions. I can't say I was to displeased with missing out carrying my bike for a full hour, but I will be back again sometime to do it again. So we headed along the Garburn Pass which actually turned out to be no picnic either, there was plenty of opportunity to get off your bike and push uphill due to the terrain being unrideable. This route actually turned out to be a lot longer than we imagined but we did see some spectacular scenery and a great decent from the top of Gatescarth Pass. The decent from Gatescarth was an unexpected bonus for us all it was not as long as the unforgettable Walner Scar but a little steeper, technical and winded across the valley more. Mark and Len led the way down, however at some stage I managed to get past them and rode the whole decent without stopping or a dab to get my balance. Now considering I had been at the back the last four days on every uphill continually trying to catch everyone else with the words "Cmon Mart" continually coming from Len I decided to crown myself king of Gatescarth Pass.

Our next task was to get to the track known as Cockpit from the other side of High Street and descend towards Ulswater. This consisted of country roads, very wet country roads, an off road farm type track and a slog across some grassy moorland until we re-joined the track from High Street. By the time we got to the track we could see Ulswater it was now about 13:00 so it was time to take some more carb gel and power bar on board. The decent from here to the top of Ulswater (Howtown) was a quick flowing track which was wet and muddy due to the sheer amount of rain that had fell the night before, but excellent fun. We had decided to stop for our lunch at Patterdale, however it was well past lunch time, and we still had the Ulswater lakeshore path to conquer. As we got to the beginning of the path the heavens decided to open again. The path was a boulder strewn wet slippery slog that lasted about an hour. Lens blistering pace making of the last four days was finally beginning to take its toll as I over took him sat on a big rock he had not managed to ride over. We all plodded on soaking wet lost in our own thoughts Mark leading the way with Len and Chris at the rear for a change. When I met Mark at the end of the track his first words were "I beat you by four and half minutes" I was too wet, hungry and tired to care, infact I was just ecstatic I was not last for a change!

We arrived in Patterdale around 15:00 and our lift home Lisa, Lens wife, would be waiting in Threlkeld from 16:00 to take us home. We were all cold, wet, hungry and pretty exhausted but we decided there was no time for lunch so with a Mars bar from the local village shop we set off again. The Rain was again biblical and long road climb from Patterdale through Dockray upto to the old coach road which would take us back to Threlkeld lasted forever. I was more or less gone by the time I reached the old coach road as the virus and last four days had really taken its toll on me but with only seven miles to go I was not giving in now. The old coach road winds across the bleak and relatively flat landscape which ends with a high-speed descent past the Threlkeld Knotts into the valley on the far side. All that was now left was to cross the A66 and make our way through Threlkeld to the car park at the top of the village, up a hill.

Chris and Len made the way up the hill first with me and Mark closely behind when we got to got the car park it was a great feeling to finally get off your bike and think YES we have finished!! Everyone shock each others hands and congratulated each other with big well done and Mark now told me "you are a man of the mountain". I felt like a very wet, tired and hungry man of mountain and had one thing in my mind get changed and get home to see my wife, son and daughter. The journey home only seemed like five minutes probably because I was still riding up and down the mountains from the last four days in my mind. What a great feeling to finally arrive back home and see everyone again, we had only been gone four days but it felt like a lifetime whch had turned me into a mountain bike machine, all be it a slow one;)

Postscript:

Having taken a week or two to write this little epilogue I have had even more time to think and recall about the sheer amount of miles and thousands of feet we covered in four days, it was ridiculous!Three days after we got back I was still coming down the Walner Scar road and reliving Black Sail Pass in my sleep.

The route and timescale we took was very challenging, very much so in some parts, the mornings of day 2 and day 3 were extremely difficult and actually extended well into the afternoons.

With the unfortunate exception of Chris's hub breaking and my virus it was a good trip. Without Len, Mark & Chris I probably would have not got through day 2 and day 3 so I would like to thank them all for helping me.All things aside I am glad I did it as will be something that lives with me forever, It was a great way to see some of Britain's most remote and beautiful countryside.Lastly I regularly read the mountain bike magazines and see 3 hour routes described as "Killer Loops". Having done the Lakeland Loop it definitely qualifies as a *Genuine* "KILLER LOOP" its was EPIC!!