Imagine that it's a bank holiday weekend (not that difficult to do), and you're staying in Cumbria. Where can you ride your bike in peace and quiet? Easy, the north Pennines. For lovers of solitude, this massif of high moorland is superb. Also considering that a large stretch of this route follows the Pennine way, I saw only 5 other people up on the moors.
Bear in mind that this remoteness can have its drawbacks. These moors are very exposed, and at almost 800m, higher than many of the more famous lake district routes. Help will be a long time coming. Also, in low cloud, if the Dun Fell radar domes are not visible, it is possible to become badly lost.
The circuit is certainly enjoyable, with a fantastic mix of every type of surface. It is the only MTB route I know where the tarmac is an integral part of the experience, and not just joining together the off-road.
| Physical | Technical | Fun | Scenery | Singletrack | Rideability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *** | **** | ***** | ** | *** | **** |
The circuit starts at Blencarn in the Eden valley, and utilises the old mine road crossing just north of Cross Fell summit, to Garrigill in the South-Tyne valley. The surfaced road south from Garrigill then carries you back into the fells, to Moor House shooting lodge. A 3 mile section of sketchy singletrack alongside Trout beck then brings you onto the Dun Fell radar access road, where you descent back into the Eden valley at high speed.
I last rode this route with rigid forks. If ever a route wasn't possible without suspension then this is it! I arrived at Garrigill with screaming arm pain, and slurred speech, as if I were punch drunk. Even kitted out with lovely soft Paces, the outward mine track really hurts. The route may seem short, but that outward mine track really makes its presence felt. As ever, controversy will surround my choice of direction and start point. If you don't agree, then RIDE IT THE OTHER WAY ROUND. It's a free country! What I must say is that gravity lovers should really consider riding back the way they came from Garrigill, to get the two best downhills.
The only eating opportunities are at Garrigill, where the shops sells take-out sandwiches and the George and Dragon serves superb bar meals.
The circuit, as it stands, has a little for everyone. An enormous but rideable climb out of the Eden valley, a lumpy and technical traverse on the mine road by Greg's hut, and a super fast rough descent into Garrigill. The return route mixes private tarmac with a few miles of exquisite single track. The final decent is from the highest surfaced road in Britain, a 2000ft screamer of a downhill!
Get out a highlighter, and Landranger no.91, and mark out the following waypoints. Garrigill is (just) on map 87, but you should manage by only taking no.91 along. Eagle eyed MBR readers may well recognise the route, as it was featured as a 'classic', in one of their pull-out sections. Now you'll wish you kept and filed all those ride guides won't you!
| Location | Grid Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Blencarn | 637313 | ||
| Kirkland | 646324 | ||
| Leave track onto footpath | 672348 | ||
| Greg's hut | 691354 | ||
| BW junction | 715360 | ||
| Garrigill (map 87) | 745415 | ||
| End of public road | 757384 | ||
| Bridge over River Tees | 761339 | ||
| Start of singletrack | 747329 | ||
| Dun fell road | 716316 | ||
| Knock road junction | 676274 | ||
| Road junction | 659275 | ||
| Milburn | 654293 | ||
| Blencarn | 637313 | ||
| Total distance 25 miles | Riding time only 4 hours (I must be getting soft!) | ||
Blencarn village is about 6 miles from Penrith, where the M6, A6 and A66 all cross. You can approach Blencarn by car, from either Culgaith, just off the A66, or Langwathby on the A686. Park on the verge where the road leads out Kirkland.
Cycle up the narrow road past Blencarn fishing lake, out to the hamlet of Kirkland. Ignore the road over the bridge, and ride through Kirkland on the dead-end road, straight ahead. This road passes a few houses before becoming a bridleway climbing through fields. The gradient through the fields is gentle at first, but steepens dramatically as the open fell is reached. What follows is a 2000ft climb onto the main Pennine ridge.
The track is smooth at first, and just about rideable, halfway up the fell it passes through three wonderful hairpin bends. Gravity lovers should take a long admiring look over their shoulders at the downhill stretching all the way back to Blencarn lake. Due to the remote nature of the terrain you could happily let rip here, without fear of meeting anyone, and enjoy one of the best descents in Cumbria. Downhillers should seriously consider returning the way they came, once reaching Garrigill, so that they can ride this stretch in both directions.
Just by the last hairpin is a grassed-over old quarry, which would make a beautiful jumps area if it were in a more accessible location. At this point the track becomes very rocky, and riding becomes impossible. Soon afterwards the track takes a sharp left hand bend to contour across the fell, most maps don't show this area correctly, so be warned! You need to leave the track here and carry straight on up the sodden fellside, following the cairns. This section is appallingly wet and muddy, and the path almost non-existent. Notice the tin shack bothy on your right hand side for emergency accommodation.
The track suddenly re-emerges just before you crest the ridge. The ridge top is marked by a sign announcing the Pennine way joining from the right, as it descends from Cross Fell summit. The track from here to Greg's hut is very technical and wet, providing great amusement as it winds its way between huge shakeholes, which threaten to engulf you if you make a mistake.
Greg's hut is a surprisingly robust mountain hut, which provides perfect shelter for an energy bar stop. The track from here to Garrigill is fully rideable, unfortunately the surface of the track is extremely rocky, and many sections need to be ridden with full-on attack style. Also the track climbs gradually until it reaches some old mineworkings.
The tracks snakes it way down through the mines, in a series of sweeping bends. The surface is extremely rough stone slab, requiring equal measures of skill, momentum and stupidity to get through. This mini-descent is a taster of what is to come. A bridleway splits off to the right here, toward Tees head, but you'll be having so much fun you'll probably never notice it.
After the mines the track levels out again, and the surface also becomes much smoother. Look out however for the 'repaired' sections, these are more for the benefit of 4wds than walkers or bikers, and contain some horrendously deep holes, to catapult the unwary.
Following 3 miles of almost level, smooth riding, the track becomes walled on both sides, and you need to prepared yourself for a first class descent. The track becomes steeper and much rougher all of a sudden. This is a high speed descent direct to Garrigill. Look (in equal measures) for the 5 sharp corners, the rain gutters which get larger as you go down, and ramblers. A high speed splash through a ford, marks the end of the fun as you rejoin tarmac just outside Garrigill. Turn left for the village centre.
After refuelling in Garrigill, initially retrace your steps back toward the Pennine way track. But instead of returning from whence you came, continue straight ahead on the surfaced farm road up the valley. By ignoring all side tracks you will eventually reach a gate where the tarmac gives way to gravel and there is a sign 'BW Knock'. Follow this track (not the lower farm access track), and surprisingly it very soon becomes surfaced once again, as it crosses the River South Tyne.
This is the access track to Moor House shooting lodge, and follows the infant River Tyne up to its source. The later sections of the track had recently been resurfaced with municipal waste; bits of pottery, cables, and even glass stuck out from the hardcore, and the whole experience was similar to cycling through glue. Hopefully this section will also have been tarmaced by the time you ride it.
As you pass through the col, the river you'll see ahead of you is the Tees, which even here is magnificent. Follow the track over the road bridge into the nature reserve. At the second road bridge, which crosses Trout beck to the Lodge, carry straight on along the right hand bank of the beck. If the radar domes of Great Dun Fell are on the skyline slightly to your right, then you are heading in the correct direction.
The singletrack alongside Trout beck lasts for about 2 miles, climbing slowly up the river bank. It is mostly first class grassy singletrack, with some sections unfortunately washed into the river. Trout beck itself is a sizeable watercourse and is very scenic in its lower stretches. As the beck split into smaller tributaries, the bridleway abandons it and climbs up into some old mine workings. As join reach the ridge, just to the left of the radar domes, you will reach the surfaced road serving the radar station. The view from here on a clear day is outstanding.
You may wonder why I get so excited about a tarmaced downhill? Well, this is the highest surfaced road in Britain, and this is the longest surfaced downhill in Britain. It is also almost unknown, so you are very unlikely to meet another vehicle, and is almost straight, with just two sharp bends about halfway down.
Be warned however, as this road is so unfrequented by cars that the sheep are even stupider than usual. Also, try not to wrap yourself around one of the snow marker poles, or the concrete road posts lower down. At the top part of the road, amongst the snow poles, you feel as is you're taking part in some kind of bizarre giant slalom.
For anyone that really hates the black stuff, there is an alternative descent from Dun Fell, via Silverband mines, down a bridleway. However the track is almost non-existent, so leave that route for the middle of summer, when you can ride over anything. And trust your navigation.
About 4 minutes later you should be at the road junction at Knock! From here turn right, away from the village itself, and head towards Milburn along the lanes. Once at Milburn, follows signs back to Blencarn, and the car.
Hope you had fun!!
This article is also published in Bikemagic, the ultimate cycling resource.
Last Updated 05-09-2000
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