| Physical | Technical | Fun | Scenery | Singletrack | Rideability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ****** | ***** | **** | ****** | ***** | *** |
Total Distance 24 Miles in 6 hours
Difficulty: Very Difficult
A traverse of the Helvellyn ridge is one of the great mountain biking adventures of Britain, surpassing even the legendary High Street ridge for high-level enjoyment. Unfortunately getting onto, and off the ridge can be far more problematic, with a high proportion of the myriad of bridleways being unrideable in either direction! Published routes often display no imagination what so ever, with so-called ‘classic’ routes typically using descents via Grisedale tarn; a former scree slope currently under several tons of National Trust stone steps!
I have longed toyed with the ‘perfect’ Helvellyn circuit. I used to think that there was only one fully rideable descent from the ridge – that from the summit of Great Dodd, but an “emergency descent” during February foul weather introduced me to the recently resurfaced Keppel Cove route. This little-used pony-track used to be nothing more than the grassy remnants of ancient zig-zags, but has now been given the full Coed-y-Brenin treatment, to produce one of the maddest downhills in the lakes. So, Helvellyn now has two 100% rideable downhills; it is just a question of how to incorporate both into one ride?
The only possible answer is to make two ascents of the main ridge! To paraphrase MBR, “to Hel and back twice”. This also led me to investigate some of the other legal ascent routes: Two rarely used bridleways climb from Thirlspot known collectively as the “old pony route”, and I had never even walked them, nor knew anyone else who had. I was interested to see if either bridleway was viable with a bike, but in any case doubted that it could be much worse than my usual 1 hour carry from Wythburn church!
The cut a long story short, the route devised here, although utterly brutal, and only achieving the summit of Helvellyn via an optional there-and-back, is a corker! Two 100% rideable descents, one on steep gravel of 2300 feet, the other a totally different beast with an 1800ft drop on grassy singletrack. An additional grand finale is the old coach road, a classic ride of the area, which spits you out with an evil grin at St.John’s in the vale. Add to this two sections of rideable technical singletrack on the ascents and a high-level ridge ride to boot. A pretty mind-blowing combination of real mountain, mountain biking.
I also have to add several words of discouragement to those that might be tempted to print off the attached map and disappear into the wilderness without a second thought. Apart from being physically brutal and involving substantial carrying, the route involves high mountain ridges and some very tricky navigation. The old pony route ascent is extremely indistinct to the point of non-existent, and the Great Dodd downhill can take some locating from the summit. This is not the place to get lost / exhausted / crash / breakdown / caught in rough weather. If you don’t know what you are doing then don’t bother – please! Also, please do not rely on the printed map, get yourself the proper map for the area.
Park anywhere in St.John’s in the Vale, or just south from Thirlspot at one of three possible car parks. The only difference it will make is a few minutes worth of road riding. Go directly into the forecourt of the Thirlspot inn, and pass through a small gate with a BW marker, and out through the farmyard at the back. Follow BW markers up the field and fell side and over the aqueduct (stone steps & carrying).
You will eventually meet a wooden finger post showing FP left, FP right & BW back down the hill. Don’t believe it! There are two BW’s from here climbing onto the main ridge. Turn left past the stone table saying “Helvellyn straight up”. Ignore this also. You should now see a very thin singletrack leading diagonally up the fell. Follow this, and continue to follow it almost to the big ghyll ahead. The aim is to utilise the original old pony track zig-zags, and to ignore the more recent and more distinct straight-up paths. Believe me, the straight-up tracks are almost too steep to walk. Once the ground levels out a bit, follow the boggyish track up through Brown Crag and onto the plateau behind. You should then be able to start riding.
Ignore the obvious route straight up Whiteside, but instead concentrate on locating a contouring track to the right. This is barely of sheep-track dimensions but offers superb, almost level, technical singletrack. With a bit more traffic it should become even better. The solitude here is wonderful. The track contours across the flank of Whiteside, slightly above a hanging plateau. The view and superb and you will be lucky if you meet anyone at all in this area. On a sunny May bank holiday we had the route to ourselves.
The contrast between cycling and walking is highlighted as you round the corner into the comb. While you cycle alone along a grassy singletrack beside a deserted comb, scores of noisy wannabee mountaineers, scramble up the enormously eroded ‘main drag’ onto Helvellyn proper. If you do decide to pop to the summit (a lovely ride along the red tarn escarpment), you’ll find them all in the wind shelter shouting into mobile phones! A quick comparison of the relative sizes of the Bridleway that you are using, and the footpath that the mob across the comb are on, kind of dispels rambler’s attitudes about erosion out of the window.
The old pony route steepens again, into a gully leading out of the comb. It becomes pretty much trackless here, so head uphill the best you can, onto the ridge between Whiteside and Helvellyn lower man. This is point to make your there-and-back diversion to the summit if you wish.
A small rideable ascent (if you’ve still got energy after the carry) brings you to Whiteside summit. About 20 metres down the other side follow the obvious track off the right hand flank of the mountain (not along the ridge to Raise). This is the top of the Keppel Cove route. A traverse along the cove edge is followed by a gravel plummet with rain gutters providing airtime. After this fast & fun section, the track leads into ever-steeper gravel hairpins. Make no mistake, this is slow riding, with brakes full on and a reasonable sense of balance required. Discs will glow and hands will ache.
Eventually you join a larger track. Even this is deceptively loose, with a couple of nasty corners and gravel traps where you least expect them. A double hairpin swoops you down into Glenridding mines, followed by a ‘dodge the ramblers’ slalom down the concrete track into town. The fun doesn’t end just yet however; just after you hit the tarmac proper at a sharp corner, bear hard right off the road onto a track that crosses the river. A bridleway leads between the river and campsite, and it is a reasonably entertaining end to the first half of this ride. Just as you catch sight of the main road at Glenridding, you have the choice of two tea shops on your left. Traditional Mosscrags (my favourite) or the trendy “coffee house” next door.
Stock up well, as the conclusion of the ride is at least as hard as the morning’s exertions. Retrace your pedalling up to Glenridding mines, which is much easier than expected after whizzing down it earlier. Follow the wide hairpins between the buildings, and keep an eye open for finger posts to “Sticks pass”. The route is footpath width only, and leads up the fell side above the mine in a series of zig-zags. You quickly level out into a hanging valley full of bizarre mining debris. The singletrack winds between disused dams, spoil heaps and old foundations. Behind the former reservoir, the path takes to the flank of the fell, twisting and turning through a section of enjoyable almost all rideable, singletrack. Not many Lake District ascents contain rideable sections, never mind quality stuff like this.
The fun must end, and the carry onto the summit of Sticks is brutal, although I hear that resurfacing is due soon, which will no doubt mean stone steps and handrails. From Sticks summit, take the well-surfaced track right, almost to the summit of Stybarrow Dodd (energy permitting.)
From here a Grassy ridge track affords some high-level peak bagging, to Great Dodd summit via Watson’s Dodd. Views of the northern lakes from the Dodds are indescribable in clear weather.
From the summit of Great Dodd (not the wind shelter), head almost due north, following 2 or 3 small cairns directly down the convex slope. After about 100 yards only you should attain a cut path heading diagonally right across the steep grass. Follow this steeply onto the delectable rise of Randerside (where the sun always shines – honest). The grass singletrack now lessens in steepness, and hence increases in speed and enjoyment. After leaving Randerside behind, a huge vista opens up, and if you have good eyesight you should be able to spy your minute grass track winding off into infinity.
Your ticket back to civilisation twists and turns for 3 kilometres, with only a short interruption as it crosses Bruts Moss bog. It is no plain sailing however, as the path is seemingly full of holes, waiting to catch you unawares and keeping up the adrenaline. Unfortunately this wonderful downhill (all 1800 feet and 4.5kms of it) eventually ends as you join the coach road at a ford. All is not lost, as the coach road itself, although a very different type of surface, is also an MTBing classic.
Turn left on the coach road for Threlkeld. Many sections have recently been re-surfaced, probably to satisfy the numerous C2C’ers who now frequent this track. The increase in use doesn’t seem to have removed the wilderness feeling, as you ride in the shadow of wolf crags, but the new repairs have somewhat sanitised sections. The major component of the downhill remains unchanged: After the first gate, you zip across the open grass below Clough Head, before ducking and diving through the quarries – including the famous “tarmac lip” at the crossroads with the old quarry access. The central section is scarily loose, with large round rocks that move too much for comfort underwheel, especially at 30mph. The final section after the jump, is smoother, faster and has some entertaining corners.
When you emerge at St.John’s, 99% of mortals can now content themselves with a gentle tarmac spin back to the car. However, true heroes with adrenaline still coursing their veins, can cross the valley towards St.John’s youth centre (in the col beside High Rigg). A bridleway here follows the intake wall along the flank of High Rigg (not on sketch map). Nothing technical, but mainly downhill and a superb finale to a monstrous day’s riding.
This route is big. Don’t doubt this! There are several options to shorten it, and a couple to extend it.
May 2002
Last Updated 24-06-2007
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