The Lake District offers plenty of technical riding, it can sometimes get a little tricky, which we found out again this weekend as Nick and I flew up Irton Pike and Irton Fell.
We started at the campsite and followed the forest road up to the base of the Pike which was a little lung busting, maps and GPS tell me a change in height of 200 metres in less than a mile. We did it without stopping but mostly bcse it felt like it would be too steep to easily get re-started. Once we got the top of the Pike, we came down the very steep rocky front face, which in places was un-rideable, particularly when hanging off the back of the seat and you stop abruptly by hitting a log, full force of the seat ping backwards and taking one in the credentials! Not much fun having the walk the bike downwards in some places so wouldn't do that route again.
Irton Fell was more difficult in getting to the top, the bridleway proved extremely soaked and flooded through Mitterdale forest, so opting for the fireroad helped. Once at the top, through the top forest section, the fell opened up in front of us. A great view and we took photos. The fell was covered in soft waterlogged bogs. I found this out first hand as I tried to cross one soft patch, but found the handlebars just drop away below me. With the wheel still going downwards, now buried below the top of the disc brake, I flew over the handlebars (luckily a soft landing in a bog!). This was easily the funniest moment on a bike since we were in the snow (or Alisdair falling off in the car park) :-)
After dragging the bike out of the bog, which took some effort - feeling like quick sand as it sucked the bike back in! - We followed the forest road back down the side of Irton Pike which we'd come up the day before, with a minute or two of downhill, good for the fun factor although the technical rocky parts of the routes can be quite hairy if you don't pick your line right. It might help if I felt I wasn't running out of brake pads.
More pads needed ASAP.
Even keeping the riding to these two loops (we also covered a little of Wast Water lakeside too) was good fun.
I can't publish the TrailGuru link bcse the TrailGuru site has crashed at time of writing (apparently due to a power failure but is now being repaired).
Next Week: Local for a 16 mile loop; Dambuster
Countdown to WildBoar24 Race: 4 weeks + 1 day
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