Mountain Bike ride from Ings

Troutbeck valley from Garburn

Across Windermere to Wansfell

The weather forecasters let me down today, once again I awoke to a dull overcast day, like living in a tupperware box! Anyway a plan was quickly formulated, and with the mountain bike loaded up off to Ings, between Kendal and Windermere. Truthfully my ideas for the day were pretty fluid, with a visit to Blacks in Ambleside the overall "target". So a very short stretch of the A591 then right on the Moor Howe Road, leaving the bulk of the traffic behind on this minor road. I left the tarmac behind I rode up Dubbs Road, this bridleway has a durable surface, it hasn't altered since I first rode up here as a boy over forty years ago. Height is gained easily, there is normally a great view just below Garburn Quarry but not today. Anyway downhill it was a lovely descent all the way down to the Kirkstone Road, back on tarmac for the steep climb up to Troutbeck village. Up again on Robin Lane, this bridleway skirts Wansfell visiting High Skelghyll on route to Skelghyll Woods and the descent to Ambleside. Next a bit of gear shopping! Ian had tipped me off about silk mummy shaped sleeping bag liners, reduced to £15. I think I got the last one, it went through the till at £8! Now that's a bargain! Might do a bit of a first look on this shortly. Onwards on my mystery tour, over Rothay bridge and along the Langdale road as far as the footbridge to Brathey Church, a handy bench appeared for lunch. This was eaten pretty cold before I froze my bits off. Out on the Hawkshead road, before branching left towards Wray. Just after the entrance to Wray Castle I took the bridleway down to the Lakeside, I rode along this all the way to the ferry. No wait the ferryman waved me aboard "Mallard" and across Windermere we went. On the ferry I had a quick look at the map, I decided to have a mootch round some of the tracks I used to ride along in my youth, everywhere seemed alot more built up. I rode up "Middle Entrance Drive", (Private, very posh!) Didn't get accosted, so continued south almost to Winster, taking a left along another short bridleway, Lindeth lane took me back northerly and eventually the bridleway past Cleabarrow which is part of the Dales Way. Old Droomer and yet another bridleway partly through housing on the edge of Windermere, before open fields led me to cross the A591. The minor roads past The Common were followed back to Moor Howe Road and then back to the car. A really great ride, more Rough Stuff than "proper mountain biking."