GRIZEDALE, LAKE DISTRICT
From mellow beginner trails to gnarlier runs, every rider has a reason to visit Grizedale (even if it’s just for the LordoftheRings style views)
Only a 20-minute drive from the busy, Lake District town of Ambleside lies Grizedale, a trail centre surrounded by stunning lakes and beautiful mountains. You do have to climb to the top of the hill to see these, of course, but zigzagging up the technical rocky climbs makes the reward taste all the sweeter. Grizedale is a popular place for all abilities, with numerous routes for beginners and a couple of gnarlier trails for more advanced riders. It’s also the perfect base if you want to explore natural trails around the Southern Lakes. Normally, this place is heaving with bikers, families and big groups of ramblers, but on a cold Monday in February, just days before a big snowstorm is about to hit, there are just a few riders to be seen. Defying the weather, we’re determined to make the best of the day. Being fairly new to the area, we invite two local pinners along to show us how it’s done in this neck of the woods.
Mud-free heaven
Layered up like Michelin men (and women), we venture out into the biting cold. Along for the ride are local student and Enduro World Series rider Katharine Sharp and Keswick’s finest downhill rider (and Snapchatter extraordinaire), Adam Brayton. Despite a very wet winter, we soon find that the trails are well-equipped for conditions like this and we barely get muddy pedalling up the first few climbs – what a novelty! Even dropping into the descents, we remain relatively mud free. It’s refreshing not to be caked in brown goo for once and, with a leisurely climbing pace and even the occasional ray of sunshine pushing through the clouds, this is turning into a really
Flying along
As soon as we hit one of the descents, the whole crew gets giddy. Thanks to the mellow gradient of the downhills, we do our best to keep up with Adam, who’s popping and floating over rocks as if he were skimming stones on Lake Windermere. Proving that it really does require special skills to be a top World Cup rider, Adam shreds around berms quicker than is seemingly possible, making that “braaaap” sound we all envy. Our snapper Duncan Philpott is no rookie when it comes to shooting speeding riders, though. With years of ’togging Downhill World Cups under his belt, he’s on the ball, snapping crystal-clear shots of Adam round every berm.
Showcasing her EWS-honed stamina and ability to pump and keep flow on seemingly flat singletrack, Katherine flies along another section of the 16km The North Face trail – or “the red loop”, as the locals call it. She makes riding the trail – which is still technical despite its hardpack surface – look effortless and pops out on the fireroad hardly out of breath. Although it sometimes feels like you’re pedalling up a lot
more than you’re flying down during the first half of the loop, you’re rewarded with some fast, flowy sections towards the end. Occasionally, the forest opens up to greet you with stunning views of picturesque white-capped mountains, dark blue lakes and green rolling hills, making it difficult to concentrate on the trail ahead. This elicits “oohs” and “aahs” from Duncan and me, but the two locals pedal past the viewpoints like they weren’t something taken straight out of TheLord oftheRings.
Skating on thin ice
Duncan has had a smirk on his face all day, watching us getting bogged down on the red loop climbs on our enduro bikes while he sails up on his hardtail. But it’s now our turn to be smug as we drop into the black trail. The fast corners, doubles and small drops put big grins on our faces and, while Adam is sending it to the moon and back, Katherine and I try to outdo one another on the drops and look as flash as possible for the camera.
There’s one section where the trail opens up and you can see it wind down the hill. Two big berms lead into two big jumps, with the option of going really big lurking on the left. We fly down in a train, giggling along – until Adam suddenly shouts “ICE!”, just as we drop into a steeper section. There’s what looks like an actual river of ice underneath our wheels, but we’ve no time to think, let alone react, and, fortunately, the Arctic section is over in the blink of an eye.
High on adrenaline, we dig our wheels hard into the next big right-hand berm, pop out of it and land just in time to line up the next set of jumps coming our way. “Yeow, let’s do that again!” Adam yells at the bottom of the trail and we proceed to push back up, over and over and over again, equally excited every time.
OON IT TO THE M IS SENDING
WHILE ADAM
AND I TRY TO KATHERINE
AND BACK, AS FLASH ANOTHER, LOOKING OUTDO ONE
ON THE DROPS
AS POSSIBLE
Finding the last bit of flow
Once we eventually move on, we get about five corners in when we realise that the frosty temperature may have gotten the better of us, as we have to try and warm our hands in order to even pull the brake levers. It’s at this point, too, that our stomachs start calling out to us, so we decide to head back down to the warmth of the cafe. To our frozen fingers’ delight, the finishing straight is a flowy section of singletrack that meanders along the bottom of the hillside, requiring no braking whatsoever. Arriving just in time for last orders, we sip our coffees contentedly between big bites of Cornish pasty, with energy and finger strength slowly returning. The day’s come to an end and it’s time to head back to our different corners of the country. But, just like at the end of most rides, we all go home with huge grins and knackered legs – true signs of a good day’s riding!