Walna Scar

Lake District Mountain Bike Route Guide


Region:

Grizedale, Southern Lake District

Difficulty:
Difficult
(Requires advanced skills and fittness)

Distance:
22.3 miles

Map:
OS Landranger 96

Route Text Download:
Walna Scar

GPS Download:
GPX and KML
(available via the full MapMyRide page for this route, on the right hand side of the page)

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Walna Scar Route

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This mountain bike route of 22.3 miles starts from the village of Torver, just south of Coniston in the Lake District. The ride gets harder as it progresses with the fun singletrack across Torver Low Common leading on to higher and higher fells and bigger and bigger rocks. This concludes with the final challenge of Walna Scar. Walna Scar is a beast of a climb but the descent on the other side is more than worth it. Big rocks and lots of fun!

1. Start from the small car park at the chapel in Torver (GR285943). Exit the car park and turn left then follow the main road to the next junction, by the pub on the right. Turn left, then a short distance later turn right at the junction by the house on the right. Follow the lane past left hand side of the house to the next junction (GR283938). Turn left and follow the lane to the next junction, with a gated muddy singletrack on the left. Turn left through the gate and follow the singletrack along the line of trees and bushes on the right. The track eventually finishes at a junction by a house and a bridge (GR285932).

2. Bear right, past the right hand side of the house, and climb the rocky track that soon bears left and comes to a gate. At the forked junction directly after the gate bear left to climb the grassy singletrack that follows the line of the wall on the left (GR284931). Just before the wall turns 90deg left, bear slightly right away from the wall to continue ahead parallel to the power lines, below on the right. The trail soon becomes rocky and descends to the edge of the tarn, on the right. After the tarn the track bears right through a couple of boggy fords before turning left, through a few more boggy bits. The track then bears right and becomes rocky doubletrack as it climbs left around the contour of the hill. The track becomes grassy and descends through a shallow dip. Climb out of the dip and bear right at the grassy fork to a junction with a lane (GR282916).

3. Turn right and descend the steep winding lane to a junction with the road at the bottom (GR289910). Turn right and follow this road all the way past Coniston Water, on the left. Go straight past the lane on the left in Water Yeat and continue along the road to Blawith, the next village. The road bears left through the village before coming to a junction with a lane on the right, by the public phone and bus stop on the left (GR288883).

4. Turn right and follow the lane a short distance to the next junction. Go straight on and climb the lane steeply through a farm to the next junction at the top, just after a cattle grid. Turn right then follow the lane through a long left hand bend to the next junction (GR277888). Take the lane on the right then immediately turn left up the rocky singletrack. Climb the grassy track past two junctions with tracks on the left and stay by the drystone wall on the right. At the second junction bear right to junction with a gate ahead (GR274889). Turn left and continue climbing the singletrack, with the wall on the right. Climb up the left hand side of the small valley, then go over the saddle between the hills at the crest, before descending to a junction (GR266894).

5. Turn right and descend the fast winding track. At the next junction stay left and descend to the following junction, by a lone tree just above the woods. Continue straight on, towards the left hand edge of the woods, and descend to a junction at a small stone bridge over a stream (GR256895). Turn right over the bridge and cross the stream. On the other side go through the gate then follow the grassy double track into the trees. Once in the trees descend the gravel double track to a junction with lane at the bottom (GR249896).

6. Turn right and climb the lane. After reaching the top descend on the lane to a junction with a double track straight ahead,where the lane turns right (GR253902). Go straight on down the track to a gate. After the gate follow the double track to a gate at the bottom. Go through the gate and follow the grassy double track straight ahead up a steep grassy climb. Continue ahead over the crest and descend the fast, rocky track to a gate (GR258913).

7. After the gate continue ahead, bearing right, on the grassy double track, keeping to the wall on the right. Descend to the next gate and continue straight on, between the drystone walls, to where the track finishes at a lane. Climb the lane straight on and follow it all the way, going past all the junctions on the left and right, to where it ends at a junction with the main road (GR278937). Turn left and follow the main road to the next junction, with a lane climbing steeply off to the right (GR271934). Turn right and climb the steep lane all the way to the top, going past a junction with a wide track on the right on the way up. After the crest of the hill descend gently to a junction with a fire track at the start of the Broughton Moor forest on the right (GR257931).

8. Turn right and go through the gate to descend the fire track into the trees. Try not to go too fast as the next junction is easy to miss! Just as the track starts to straighten out take the marked bridleway into the undergrowth on the right. If you come to a fire track junction you have missed it. Descend a short way to a stream crossing, then just after turn left and follow the muddy and rocky singletrack. After a while the track bears right up a short, steep climb that leads to a junction with a fire track (GR251929). Go straight across the fire track and descend the steep, rooty singletrack. At the next junction bear left then crossing the ford/bridge at the bottom. Climb the track on the other side to a junction with a fire track at the top (GR247929).

9. Turn left on the fire track and follow it through a left then right ‘S’ bend. A short distance later, directly after the next right hand bend, turn right up a singletrack climb marked as a bridleway (GR246928). This is a fun technical climb that can be quite wet. After reaching the summit continue along the trail for a short, technical and rocky descent that finishes at a junction with a fire track (GR239928). Turn right then immediately left and descend into the trees on the rooty singletrack. The track bears right then comes to a junction a short distance later. Turn left then immediately right, through a muddy patch, to a gate. After the gate descend to a junction with a lane (GR238929).

10. Turn right then bear left over a small bridge before climbing steeply up the lane. At the small cluster of buildings turn right through the gate on the marked bridleway just before the second large stone building (GR235931). Directly after the gate turn left and climb the steep, rocky track under the large tree. Climb this track to a gate that leads onto the open fell. After the gate bear left and descend by the drystone wall to a junction. Go straight on and climb the grassy and boggy track up the right hand side of the high valley. Go straight on over the crest and descend the grassy track, that soon becomes double track, to a junction forked junction. Bear right and descend to a junction with a wide, rocky track at a wall (GR222944).

11. Turn right and descend the fast, technical and rocky track to Seathwaite. Keep following the track ahead until, at the bottom, it bears left through some wide gates set close together and ends at a junction with a lane in Seathwaite (GR228960). Turn right and follow the lane out of the village. Climb the lane beside the stream on the left before coming to a junction above a stone bridge on the right (GR232967). Go straight on and follow the lane as it bears right to the next junction. Continue right in the direction of the sign for Walna Scar. The lane soon turns left and descends past a house before climbing to a junction with a rocky track, where the lane turns left over a small stone bridge (GR240968).

12. Go straight on and climb the steep, loose and rocky track, which marks the start of the hike-a-bike up the back of Walna Scar. Try not to get sucked in by the technical challenges lower down because it’s a long, hard climb. Follow the boulder strewn track up through two drystone walls. After the second wall the track bears left across the ridge and the boulders disappear. While the track is then rideable all the way to the top it is far from easy. Near the end go through a couple of steep bends to a junction at the top (GR258964).

13. Go straight on across the ridge to start the well earned descent of Walna Scar. Be careful, this descent is VERY technical with lots of loose boulders and pointy bedrock. Follow the track to the stone bridge that marks the halfway point of the descent. Continue along the rocky track for a short distance after the bridge to a junction with a grassy track on the right, directly after crossing the next stream gully (GR273964).

14. Turn right and descend the grassy track, keeping by the stream on the right. At the next junction turn right to stay by the stream. The track then bears left to a junction directly after a small stream crossing. Turn right and descend past the old quarry. Bear right then left, around the big hole in the ground with the waterfall, and descend the wide, rocky track between the big mounds of spoil on either side. At the end of the spoil turn right over the bridge to a gate. Go through the gate then turn left through the next gate directly after. After the gate follow the double track to a junction by a derelict stone building (GR283951).

15. Turn left and descend the rocky track, that gradually bears right. Continue following the track ahead, which eventually goes through a gate and becomes a tarmac lane. Shortly after descend through the small village of Scar Head to a junction just on the far side (GR283946). Turn sharp left, then at the next junction turn right and descend to a junction with the main road (GR285945). Turn right and follow the road back to the chapel car park to complete the ride.