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A RIDE UP TO NINE STANDARDS RIGG

Standards Rigg

This week Andrew Barlow, our top Wheelbase staffer and talented landscape photographer came blinking out of the Lake District National Park and strayed over the border to shoot a little further afield than normal. In a week before we saw the first snows and strong winds of the winter hitting the area as part of Storm Arwen, our man Andrew and his riding pal Zac Vernon headed out to the Pennine Hills to ride with Rory Eden on his home trails.

The group’s target was to take in a hilly loop that included a ride up to the well-known Nine Standards Rigg, a point just below the top of Hartley Fell, lying just near the boundary between Cumbria and North Yorkshire and positioned just a few miles south-east of Kirkby Stephen. Seen from a fair distance away, the group of cairns has gained the Nine Standards name thanks to their distinctive silhouette.

The Nine Standards have been around for a long time; originally measuring around four metres high their purpose is unknown, however some believe they were originally constructed to help mark an ancient boundary between Westmorland and Swaledale.

On a pretty clear and settled day our riders were able to take in the dramatic 360° panoramic views when they arrived at the Nine Standards, with the uniquely curved Howgills in view to the south-west and even the distinctive High Street Range on the most easterly point of the Lake District making a cameo appearance as the cloud broke intermittently.

Andrew and his riding buddies enjoyed the fast-paced shred back down, with their local guide calling out the best lines to help aid their path and give them more opportunity to let go of the brakes and really go for it on the fun stuff. It was great to get out of the Lakes for a change and try riding in a new area; it was good timing too, getting the ride in before the weather really turned and the first snows of the season arrived.

Standards Rigg

Standards Rigg

Standards Rigg

Standards Rigg

Standards Rigg

Standards Rigg

Standards Rigg

Standards Rigg

Standards Rigg

 

Photos by Andrew Barlow

Written by Johnny Dodgin