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YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE WITH A TRAIL CENTRE…

Whinlatter Trail Centre

…The Wheelbase Staffers head to Whinlatter trail centre in the Lake District.

Intrepid landscape photographer and Wheelbase staffer Andrew Barlow has been out in the Lakes again riding his mountain bike, capturing the stunning Autumn colours and shooting some of the most beautiful vistas in the Lake District. Andrew and his fellow Wheelbase colleagues are time-pushed during Autumn and Winter, with limited daylight hours and the struggle of getting a group together when our retail staff all work different days; timing conundrums like this call for simple solutions – a Trail Centre! You know were you are with a trail centre; they lend themselves well to getting a group together at short notice, meeting at an agreed time and riding in a controlled (but extremely fun) environment. With this in mind Andrew and his mates headed to Whinlatter Trail Centre in the North Lakes.

Whinlatter Trail Centre

With a break from the wetter weather we’ve been having Andy and his mates headed out to Whinlatter.

 

Andrew Barlow takes up the story…

Now, it’s a rarity that we, as colleagues, get to ride together in a more substantial group than say, a trio at most so to have five Wheelbasers riding together on a Sunday at what I would say is the best trail centre in the Lake District National Park was seen as a real win during this slightly more tricky riding time of the year. Taking in the hilly north and south loops we managed to ride a total of 25kms with nearly 700 metres of climbing making sure to shoe-horn in plenty of short stops to capture the dramatic landscape that surrounds this almost alpine-feeling trail centre.

Whinlatter Trail Centre

Riders took turns to lead and follow down the trails.

 

For those of you who have not been lucky enough to get to Whinlatter already here is a little more context about the centre; the Altura trail is divided into a north loop and a south loop, both graded as red, just for more clarity a red route described as suitable for proficient mountain bikers who have good off-road abilities. The climb up to the south loop is flowing yet technical, with views over to Grizedale Pike, standing over Whinlatter at 750 meters high. Our initial idea was to climb the south loop and hike a bike up Grizedale Pike; however, gusting 80mph winds soon put a stop to that plan, making that an endeavour for another day. Descending down the trail finds you going over technical slabs and rock gardens, then heading into flowing single track, tight bends and switchbacks including plenty of flowing berms.

Whinlatter Trail Centre Map

There’s plenty of riding options at Whinlatter Trail Centre, allowing you to go as hard or easy as you like.

 

Whinlatter Trail Centre

The Whinlatter Trail centre is situated at elevation, with gradual climbs taking you up even higher on either side of the valley for some stunning views.

 

Whinlatter Trail Centre

As the day warmed up so did the riders; sleeves rolled up, ready to drop in to the next swooping trail.

 

Whinlatter Trail Centre

The Autumn colours were popping on a calm day in the Lake District.

 

To break up the red loops we decided to opt for a run down the blue. This is vastly different, flowing singletrack with nothing technical to navigate but with just under 6k on the loop there’s plenty to keep you occupied.

Whinlatter Trail Centre

Riding fast flowing singletrack amongst the trees is a different experience to our usual Lake District epics that typically take place on exposed hillsides.

 

Now onto the north loop. I feel like the climb up to the top of this trail seemed to take a fair amount of time however, there was plenty of descending to offset our uphill efforts. Pointing our mountain bikes downhill is what we absolutely love; we only go up so we can come back down! The downhill trail encourages you to pick your way through the plantation while negotiating rock gardens and drops with the option of some ‘chicken lines’ for those who don’t feel as confident behind the bars, it then spits you out into the open for a series of flowing yet rowdy tabletops.

Whinlatter Trail Centre

Despite the recent rain the riding conditions were good.

 

I would only advise jumping these if you’re riding at the back of ‘the train’ and have time to style it up before your mates behind catch up! There’s plenty of air time to be had on these tabletops and if you’re with like-minded jumpers and have agreed to spread yourselves out on the run-ups then a great session can be had.

Whinlatter Trail Centre

Notice the shadows to the left? Our eager riders are ready to grab their bikes and get riding again!

 

I must say that while trail centres have never been my first choice for a mountain bike ride and I do prefer a more classic type of riding in the Lake District, a day of absolutely sending it with your pals in an environment that allows you to control how and what you ride is a fantastic option every now and then . If you’re a time-pushed rider who wants to enjoy a ride in the Lakes, complete with those stunning views then the Whinlatter Trail Centre is a great option.

Whinlatter Trail Centre

With a direct route into the North Lakes Whinlatter Trail Centre is a great option for time-pushed mountain bikers.

 

Written by Andrew Barlow

Photos by Andrew Barlow