31st May 2007 - Satterthwaite for Grizedale

6 riders turned up just south of Satterthwaite village, Ian was going to take us on a tour of the forrest on singletrack, without using the North Face route. We headed off towards the village to take a lane heading east to Rowley Wood and up a bridleway, the climb was a test with a particular rock slab giving some a challenge (others just walked up!) then up and over to enjoy the downhill track to the road near Blind Lane Wood. Here we headed north on tarmac, ignore the first bridleway on the left after Bleabery Hill, but take the next at a sort of lay-by. Take the climb up through 2 gates, this is also a good test of traction and stength, basically keep climbing up to the fire roads then take the first left and then right heading for the fox. Here we met up with a larger group of MTBers and we went over to Moor Top, but not for the North face, but to take the bridleway a few meters after the left turn off to the North face, this quickly descends and brings you to the fire road, where we continued climbing and then took the right hand turn to gain more height. We ended up on the fire road taking the right hand descent down the wooded section to Lawson Park, a great downhill, at the bottom some artists are apparently taking over an area and growing things, it looks like a garden! Anyway we met some more bikers here, but we headed back UP the track we had just come down but headed off to the right to try a new bridleway, it was very tricky to climb due to the tree roots, but it may be worth a downhill section another time. Back on the fire road and we headed left back the way we had come to find a fire road heading to the visitors centre, there is a particularly rocky descent which we enjoyed (including Mr Hardtail getting a flat) with Grant cackling in the background! Back by the centre having survived the washed out rocky ravine, we turned right up the fire road, then left and back to the cars via Moor Lane, a great way to finish a 2 hour dry and warm evening ride. 3 of us nipped into the pub for 'the best bitter shandy ever' . Next time it's Keswick for the ace downhill, park near the old station cafe, by the swimming pool.