The Coast to Coast by Tim Woodcock

This mountain bike route takes its inspiration from Alfred Wainwright’s famous long distance walk. It is a challenging multi-day ride across three of England’s finest national parks, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors, taking in some of the best off-road riding in the country on the way. The route is described by Tim Woodcock in his excellent little booklet The Coast to Coast. This book is a very useful source of information about the ride but you also need to spend some time plotting the ride onto OS 1:25000 maps to get familiar with the route and ideally also doing some recce rides of sections in the months and weeks leading up to the attempt.

Legally you are not allowed to cycle on footpaths in the countryside so the route uses largely bridleways, cycle paths and quiet roads. The route is 210 miles long and starts at St.Bees Head in Cumbria and finishes at Robin Hoods Bay in Yorkshire. The Lake District section is very tough, taking in Black Sail Pass, Walna Scar and Garburn Pass and passing through some very remote areas to eventually reach Shap. Woodcock in his booklet describes an easier alternative route through the Lakes that goes via Keswick and the old coach road to Matterdale, Pooley Bridge and Bampton to join up with the main route at Shap. I took 8 days to do the route, which gave me plenty of time to explore some of the cafes and pubs and villages along the way with the toughest day being from Ambleside to Kirkby Stephen. Its a ride i would like to do again sometime and knowing the route you could certainly take a few days off my time, depending on how fit you are. Kit-wise you have to think carefully about what you really need to take with you, I rode solo and unsupported and used a lightweight 20 litre rucsac.

MTB C2C Route, red dots are overnight stops

• Day 1 Took the train to Whitehaven and cycled to St. Bees, then picked up the C2C cycle route for a few miles before turning off right and heading down to Ennerdale Youth Hostel where I stayed the night.
• Day 2  Continued up the forest track to Black Sail Youth Hostel and then headed right for the long bike carry up to the top of Black Sail Pass, dropped down the other side into Wasdale (more carrying), then up and over past Burnmoor Tarn and dropped down into the hamlet of Boot and stayed the night at the nearby Eskdale Youth Hostel.
• Day 3 Cycled up the road to the Start of Hardknot Pass proper before turning off right and climbing up the side of Birker Fell and over some very rough boggy ground to Grassguards farm and descended down to the River Duddon stepping-stones, aptly named ” the fickle steps”, which were covered by water, the chain across the river was very handy as I waded across carrying the bike. The climb/push up Walna Scar was next followed by a very rapid descent into Coniston, then up to Tilberthwaite and a very pleasant ride via Elterwater and Loughrigg Terrace to Ambleside, stayed the night at the excellent independent Youth Hostel here.
• Day 4 From Ambleside rode up through Skelghyll Woods and over to Garburn Pass via the Dubhs road, a very rocky descent down the other side of Garburn pass down to the hamlet of Kentmere (a black run if you ride it all). Coffee break at Maggs Howe bunk barn at Green Quarter, then headed North up Longsleddale, turning off right at the Bridleway over to Mosedale and searched for the bothy there. Took the Wet Sleddale reservoir option to Shap. From here it was quiet roads and farmland tracks to Kirkby Stephen, stayed at the independent youth hostel there, which is an old Methodist Church.
• Day 5
  

  Tan Hill Inn

  From Kirkby Stephen took the quiet road to Winton and Rookby, the road gradually turns into a track/bridleway just before Wrenside and climbs up to the road leading to the Tan Hill Pub. From here it’s down the Pennine Way into Swaledale crossing the river at Ivelet and heading for Low Houses, turning right here for a very steep push up to the road and heading for the start of the very enjoyable Apedale Road (a track) followed this all the way to the crossroads at Dent Houses and turned left to climb initially,  then a very fast descent over the moors and road, all the way down to Grinton, stayed the night at nearby Reeth, at the Black Bull Pub.

• Day 6 From Reeth headed Along the quiet road to Marrick Abbey and continued along the bridle way to Marrick itself then Marske (via Nun Cote Nook and Low Oxque farms). Followed the Richmond road to the bridle way that contours below Applegarth Scar then through the woods before dropping into Richmond. Headed for the North York moors next via the flat quiet roads of  the Vale of Mowbray and a short unpleasant main road section to Osmotherly, hoped to stop at the Youth Hostel here but it was fully booked in advance so continued to Raisdale (via Scugdale) and stayed at a B&B about one mile west of Chop Gate.
• Day 7 A short ride down to Chop Gate and left to Seave Green to pick up a bridleway that climbs up onto the moor plateau turning left at Bloworth Crossing to Burton Howe and dropped down to cross the head of Baysdale Moor following the bridleway across Great Hograh Moor to Westerdale. From here bridleway and road led to the track around the head of Great Fryup Dale then onto the rocky track along Glaisdale Rigg to Glaisdale itself. stayed at a basic but very nice bunk barn about a mile and a half outside the village.
• Day 8 From Glaisdale the route headed over to Delves via a well hidden lane for a very fast road descent down to Egton Bridge and along the C2C track to Grosmont with its steam trains and railway sheds. From Grosmont there is a very steep and long road climb up to the A169 before turning off for some lovely moorland tracks up to Louven Howe with the early warning station at Fylingdales visible in the distance. The route continues heading east and eventually arriving at the radio beacon at Ravenscar and drops down to the disused railway track which takes you all the way into Robin Hoods Bay.