Rosie headed to the mountains of the Lake District on a balmy October day for a overnight bivvy with Endless Trails MTB‘s Julia Hobson.
With a break in the early winter storms, the forecasts checked, the bivvy kit and Haribo loaded, Julia Hobson takes Rosie Holdsworth for a mash up lap of the Lake District, including an overnight stop under the Draconid meteor shower.
Words and Photos by Pete Scullion.
In the eye of the winter storms and under a bluebird sky pushing the temperature towards the twenty mark, the faff starts. Time to load bivvy kit, and all the Haribo we could carry for the night ahead.
The low October sun casts long shadows.
More than once the fact that there was not a cloud to be seen and the temperature was fast approaching twenty degrees was commented on. Here, high on Keppell Cove, the skin begins to leak and the legs have long since been burning.
With the summit of Raise in sight, the worst of the climbing would be over for the immediate future, and the cairns would allow a brief respite to refuel and re-arm for the plummet towards Thirlemere.
Everywhere you look is a postcard-worthy view. In this case, the view across Keswick to the mighty Skiddaw and one of the sketchiest scree slope on a bike.
Rosie and Julia definitely earned their turns. High on Lower Man, the sun starts to beat down as the wind swirls violently up the flanks of Keppell Cove.
Droppin’! If you like riding rocks, get yourself to the Lakes, there isn’t much else up high. With the summit slapped and the wind picking up, our intrepid two start the long, rocky descent towards Thirlemere.
No time to look at the view on the first descent of the day. This washed-out bridleway features ‘classic’ Lakes gnar. All the rocks and just ride what is in front of you.
All the layers to the south, once again prompting the question “is it the middle of October?” Nobody was complaining.
After navigating the slippiest stone staircase ever, the trails mellows and the pucker factor is replaced by smile factor on the fast dash to the water’s edge.
The Lakes are alright.
Cheese and jam sandwiches, discussing the merits of easy peel citrus fruits, igneous intrusions all distract us from the “absolute slag” of a climb to come over Watendlath Fell.
Once dinner had been well and truly inhaled, the morning’s faff reappears in the form of attaching lights to bikes for the long, steady march to the top of Stake Pass to our bivvy spot for the night.
The Riverside Bar in Rosthwaite providing the most excellent munchables to fuel the peering into the stars to try and catch the tail end of the Draconid meteor shower.
Julia checking we’re on track before we wander off into the darkness as tired minds start to wander up the long, steady climb up Langstrath and Stake Pass.
Every now and then, we had to stop and enjoy the billions of specks of light painted across the sky. It was clear enough that you could pick a star, and watch it’s slow rotation across the sky above.
There really doesn’t feel like there’s any rush when the sky isn’t going to get any darker and there’s a sky like this ahead. Rosie and Julia lighting up Langstrath ahead under the Milky Way.
When the stars align… Few bivvy spots have such a high star rating.
Fast forward eight hours and the warm, clear night had vanished, leaving a blustery, damp morning and the bleariest of heads this side of a hangover.
What lay between Rosie, Julia and breakfast was the ultimate test of how well you handle water bars, slick rock slabs and the unpredictable nature of two Lakeland passes.
From here, you could almost smell the frying bacon. The final descent to civilisation, a pace line to Grange and some cooked pig and potatoes was the final acts of the day.
