Grizdale North Face

Sunshine and showers. It was the usual weather forecast for an autumn day, so we thought we'd mosey along to Grizedale forest and check out the new North Face Trail.

It took a while to get used to those cambered wiggly boardwalks on a damp day. I swear I thought that at any minute the wheels were going to slide out from under me, but half a dozen boards or so, I got used to it, only the dog seemed to be having a bit of trouble with them.

The trail starts with an interesting not too steep climb up through beech woods, winding sinuously through the trees, with plently of tight and not so tight switchbacks to keep you interested. After this singletrack is interspersed with fireroad, making for pleasant easy climbing. You sense that at the end of all this climbing there has got to be something good and after a particularly long section of fireroad in the middle, sure enough it is practically all descending singletrack from here.

The trail is none too long at just 16km, and has very little height gain, and hence no descents to steep or too hairy. Nethertheless there is plenty of tight technical trail to wow you.

The beta on the route.

Start Grizedale Visitor Centre

Length 17km

Ascent Not very much after the first section

Description: 9 sections of sinuous singletrack, boardwalks, berms, singletrack, switchbacks, rocks

Time 1 - 3 hours

Grade Red
Technical 3