The trail in the distance

Access
From the M6, leave at junctions 37, Kendal or junction 40, Penrith

M6 Junction 37
Follow the A634 into Kendal then pick up the A591. Heading towards Windermere and Ambleside.
This route passes through the main tourist towns of Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere, and is great for stopping off for those cream teas, souvenirs or spare inner tubes.
Great views of Windermere and Thirlmere lakes or the Helvellyn mountain range. Sadly, some tourist congestion at busier times of the year due to the area being such a fantastic place to visit!
Continue towards Keswick, it’s a bustling town with a cycle friendly café. Pick up the A66 and head towards Braithwaite. Signs throughout the route are generally good and easy to spot, take the B5292 on the left and follow the signs for Whitleather Forest Park. Again, great views of Bassenthwaite Lake and Skiddaw as you start to climb towards the summit with occasional stop off points for photos.
Follow the signs to the visitor centre, car parking costs £3 for four hours. There’s a shop, rest room facilities and a café.
Cyclewise are also based here so stop off and say Hi to Ritchie, Craig and their hard working team. They offer excellent advice about the route, MTB equipment, bike hire and any technical hitches you may encounter on the trail.
The red route starts at the side of the Cyclewise building next to the bike wash area, this costs £1 to use should the trail be muddy

A heavily wooded part of the trail

It’s also worth pointing out that the C2C route is accessible from this area

Local cycle retailers include;

Askew Cycles
The Old Brewery
Wildman Street
Kendal
LA9 6EN
01539 728057

Bike Treks
Compston Road
Ambleside
LA22 9DJ
015394 31505

Keswick Mountain Bike Centre
Units 1-2
Southey Hill Trading Park
Main Street
Keswick
CA12 5NR
017687 75202

Cyclewise
Whinlatter Forest Visitor Centre
01768778711

Amazing views along the upper slopes, if you get the opportunity to look up.

The Whinlatter Altura Red Route

From the starting point, and following the trail. The singletrack route winds through the woods. Surface of route is undulating and rocky in places with logs at the side of the path. Slight downhill so you can gather some speed, in this section is a black marked route with a hill based boardwalk or you can give this a miss and follow the red route around it. Also a short slate rock drop off on this section for black route experts or give it a miss and go around
The trail crosses a fire road and drops down five slate rock steps leading to the next section. The trail then begins to ascend in a zig zag design following the mountain contour, to make the climb easier (not!) Again, a rocky route made up of large and small obstacles, with great views of Bassenthwaite Lake and the surrounding area.
The hike to the top is steep in places and you definitely need to be relatively fit to undertake this section.
Half way up there is a short reprieve with a flat grassed area to take on vital fluids and take the time to admire the view.
Next we hit the fire road which is a leg and lung burning steep climb but hey no pain no gain!
The route then goes off road on the left and whilst still going upwards is easier to tackle for those less fit. The trail again winds through the woods in an undulating manner with the added bonus of exposed tree roots to catch out the unexpecting rider This section is muddier in places with loose stones and rocks, briefly crossing through a footpath zone. The summit seems to be in the centre of the wooded area, again encountering a short fire road, so no views but a sense of relief that the trail is finally heading downwards.

The downhill section is technical with and two great dips in the middle of the trail and in terms of the surface area, lots of different types to consider. From smaller shale to larger rocks, with tight turning corners, both left and right.
A fast descent with a series of BMX type bumps and with frequent berms to keep the most experienced thrilled. This section is not for beginners as one mistake can put you over the side of the mountain in a most unbecoming manner The trail dips down towards the B5292, following the hillside contours and giving the rider an amazing adrenaline rush to end the route.

Rider’s opinion

The trail is more technically and physically demanding than Grizedale’s North Face trail, however at the moment the red route is only six miles long as phase two of the route hasn’t been completed yet. When phase two is complete the trail will run over some 19 kilometres, of which 15 kilometres will be singletrack, as opposed to North Faces 10 miles. The trail is 790 metres above sea level and was designed by Hugh Clixby, future routes will be graded green, blue, red and black.

The signs along the Altura trail are clear and easy to follow and although initially black route options are available, they seem to peter out along the way blending into one trail
Because it is a newly built trail some sections appear not quite finished and haven’t been bedded in properly yet. This will obviously change as track use increases and maintenance is an ongoing issue with all new trails.
Some may say that the effort required to get up to the top is a negative but then it’s a good way to increase your climbing ability and fitness and ascending is a skill on its own. The views and downhill section are compensation enough for all the hard work.

In general, the route is exciting and demanding with something to please everyone. It flows along with technical sections combined successfully with intermittent laid back sections of single-track route. You can push it to the limit or opt out and enjoy the trail in a more modest way.
In addition to the fantastic views of the surrounding area, Cyclewise offers the support riders may need and the visitor centre proves there are lots of other activities available. Despite the long journey to access the area, this one is definitely a winner and a recommended route for all avid MTBer’s. Go, enjoy…..

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