Keswick Camping - Whinlatter Mountain Biking

Looking down Derwent Water from the Camp Site

The weather has been really poor so far this year and we've done very little due to all the snow and cold. Half term for the kids and our first run out with the van. We always seem to head for Keswick and this year we were very lucky with beautiful clear weather letting us get out and about.

We headed up to Keswick early on Saturday, stopping  at Kirby Lonsdale for a bacon sandwich and a nosey at the bikes in the lay by. Making good time on the M6 we soon arrived at the campsite. Lots of building work was taking place, the site was having quite an upgrade with lots of new hard standing pitches under construction.

I took the dog for a walk and enjoyed what I consider to be one of the best views in Britain, Derwent water with Catbells in the background, amazing!

The kids had been given money to spend from our mums and dad so we headed straight into town and into the toy shop. Lego bionicles were the order of the day. We ate out  at LB's pizza restaurant, we all really enjoyed it and it was good value for money.

Finlay - Lazy Boy!

Sunday morning and we decided to spend the day on our mountain bikes. On the maps it didn't look too bad a ride from the camp site to the Whinlatter visitors centre as and the off road mountain bike routes! The first part of the ride over to Braithwaite, from here the road rises steeply and Finlay threw a strop, he couldn't peddle up the pass. Andrea let him sit on her bike while she pushed the bike. I took Finlays bike and pushed both bikes up the pass.

It took a while and the traffic on the narrow road was challenging. Jack had no trouble, and peddled up the pass easily! 

Once up the pass it was a short  ride to the visitors centre. We decided to have an early lunch at the cafe, the kids were happy for the break and we had a pot of tea and a sandwich. There are a couple of routes the red route for experienced riders and a blue route for intermediate riders, this was or route. 

Ice Cream Treat!

We rattled off down the track, Finlay really enjoyed the first part of the route, he does like going down hills! The route was pretty good and we made okay time, the circular route took us about 40 minutes. Back at the visitors centre the kids spent some time in the play area. 

Me and Jack decided to go back round the route and we set off as fast add wert could, we made good time and did the whole route in about 15 minutes!

Another pot of tea and we set off back to the camp site, the kids enjoyed descending the pass, we were soon back at the camp site. In all me and Jack did about 16 miles, Findlay and Andrea did about 13 miles.

We'd had a great day and the weather was great, we all slept well after the busy day!