Introduction to the 6 Day Tour

Derwent Fells1Planning your route

The Lakes & Dales Loop would make an ideal week-long cycle tour, with six days riding and a rest day to enjoy time out of the saddle. Here the route is described in six ‘bite-sized’ sections, comprising day rides of between 25 and 37 miles, enabling plenty of time for chatty coffee breaks, leisurely lunches, stops to drink in the views and generally explore the hidden corners of Cumbria that the Lakes & Dales Loop will introduce you to.

For each section there is a map showing which part of the Lakes & Dales Loop it covers, plus links to GPX files if you’d like to transfer it to a GPS device. Then there’s the distance you’ll cover on that section, together with a gradient profile to give you an idea of the ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ you’ll encounter.

There’s an overview of the landscape that section takes you through, together with a general description of the terrain. Turn-by-turn directions are given, so even if the odd sign goes missing you should still be able to follow the route. For some sections, descriptions for alternative return routes are provided, to create day rides that loop back to the start (for those that aren’t taking on the whole Lakes & Dales Loop in one go).

Indications are given of where you’ll be able to find refreshments en route, plus the range of accommodation opportunities around the start and finish of each section. Then there are pointers to the scenic highlights to anticipate, together with points of interest that cycle tourists are particularly likely to be drawn to.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA