TRAILCREW ALTURA TRAIL WHINLATTER

The longest purpose-built, all-weather trail in the Lakes, housed in England's only mountain forest

- Rachel Bennet

THE ALTURA TRAIL, WHINLATTER, LAKE DISTRICT

TRAIL STATS

Distance

• 19km (12 miles) for both loops

Time

• 1hr 30mins to 3hrs

Grading

• Red with optional black add-on

WHY RIDE HERE?

• Stunning views and all-weather surfaces make this an ideal destination at any time of year

RAD...

• The red loop is split in two, with the trail centre in the middle - perfect for a lunch stop or for less fit riders
• It can be ridden in all weathers, as we proved with our snowy escapade!
• Great facilities

BAD...

• Parking is expensive
• Limited number of trails
• Bike wash was broken on our visit

As we drive up the mountain pass towards Whinlatter Forest, it looks more like the Alps than the Lake District in March. The trees hang heavy with snow and white peaks stand proud beyond. This is my first visit to Whinlatter, and pretty far from what I pictured. As we roll into the Forestry England car park, we're eager to establish whether any of the trails are actually ridable.

We amble up the hill towards Cyclewise, the on-site bike shop, to get the lowdown on the conditions and take a sneak peek down the north loop of the Altura trail. I'm relieved to see the route looking more than doable. The guys at the shop confirm my suspicion: "Yeah, the trails are open, they're just icy!" It looks like we're on, then!

White out