DIRTY STOPOUTS
WHERE ARE WE?
THE LAKE DISTRICT
The Lake District National Park, established in 1951, covers 2,362km² and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2017.
This stunning and iconic area of northern England offers amazing scenery and challenging riding.
YOUR GUIDE
MAX DARKINS
Max loves travelling up and down the country, searching for the best routes for you to ride. He’s the man behind www.roughrideguide.co.uk
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My mission for this issue was to find some routes that include bothies. But, with a trip to Scotland not happening for a couple of months, my sights were set on destinations closer to home. England has very few bothies, but the beautiful Lake District comes to the rescue with some awesome riding and free shelter from the elements.
There’s been a bit of a bikepacking boom recently, but it doesn’t mix all that well with riding technical trails. A bunch of bags hanging off the bike not only makes the ascents a laborious pain in the arse, but it can ruin the descents, too. What’s more, wild camping isn’t actually permitted anywhere in England other than on some areas of Dartmoor (check out Chris’s adventure on p53) or with prior permission from the landowner.
An alternative is to stay in a bothy – a mountain refuge that was originally a small hut or cottage used as farm workers’ accommodation. These shelters are often in remote locations where travellers might have need of four walls and a roof, unlocked and now available to anyone. They’re free to use, but with no way to book ahead, you may need to share. Also, be aware that they’re usually
