MB High Pike and Great Coum
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Mountain biking with Polartec Sedbergh route : High Pike and the flanks of Great Coum The old Drove Roads and Green Roads of the Yorkshire Dales offer excellent off road challenges for mountain bikers. One such route is Green Lane, a track which contours around the north eastern side of Great Coum high above the lovely valley of Dentdale. Easy access to the start of Green Lane can be had by making a steady climb first along the lanes on the south side of Dentdale then up the fell road that clings to the western side of Deepdale. Green Lane climbs around the subsidiary peak of High Pike then descends steadily across Blea Gills and the open flanks of Great Coum. Once above Dent Green Lane is left and an exciting descent down a steep bridleway then leads straight back into the village. Grade: Time/effort 2 Navigation 2 Technicality 3 Start/Finish: Dent (GR SD 704 870) Distance: 8.7 miles (14km) Time: 3 hours Height gain: 440m Terrain: village, valley lanes, fell track and steep bridleway. Maps: OS Landranger 98, OS Explorer OL19; Harveys Superwalker Howgill Fells. 1. From Dent there are two roads up Dentdale one north of the River Dee and one south. Take the south road and follow it for 1.6km to a junction. Turn right at the junction and follow it for 4.8km to the top of the road pass over into Kingsdale. 2. The start of Green Lane is actually just below the top of the pass on the Dentdale side. Turn right onto it and follow it as it climbs northwest then southwest below the old quarry on High Pike. Continue along the track as it contours around High Pike and heads west across moorland. After a ford the track swings round to the north and descends slowly across the exposed flanks of Great Coum providing challenging riding amongst some rocky sections. 3. 3.2km from the ford the track splits at a junction; take the left fork and follow the track more easily as it descends southwest for 2.4km to another junction. 4. At this junction turn right and follow the fast stony track straight down alongside the stream to Dent. Map .