Everyone and their rescue dog does the Kentmere horseshoe, and with good reason: it's an absolute belter. This neighbouring loop shares 50% of the DNA but is considerably quieter, leading you over wild rolling hills with glimpses over the even wilder country toward Shap, but also down into the rugged basin of upper Mardale. Longsleddale itself is a gem, with impressive crags, hidden quarries, boulder-howffs, waterfalls in gorges and beautiful bluebell woods. Although it's just up from Kendal, it's visited far more rarely than its location might imply. Part of that is contained in the first syllable of the name: it is a strikingly long drive from the turn-off at Burneside to the dalehead.
> Although it's just up from Kendal, it's visited far more rarely than its location might imply
In summer this is simply not the case. Post-lockdown it's become relatively heaving and at weekends you might struggle to park at Sadgill, with the canyoneering crowd in offroaders driving/being driven some of the way up Gatesgarth with large numbers of paying customers in wetsuits. In a way it's a big shame. I cycle up both Kentmere and Longsleddale every week multiple times, of course contributing to the traffic, and there's not much difference between the two in terms of busyness (today at 11am there were eight cars at Sadgill, usually the same number as at Kentmere church midweek). Now Bannisdale, on the other hand . . .
Hi felt. Maybe I've been lucky with Longsleddale. I tend to go out on a Friday afternoon and have done OK for solitude on these fells. More generally you're right, though, that the legacy of covid has skewed visitor numbers, making quiet harder to find.
I call this the 'Sadgill Horsehoe'. My Longsleddale Horseshoe goes from Garnett Bridge - a much longer and rougher outing from Ulgraves over Brunt Knott and the very rough ground to Skeggles water, and finishing over Ancrum Brow, Capplebarrow and Whiteside Pike. Best done when the tussocks are not at their height. Most times I start and finish the 'Sadgill' Horseshoe at Stockdale - slightly less far to travel up Longsleddale and a nice approach to the Grey Crag Ridge, and a pleasant final descent too.
> Hi felt. Maybe I've been lucky with Longsleddale. I tend to go out on a Friday afternoon and have done OK for solitude on these fells. More generally you're right, though, that the legacy of covid has skewed visitor numbers, making quiet harder to find.
