Motorcycle Explorer February 2015 Issue 4 | Page 225

3) The Lake District
Cumbria County Council has taken the
welcome step of encouraging sustainable
trail riding in a beautiful area that includes
the Lake District National Park.
It has published a list of over 200 vehicular
rights of way, together with a lot of other
useful information for green-laners here
http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/roads-
transport/public-transport-road-safety/
countryside-access/hotr/
hierarchy_of_trails_routes.asp
All routes are graded from green to red, and
a reasonably competent rider should be
able to get a big adventure bike along most
of the green and amber ones in summer
time. The area is covered by seven
Ordnance Survey Landranger maps (OS 85 –
91 and OS 96 – 97), which you can use in
conjunction with the website to plan
suitable routes. Remember that the closer
together the contour lines are on the map
the steeper the hills will be, and that it’s
generally easier to get a bike up a long
shallow slope than a short, steep one…and
some of these are steep, but not that short!
Some of the more challenging routes
feature one-way systems or limited access
by permit only. Please respect these rules,
which have been agreed with the TRF and
the leading 4x4 clubs…they are in place for
one reason only and that is to protect our
right to use these roads.