Black combe circular

CLASSIC WITH A TWIST

Gird your loins for a tough, steep, pathless ascent, but then settle in for a straightforward Lakeland round.

If you want to climb a mountain, it’ll be tough, right? And there’s no point staying low in the valleys if you’re after a big adventure, right? Actually, wrong on both counts. CW sets out to show that at both high level and low, the Lake District has the power to surprise.

Because Skiddaw and Wast Water aren’t the only walks that defy conventional wisdom in the Lakes…

• Distance: 8¾ miles/14.2km • Time: 4½ ...

THE BIG RIDE