Thinking of this route for the coming weekend... Anyone got any tips on best place to start this? Ie a good place to leave the van?
Any other comments on the route also welcome

I parked at a small car park just outside Stonehaugh, NE48 3DY.
The pub at Kielder Village was shut earlier in the year, might be worth checking.
The route is sparse of resupply make sure you have food with you.

Cheers. I can carry food no problem. Just hoping water is not an issue

We (my wife and I) tried it one Christmas - check the ride reports sub-forum - viewtopic.php?f=10&t=11053&p=139960. There's really only the pubs at Byrness, Alwinton, Harbottle and Kielder (plus cafe) for resupply.

We parked up at Stonehaugh, no problem in leaving it there for a couple of nights.

Generally fast forestry tracks apart from the section between Spithope bothy along the border ridge and down to Alwinton which can be boggy, almost certainly at the moment. We had snow on top of bog with below zero temps, really hard going. You'll need to check that the Army ranges aren't in use. A gravel bike with something like 42c tyres would be fast on most of the route and not much slower on the border ridge.

Water won't be a problem

Thanks for that. I have the route on my Wahoo but struggling to get it to os maps so I cant yet see where the ranges are
Need to find a proper gpx then I guess.

nicjh wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 9:53 pm Thanks for that. I have the route on my Wahoo but struggling to get it to os maps so I cant yet see where the ranges are
Need to find a proper gpx then I guess.

Basically the ranges run from once you get out of the forest climbing up from Harbottle all the way across until you begin the descent past Cottonshopehead.

Bummer... just googled it and it seems they're playing out all day every day this weekend! 9am to 2am on Friday! And 9-5 Saturday. might have to be a total re think

U can cut out the ranges like me n mark did nic, basically when u get to Alwinton take the barrow burn road north it follows the edge of the range to a carpark by the roman camp, climb back up and over into forest past spitehope bothy down onto road and pick route up again in forest near toilet block!

Chicken Legs wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 9:20 pm I parked at a small car park just outside Stonehaugh, NE48 3DY.
The pub at Kielder Village was shut earlier in the year, might be worth checking.
The route is sparse of resupply make sure you have food with you.

Yeah the Anglers' is still shut, or was when I was in Kielder a few weeks ago. There's a "pop up" restaurant (basically a posh burger van) in the car park by the castle.

Thanks for the tips folks