England · Lake District · Premium route guide
Lake District Passes Loop
Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter: three Lakeland passes in one short loop.
65 kilometres, three passes and some of the steepest tarmac in England, starting and finishing in Keswick. The full loop on the map, a GPX built from our own track, and rider-vetted stays nearby.
- Distance
- 65 km
- Peak elevation
- 362 m
- Elevation gain
- 935 m
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- United Kingdom · England
- Loop
- 100% paved
The route
A loop from Keswick: south through Borrowdale to Seatoller, over Honister Pass to Buttermere, back east over Newlands Hause and down the Newlands valley to Braithwaite, then over Whinlatter Pass to Lorton and back to Keswick along the A66. Pins are motorcycle-friendly stays other riders have vetted.
Works with Garmin, TomTom, BMW Navigator, Calimoto, Kurviger, komoot, MyRouteApp. Import as a track to ride the exact line. Road data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); elevation from SRTM.
Track vs. route, how to load this into your GPS
What you are downloading is a GPX track, a dense, road-snapped breadcrumb of the exact line, with elevation on every point. It is not a GPX route (a short list of turn waypoints your device re-plans between). Tracks preserve our road choice; routes let the device pick its own way and can send you down a boring motorway shortcut.
How to use it on your navigator:
- BMW Navigator / Garmin Zumo / zumo XT: import as a track, then Convert to Route (or Trip Planner, new trip from track) if you want turn by turn prompts. Keep Recalculation off so it stays on our line.
- TomTom Rider: import the GPX in MyDrive, it loads as a track / itinerary. Enable Follow the exact route so it does not re-plan.
- Calimoto: open the GPX and choose Import as tour, Calimoto follows the track line.
- Kurviger / komoot / MyRouteApp: open the GPX and pick Import as track to keep the road choice. Only choose Import as route if you want the app to re-plan for your bike profile.
- Google Maps / Apple Maps: these do not read GPX. Use the map on this page for turn cues, or import the file into a GPX capable app first.
Rule of thumb: if your device asks "track or route?", pick track to ride our exact line, pick route only if you want the device to re-plan.
Elevation profile
From ~69 m at the base to 362 m at the top, 935 m of total climbing across the route.
It is only 65 km, with about 940 m of climbing, roughly 2 hours of riding. It is a half-day loop because you will want to stop, and because the passes are slow.
Optional extension for experienced riders only: Wrynose and Hardknott passes to the south are even steeper and narrower. They are not part of this route or the GPX.
Why ride it
Three proper passes in a couple of hours, with a lake at the bottom of every descent. Borrowdale is one of the prettiest valleys in England, and Buttermere is the view on the cover of half the Lakeland calendars.
Hazards
Steep gradients on Honister, narrow walled lanes, walkers' parking, sheep and very poor grip in the wet. Summer weekends are busy; early mornings are much better.
Fuel
There is no fuel on the passes. Fill up in Keswick before you leave.
Best months and difficulty
April to October. Difficulty: moderate. Short, but technical, slow and steep.
What to see along the way
- Keswick - Start and finish. Fuel, food and stays.
- Grange, Borrowdale - Double-arched bridge and cafe at the mouth of Borrowdale.
- Seatoller - Last village before the climb to Honister.
- Honister Pass - Highest point of the loop, slate mine at the top.
- Buttermere - Village and lake between the two passes.
- Newlands Hause - Top of Newlands Pass, waterfall and viewpoint.
- Whinlatter Pass - Forest pass with a visitor centre near the top.
Rent a bike
Rent a motorcycle or scooter for Lake District Passes Loop
Flying in? Pick up a bike near the start of the route. We've pre-filled the pick-up city with Keswick - change it if you're basing elsewhere.
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Verified stays within 30 km
Automatically selected by proximity to the traced route, no editorial cherry-picking. Sorted by how close they are to the road.
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