Buttermere & Honister: a morning to remember

Some mornings just line up. The forecast had promised showers, but as we rolled out of Kendal the cloud was already breaking up over the fells – and by the time we dropped into the Buttermere valley, the light was doing something special.

There’s a particular stretch of road on this route where the valley opens out and the lake appears below you, framed by the high fells on either side. It’s the kind of view that makes you want to pull over, switch the engine off, and just listen for a minute. So that’s exactly what we did.

The road up to Honister

From the lake, the climb to Honister Pass is one of the most rewarding bits of riding in the whole of the Lakes. It’s steep, it’s narrow, and it demands your full attention – but take it at a sensible pace and it rewards you with grin-inducing corners and a summit that feels a world away from the valley floor.

We regrouped at the top, took a few photos, and let a slower car go by before pressing on. No rush – that’s rather the point of these days.

“It’s about the day, the scenery and the company – never the race.”

Coffee with a view

No ride is complete without a proper stop, and this one delivered. We pulled in at a favourite biker-friendly café, grabbed a coffee and a bacon roll, and spent a happy half hour swapping stories with the group and a few other riders who’d had the same idea.

These are the moments that make a guided day worth it – not just the roads, but the people you share them with and the little places you’d never find on your own.

Heading home

We took the long way back, of course — there’s always time for one more good road. By mid-afternoon the group peeled off one by one, each with a camera roll full of photos and, hopefully, a few new favourite corners.

If a morning like this sounds like your kind of thing, the High Passes Route covers this same corner of the Lakes and plenty more. Come and ride it with us.