I'm doing most of (joining it in Glossop) the Great North Trail in September with a friend. We're going to Cape Wrath.
We've already decided to cut out a few parts to make it a bit easier:
- Using the canal towpath north from Summit in Calderdale to Hebden Bridge
- Using the cycle path from Innerleithen to Peebles.
Are there any other obvious short cuts/easier/more enjoyable options that people can suggest please?
Thanks in advance.
I sacked off many of the bits of the Pennine Bridleway north of settle - too many gates and too slow for my gravel bike. I took the road from Settle to Ribblehead then rejoined the route at Gearstones.
Appleby to Kielder as the most frustrating and unenjoyable stretch. The path from the top of Great Dun Fell to Tyne Head basically doesn't exist and should never have been included in the route, but there's no legal way round it. I'd take the Pennine Way from Great Dun Fell to Cross Fell then the bridleway to Greg's Hut then down to Garrigill to rejoin the GNT.
The route then gets very pleasant, until you reach Kielder Forest which is a disorientating maze of dark artificial wood, as you'd expect. If you can opt for a more direct route here then I would.
Then, from the Scottish Border to at least Galashiels, where I finished, it's all of a sudden mostly good going. There's a shitey bit from Whitrope Station which you can dodge by taking the B6399 then the second forest road on your left, and at Shankend don't leave the old railway line- just take the viaduct and carry on, it's fine.
I kinda enjoyed it when I did it, but it's not a very well thought out route and I'd not do it again. It's not one you'd choose on your own unless you were absolutely determined to only use bridleways and as much off road as possible regardless of whether it was enjoyable or not.
I did a heavily modified GNT from hebden to Garve - the route and main changes were:
Pennine bridleway is ok from hebden to wycoller, but then take road to Colne and foulridge and join the canal north, then after the double arch bridge at east marton bridleway and road to gargrave. Then bridleway to bell busk, footpath/bridleway over Otterburn moor to scalebar force and settle.
Road to Horton, bridleway to cam high road and down to hawes. Road to cottar end, then rejoin pbw to Kirkby Stephen. Road to dufton.
Yeah, the bit from dun fell to Tyne head is largely frustrating walking. Take the Pennine way to Greg's hut, then on to Alston. Rejoin the GNT to haltwhistle.
As per munrobiker for kielder, it's grim and subject to diversions. I took road from kielder village to riccarton, railway route to wauchope, then road again to hawick. Mostly GNT from there to Falkirk, with a few wee changes around currie.
Then I headed for Stirling, then callander, on back roads. Rejoined the GNT to killin, then went west to crianlarich, and the west Highland way to fort William. I didn't have time to do the rannoch/corrour/corrieyairick route.
Then I took the ht550 route to Garve, where I headed round beinn wyvis to evanton, then tarbet ness and down to Inverness and the train home.
I only really used the GNT as a concept, and tweaked it to suit my riding, available time and what I wanted from a ten day trip. If I was getting tired or fed up with slow progress I'd do a bit of road if it was available.
The bits I really enjoyed were: lady Anne's highway from hawes to Kirkby Stephen, Peebles to Currie, west Highland way (not on GNT) and the bit from fort Augustus to Garve. The rest was good, but id definitely try to avoid can avoid the bit after Gt dun fell, and as much of wark/kielder as possible if I was doing it again.
I'd take the Pennine Way from Great Dun Fell to Cross Fell then the bridleway to Greg's Hut then down to Garrigill to rejoin the GNT.
Would it be worth riding up to Kirkland, then taking the "Penine Journey" Bridleway from there up to Greg's hut?
Yeah, that looks wise to me!
Thanks for all the advice guys, I've modified my routes.
I'd take the Pennine Way from Great Dun Fell to Cross Fell then the bridleway to Greg's Hut then down to Garrigill to rejoin the GNT.Would it be worth riding up to Kirkland, then taking the "Penine Journey" Bridleway from there up to Greg's hut?
This will mostly be a push all the way to the top. Pretty steep then gets a bit vague and grassy. Majority double track once your at the top and on your way down though.
The other way, up Dunn fell, to the radar, then across to Cross Fell to do the same descent is mostly rideable but would take longer.
Both good options depending on how much time you have.
This will mostly be a push all the way to the top. Pretty steep then gets a bit vague and grassy. Majority double track once your at the top and on your way down though.
The other way, up Dunn fell, to the radar, then across to Cross Fell to do the same descent is mostly rideable but would take longer.
Both good options depending on how much time you have.
Ok, might do the cheeky bit of the Penine Way then.
