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I'll be in Leek next week and I've a couple of free evenings/mornings to go for a bikepacking overnighter.
I'm not well clued up on the southern Peak. I'll be on a gravel bike and I'll be looking to maybe drive somewhere not too far, ride a couple of hours to a nice hilltop, quietly bivvy overnight, then ride a couple of hours back in the morning.
Any general route/sleeping suggestions? Tissington Trail looks like a good way to roll through but may be a little uninspiring. The map doesn't show much in the way of access land cut with a bridleway, which I tend to target for a bivvy, and I like a view.
I could probably point you if no-one else does. Did you want your trip to be predominantly in the white or dark peak?
You say you're in Leek but you want to drive? You could easily ride from Leek if staying in the white peak. If you're happy to drive you could get anywhere in the Peak within an hour.
I've never done a bike pack but if I did I'd probably do it in the dark peak as some parts are more wild and scenic than the white. I might look at Cutgate and cheeky bivvy on Derwent Edge somewhere perhaps.
I tend to try and limit my driving to a ride, so riding out of Leek might suit quite well. However, if there is wild and scenic a little further away then it'd probably be worth the drive.
Cutgate looks a little tricky for a loaded gravel bike?
From Leek you could look to cycle to Longnor then crowdicote Where's there's a bridleway starting from a pub. The bridleway passes through a medevil lump that did once hold a castle called pilsbury. You could camp there, it's not a huge summit but there is a view down the valley to chrome hill and parkhouse. It's also always virtually deserted with only sheep and cows for company. That's just off the top of my head, there's likely a better place to start than Leek and I need some time with a pc to look.
Here's my insta from that ride. No pics of the castle lump but you get a bit of an idea of the terrain, should be ok on a cx.
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After that head down the bridleway and you can pick up high peak trail and round back to Leek through earn sterndale. Let me think on as well...
I love the white peak and that area just feels magical to me.
This one too, this is the bridleway at the top of Longnor. It wouldn't really serve other than just for fun but gives you an idea of the terrain.
Another area worthy of exploration is the hills around millers Dale. You could park at Waterhouses and go up the manifold trail a bit then head up and over the Moor to your right as heading up the manifold track.
I might look at Cutgate and cheeky bivvy on Derwent Edge somewhere perhaps.
A mate who lives on the Sheffield side of the Peak told me that gamekeepers are moving wild campers on from Derwent Edge atm, so it may not be a good call. We actually bivvied on top of Parkhouse Hill a few years back, it was quite atmospheric, but not very bikeable.
Thanks Jekkyl there's a couple of good possibilities there. I'll have a look at a map later on and plot up a possible route.
I’ve never biked there (and it’s not on a bridleway) so may be a terrible idea, but would a bivy spot around Windgather Rocks be any good?
Great sunset views, high enough up to catch a breeze if midges are a problem too.
I think the first option would suit. Drop me a pm and I'll try and find some time to do you one. How many miles for each part do you want?
Can you not make it a 2 nighter ?. I always find jaunts are sometimes taken up by the journey there, so you've basically only a few hours afore dinner and bed, then it's off the next day back again. A whole entire day to faff around stretches it all out and makes it less fatiguing.
I followed a great route from Jekkyl. In the evening I rode out of Leek, past Longnor and towards Crowdicote to sleep. In the morning a bit of High Peak Trail then some really interesting tracks past quarries and Chrome hill and then some roads back to Leek.
Always worth asking for local knowledge.
