[Closed] Ultimate [Dark?] Peak Ride (one day)

That sounds absolutely brutal. I don't think you've missed anything out unless you want to add in spud alley. But the route description and order makes sense. If you wanted to do brough and bradwell edge best route would be down the thornhill trail and down to the main road from thornhill or Aston. From bradwell you can go behind the cement works to pindale - in case you weren't aware of that trail.

I can't imagine you'll regret not making it longer when you get to the end!

From what I've heard doctor's gate is too much of slog to make it worthwhile with all the road.

Have a pint halfway and kick off again tomorrow? I'd rather be fresh for the descents than survive them trying to do it in a day.

Edit - to elaborate

I'd prefer to do cut gate both ways, up and down around the end and over to Edale a couple of times. then the rest of the stuff that side as a second day - too much quality to make it a slog day as you probably won't enjoy it that much if it's just target hitting.

I'd be very wary of parking at Langsett and riding down to Ladybower via Cutgate, your car's an awful long way away if you get a mechanical. I'd be more tempted to park in Castleton and loop round the car. I reckon if you're wanting to do Cutgate get it done soon before the weather gets really shitty. Great plan though let us know how you get on.

Here's a different idea. Park at Dore, outskirts of Sheffield. Train to Chinley.

Then:-

Up the Churn, down to Hayfield, up the Snake Path to the shooting cabins, down to Kinder Res, up under Brown knoll and then up to the top of Hacobd Ladder.

Down into Edale, Jagger's, Beast, Hagg Farm, Gores, Fairholmes. House of Pain to WLT, Cuthroat Bridge. Road (sadly) up to Stanage.

Up the Causeway, down the Plantation, over to Cannings, Houndkirk, top of Blacka into Devils Elbow, down through Eccy Woods back to the station.

No idea how long, but it's a bloody good day out!

Got a GPX for the last paragraph Jon?

Nicked this as a gravel ride on Sunday but keen to expand it on the train out of Manc

https://www.strava.com/activities/1875733997

Lord of the Loops is 110km with 3000m of climbing

https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MTM4OTY%3D

A route I keep meaning to do is from the source of the Derwent (near to cut gate) down the length of the Derwent valley to Ambergate. Via Cutgate, 9 edges, Black Rocks / Shining cliff etc.

I reckon this would be a mix of the best riding that the peak has to offer (open moorland, down to nadgery rooty woodland stuff).

*involves a fair amount of cheeky though

@ Mike - have I got a whattyX...?

Will PM you...

[edit] Skipped the first paragraph of your question, You're mad. I'd still park in Hope/Sheffield though, otherwise it's a very long push over to Langsett if things go tits up.

Day1: The almost singletrack day

Something like What JonEdwards suggested. I'd get a hotel in Sheffield and split the route into 2 days/loops, one heading north east, Eccalshall road, Potters clough, Stanage causeway, Jaggers (or roman road) , beast, hagg, cut gate out/back, Cuthroat, Stanage, hounkirk, blacka and back into sheffield.

Day 2: The day of Cloughs/Gates/Edges.

Train to Hope, castleton, broken road, rushup edge, Jacobs ladder, chapel gate, rushhup edge the other way, greenlands farm and turn right to hollins clough and back up mam tor, Dirtlow rake to cavedale, then do Bradwell  as a loop from Offerton hall all the way upto the radio mast and down Bradwell Edge.

In my head those two days are do-able. There's quite a bit of road involved but TBH the area is quite compact and roads are relatively flat.  On a bad day you can spend 4 hours struggling cross country from Edale to Cut gate, then get back to the start from the furthest point in half an hour on the road.

split the route into 2 days/loops,

No, No NO. Where am I going to get two passes out to go biking. The whole point is to cram it in to one day. 😀

But I definitely agree that leaving the car at langsett is a silly idea. Especially with my maintenance regime.

You lost me at the bit where you went up Pindale. Madness... ditto any riding up the road on the Snake Pass or bothering with Doctor's Gate. I'd hang the ride off a Cut Gate / Roych loop and extend it as far as you want to in the central area around Hope, Castleton, Bradwell etc.

The Vertebrate guidebook's a pretty good inspirational start-point if you're trying to link things up from scratch as well. Obviously, if you're prepared to stray from bridleways, it opens up more options - you could link from the top of Chapel Gate to Jacob's on slabs  for example, then cut back down towards Edale.

I hate all the planning though. My dream Bank Holiday Monday is to head out of the front door first thing in the morning with only the vaguest idea of where I'm headed and get back 12 hours later after a day of on the fly route-finding. Oh, and don't be afraid to gain-say the directional fascists who insist you can only ride certain tracks one way round. Except for Pindale, obviously... I'd go up the Broken Road instead and cut over from there.

You lost me at the bit where you went up Pindale. Madness…

WTAF 🙂

Which other direction would you possibly go?  Up Pindale and then down Cavedale, it's obvious..... isn't it.  Maximum riding..  there's no way I'm riding up Cavedale.

Why would you ride down Pindale when you could ride up it..

hmph

When you talk about the slabs, is that the FP that goes off to the right at the top of Jacobs (heading east).  I think it joins the main bridleway loop somewhere near Mount Famine.

It's rather pleasant.

Yep, wil get that Vertibrate Book

Why would you ride down Pindale when you could ride up it..

It's not really very rideable. You'll be pushing a big chunk of it.

Like I said, you can actually meander up the Broken Road rather than push up Pindale, then cut over to the top of Cavedale from there. It's possible not to go up or down Pindale.

You can cut round from Hope to Castelton on the back road that goes past the bottom of Pindale to stay off the main drag as well. Or if you do go down Pindale, it's the start of the handy cut across the cement works to Bradwell.

I dunno, you ask for advice and then you get all shirty when it's offered 🙂

When you talk about the slabs, is that the FP that goes off to the right at the top of Jacobs (heading east).  I think it joins the main bridleway loop somewhere near Mount Famine.

There are two options, one is across Brown Knoll to the top of the Rushup trough - it's over the fence from the other track which basically ends at South Head, but it a mess in damper weather towards that end after the slabs finish. The Brown Knoll track is completely slabbed, but either sort of work.

There's also a grassy goat track that starts at South Head and cuts across the valley lower down, but isn't particularly useful.

It’s not really very rideable. You’ll be pushing a big chunk of it.

Its 100% rideable up. Cleaned it a good few times. There's one bit in the middle that's tricky and the line varies each time depending on how the 4x4s and the MXers have moved the rubble around, but its maybe 10' of trail and 2 or 3 dabs on a bad day.

I usually start the day with up Pindale, down Cavedale, up the Broken Road if I'm riding from Hope on a decent day out. Not a "nice" climb, don't get me wrong, but it definitely goes.

you ask for advice and then you get all shirty when it’s offered

I'm a bloke, whaddaya expect 🙂

In all seriousness, I'm todally liking the input.  I think in this case I've let my enthusiasm for Pindale ascent get the better of me.  I've only ever been there once when I was quite fit and cleaned it.

(Unlike Cavedale, which I can't even clean downhill :-()

TBH I generally get more satisfaction (and indeed sometimes enjoyment) out of the ascents than the descents.  Either something to do with the bike I had, or the fact that I'm just plain mince at descending.

You could add some bits around Hayfield after Roych but before going up Jacob's - Middle Moor and Lantern Pike maybe.

... and Chinley Churn and the campsite descent and...  you can just go adding bits.

Not a “nice” climb, don’t get me wrong, but it definitely goes.

I hear you, but the lesson I learned from a few Peak Pootles is that there's a massive spread of abilities on here. One rider's challenging climb is another's mindless push up.