[Closed] Yorkshire Dales and Moors big days out

Can't think of many Dales routes that require a push-up, let alone a 2 hour one, but I'll try to find one 🙂

What sort of distance/riding time?

Midweek it will all be quiet. You’ll meet a couple of riders and a few (friendly) walkers at most. I don’t know the moors and not sure how big is a big day out but here are my suggestions.

Near to Harrogate the obvious is the Tour of Nidderdale, round the top of the valley from Pateley Bridge. You can extend it to the east from Masham or Kirby Malezard (or start there) or northwards over to Coverdale.

A bit further afield I like Kilnsey to Settle via Malham Tarn. Some big climbs (but rideable), long descents and nice cruising bits. And lots of pubs and cafes half way round in settle. Another good longish ride is the Tour of Ingleborough, but extended to take in the Oennine Bridleway descent from Cam Head rather than the fire road straight back to Ribblehead.

There’s not a lot of mega technical riding or single track in the Dales but great fun still the same.

What's a big day? You could extend the head of nidderdale round to include a fun loop of buckden pike cracking descent to wharfedale, back via Coverdale or conistone bridleway. I'd call that a big day.

I like the top of wharfedale/langstrathdale/horse head, where some pushing is involved even for heroes. Check the bridleways in buckden pike and Cote fell (good cheeky singletrack down the ridge too). Various loops are possible and all bone dry right now.

Can’t think of many Dales routes that require a push-up,

Is that a brag?

Disclaimer to earlier post: I may have dabbed briefly on Top Mere Road. That's Starbotton, isn't it? I got up that one.

Actually, now I think about it, there are one or two climbs around Buckden that I've stopped briefly on 'to admire the view'.

It's cam head kettlewell

Where's Cote Fell? (And this cheeky ridge ride)

Yockenthwaite to Horsehead Moor is pretty much all a push up for me! But when that takes under an hour. I don’t think there would be many two hour climbs or pushes!

I used to enjoy the Tour of Pen y Ghent when I mountain biked.

I've ridden the cam head climb zero dabs! Get me. I'll post something when this meeting ends...

Where’s Cote Fell? (And this cheeky ridge ride)

I presumed that was Old Cote Moor/Firth Fell. There is a faint line on the aerial view which suggests singletrack. Not sure I want to slog up there to find out, though.

Yockenthwaite to Horsehead Moor is pretty much all a push up for me! But when that takes under an hour.

Do it when it's bone dry, it's completely different. (I expect you could say that of a lot of Dales climbs)

I presumed that was Old Cote Moor/Firth Fell. There is a faint line on the aerial view which suggests singletrack. Not sure I want to slog up there to find out, though.

That's the one. Nice peaty blast in the dry, grassier and faster as you get down closer to the Kettlewell descent - up the bw from Buckden, down to Kettlewell. Instead of dropping into littondale when short of time, tho that's a great descent too.

Yockenthwaite to Horsehead Moor is pretty much all a push up for me! But when that takes under an hour.

Erm actually in my post above I was thinking of the parallel climb out of buckden which has a long section that is a grind when wet but rides really nice when dry.

Thanks all - keep em coming.
I'd call a big day 6 hours riding perhaps...
No point giving a mileage without knowing quite how hilly the hilly bits are, or if there's a bit of road work needed to link it up.

It seems there's no obvious or famous 'must do loop' like there is in the Peak, Lakes, Brecons.

Looks like I'll be trying to find the towns and landmarks mentioned on an OS map and linking them with the green dashed lines.

Faint path follows ridge wall from Firth Fell trig to Old Cote Moor & BW left to Kettlewell or Starbotton (more technical in woods) & right to Arncliffe.
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If you're after XC, then this one would suit you, with adaptations.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1188699286#29296543766

Start in Helwith Bridge, up the road to Wharfe, then follow Pennine Bridleway to top of Cam Fell, continue on the Roman Road to Bainbridge, or Semer Water, then across Stake Allotments to Buckden. Then across either Firth Fell or Horsehead to Littondale, and back via Dawson Close to Helwith.

Pretty much all (with the exception of the slog up Firth Fell/Horsehead) on fast tracks. No tech to speak of. You can come back via Langstrothdale into Horton for a shorter version with a bit less climbing.

Start at buckden. Pennine Way to the road at Cray. Through the farm by the pub and contour round to Yockenthwaite. Over Horse Head to Halton Gill. Short road to Foxup then round the moor to the shooting box under Pen y Gent. Over PyG and down to the road near Dale Head. Along the road to cattle grid at Blishmire. Over Fountains Fell to Tenant Gill. PW to Malham Tarn. N.E. over Dew Bottoms and Yew Coggar Scar to Arncliffe. Follow the beck to come out at Litton then over Old Cote Moor to get back to Buckden.

That will fill your day.

If you’re staying in Harrogate and want to maximise riding to driving time I’d look at Nidderdale. The classic tour takes me 3-4hr but I’m a fat slow coach. Basically start at Pateley road to Ramsgill (alt starting point for shorter ride). Tracks to Stean the steep road to Middlesmoor. Good climb and descent to Scar House reservoir. From here you can add onto Coverdale and even round to West Burton. From Scar House tracks lead round the other side of the valley before descending to Ramsgill. Easy track round reservoir to Wath and road to Pateley. Lots of pubs. You can start further up the valley to mix and match or miss bits out

Pretty sure the Scar House descent has been sanitised now, it's not the rocky fun that it once was.

It's starting to recover, but no, it's not what it used to be. Needs a couple of hard winters.

I did a round of Nidderdale last week for the first time in two decades, on a rigid steel 26er with luggage. Found it pretty tame compared to better stuff around Reeth (for example). Fremington to Langwathby via Hurst, Great Pinseat and tracks towards Gunnerside and back, plus over Apedale. Just look at a map, take note of the contours and fill your boots. Lots of interesting mining archaeology round there as well.