Mary Towneley Loop, June 2009

dave_hill

This has been mentioned before, but I wondered if anybody wants to formalise it???

Looking at doing a full run at the Mary Towneley Loop of the Pennine Bridleway, sometime in midsummer.

I'm thinking Saturday June 20th here, and an early start, say 8:30am (Saturday probably best as it will give you Sunday to recover). The loop is 47 miles in total and IIRC takes in about 6500 feet of climbing. Probably start at the United Utilities car park at Hurstwood reservoir, due East of Burnley (linky HERE).

This isn't going to be a race, and anyone who treats it as such will be ignored. Just a (hopefully) fun and epic day out with plenty of time to do it in.

Any other suggestions/questions...???

Mancunianfightingcat

sounds good!

The Northern Monkey

If i'm home from uni (which is likely in mid/late june) i'd def be up for this

stumpyjon

Would love to but that's Mountain Mayhem weekend and I got conned into taking part (you'll only be an emergency stand etc. etc. :roll: ).

scottgeniusltd2005

already booked on one 17th june thru lancashire countryside... , anyone else been on one of these organized things? if this doesn't go ahead for any reason then i am up for it defo or if you do it the weekend after or before i'd be up for that aswell..let me know

Hob

Hey, I'm up for it. It's something I wanted to do but it's a bit of an XC long-haul for the boys I ride with and I struggled to get any interest. Will look out for details.

stumpyjon

There's a chance the Mary Townley Challenge will be on around then as well if the Mountain Rescue get their finger out and organise it (I keep poking our friendly mountain rescue volunteer at work but he doesn't seem to know what's happening either).

Mancunianfightingcat

Can I come too? (I've got SPDs)

dave_hill

stumpyjon wrote:

There's a chance the Mary Townley Challenge will be on around then as well if the Mountain Rescue get their finger out

Wasn't it September last year?

I'll keep my eye open, if it is that weekend we can always move it.

stumpyjon wrote:

I keep poking our friendly mountain rescue volunteer at work but he doesn't seem to know what's happening either.

ROFLMAO!!! Double entendre of the year so far!!! Classic!

topsey_turvey

I'm off to Belgium that day, or I'd have brought my flatties and stilettos along. Got a nice pair of red sling backs!

dave_hill

Topsey Turvey wrote:

I'm off to Belgium that day, or I'd have brought my flatties and stilettos along. Got a nice pair of red sling backs!

I really, seriously, worry about you sometimes.... :shock:

dickydulux

I'd be interested Dave. If you get a definate date can you let me know.

stumpyjon

Yeah the challenge was September last year (absolute mudfest). It was 3rd June the year before. My tame mountain rescue colleague thought it might be back to June this year although he still hasn't found out for definite :roll:

dave_hill

stumpyjon wrote:

Yeah the challenge was September last year (absolute mudfest). It was 3rd June the year before. My tame mountain rescue colleague thought it might be back to June this year although he still hasn't found out for definite :roll:

Guess you'll have to poke him some more then!!!

singlespeedexplosif

Have fun. Maybe we'll see you finishing as we set off (doing a midsummer's night MTL)

dave_hill

Is anyone still on for this?

If youa re, let me know and we'll fix it as a definite.

Mancunianfightingcat

There's an organised ride on the 17th June too!

I'll be up for one of them but not both! Just depends on work.

Tank-slapper

Are there any definitive distance and ascent figures for the loop? Seems everyone says something different.

dave_hill

Tank-slapper wrote:

Are there any definitive distance and ascent figures for the loop? Seems everyone says something different.

The offical route map says it's 47 miles, with no figures for vertical ascent.

Having plotted it out on Memory Map, I make it 45,6 miles with 7100 feet of climbing.

Tank-slapper

The Pennine Bridleway homepage gives total ascent of 1125m (3650ft) - just over half your figure Dave. I imagine theirs is an estimate based on contours in some GIS system and probably low as a result. Hasn't anyone measured it whilst riding? Loop length is generally agreed at about 45ish miles.

Which way round were you thinking of doing it? I may be tempted to leave the comfy confines of the Peak...

trio25

I rode this loop yesterday, really recommend it. Where were you thinking of starting?

dave_hill

Tank-slapper wrote:

The Pennine Bridleway homepage gives total ascent of 1125m (3650ft) - just over half your figure Dave.

I'd say that 3650feet is way off the mark. There's 1200 feet between the lowest and highest points on the route, and a glance at the profile diagram suggests that you make that climb at least 5 times during the whole route, which works out at 6000 feet.

As per the original post, the suggested start point is Hurstwood, near Burnley doing the loop in an anti-clockwise direction.

Tank-slapper

dave_hill wrote:

Tank-slapper wrote:

The Pennine Bridleway homepage gives total ascent of 1125m (3650ft) - just over half your figure Dave.

I'd say that 3650feet is way off the mark. There's 1200 feet between the lowest and highest points on the route, and a glance at the profile diagram suggests that you make that climb at least 5 times during the whole route, which works out at 6000 feet.

Yes, you are probably right. If I go with you, I'll bring my altimeter and measure it properly.

scottgeniusltd2005

hey trio,

i rode it yesterday too, were you on a singlespeed?

stubs

I dont think I am fit enough or thin enough to do the whole loop in one so I am doing it in sections making it part of smaller loops.

Did part of the loop yesterday Holme Chapel to Rhodmer Clough then headed off the loop up the Dukes Cut track back to the Long Causeway and the Ram inn at Holme Chapel for a couple of cracking pints of Timothy Taylors Landlord.

The plan is to get the whole loop done by the end of the summer doing a section every month or so. So far I have done Waterfoot to Rhodmer Clough.

Has anyone got some nice loops mapped taking in the section from Rhodmer Clough with a starting point in Hebden or Todmorden preferably starting and finishing in a pub car park

scottgeniusltd2005

google the pub "top brink" its right on the trail and you can easily do the loop in either direction with a road way back

stubs

scottgeniusltd2005 wrote:

google the pub "top brink" its right on the trail and you can easily do the loop in either direction with a road way back

Cheers that looks like a good pub I was also looking at the New Delight which doesnt look to far off the route.

scottgeniusltd2005

new delight is a good pub, but the climb out of hebden is cruel and long even more so on the road

trio25

scottgeniusltd2005 wrote:

hey trio,

i rode it yesterday too, were you on a singlespeed?

yes, I was assuming from your name you are the bloke going back up the hill for an extra cli,b

How long did it take you in the end? We had a great day, legs a bit tired today though.

trio25

scottgeniusltd2005 wrote:

new delight is a good pub, but the climb out of hebden is cruel and long even more so on the road

We stopped at the New Delight yesterday, its right on the route which makes it a good point. For us it was after halfway so a good stopping point!

scottgeniusltd2005

yeah that was me, took me 10 hours in the end, i blew so the last third was not much fun, aching weirdly in my shoulders today. how long did it take you? i'm having another go clockwise on the 17th june hopefully not as much pushing clockwise. respect for doing it on a ss!!