Riding in the Dark Peaks/Preparation

OH NO Dan

Hello all

Im trying to get my act together to go and do a route in the Dark Peaks. Ive never been up that way and have been riding locally and at various trail centres. Ive found what i reckon is a decent map here
http://www.singletrackworld.com/trailgu ... -route.pdf

So when ive been riding ive never had to look at maps and to be honest im abit crap and reading them! Shall I print the map off, keep it handy when im on the trail, just refering to it as i go?

Has anyone ridden round dark peak way that has some recommendations?

Much appreciated.

sniper68

Get a map and learn to read it,seriously it is easy to get lot anywhere with hills(especially in bad weather).You could take the wrong track and end up in the wrong valley etc.I've ridden and walked in the Dark Peak for years(over 30 years)and i still take maps.
Also there's over 3700ft of climbing on that route,so make sure you're fit enough etc.
Other than that enjoy.

OH NO Dan

ibbo68 wrote:

Get a map and learn to read it,seriously it is easy to get lot anywhere with hills(especially in bad weather).You could take the wrong track and end up in the wrong valley etc.I've ridden and walked in the Dark Peak for years(over 30 years)and i still take maps.
Also there's over 3700ft of climbing on that route,so make sure you're fit enough etc.
Other than that enjoy.

I dont mind the climbing, fitness is ok, but ill give it a good effort. Is the route of the trail sort of obvious and well worn?

Thanks for the advice.

sniper68

From the link i just get a small map with a route marked on it so i don't know the exact route,so i can't comment.I'm just giving advice on the dark Peak in general.What's the name/place of the exact route?

OH NO Dan

The route goes through hayfield and glossop. If you click the link in the first post and scroll down theres a bigger map.

blister pus

I dont mind the climbing, fitness is ok, but ill give it a good effort. Is the route of the trail sort of obvious and well worn?

I ride that area, some of it is, some of it's obscure and not obvious at all, so you'd need a proper map to reference for security, it's a logical route and doable but I'll tell you now there's some serious climbing involved on that route, climbs of all shapes and sizes, long and short it's not a route you'd knock off in a couple of hours either.

sniper68

Not too sure about Glossop,apart from robin hoods picking rods which is a bog in all but drought conditions, but the stuff from Hayfield up Oaken clough is steep and tough the track over to kinder res is a boggy and the last bit over the field is hard to follow if the clouds down and the climb from kinder to middlemoor is a killer.

It'll probably be a Long day out,as said depends on where you ride usually and fitness etc.

OH NO Dan

By the sounds of it, I think it might be abit much for me. Im gonna keep it simple until im up to the challenge

blister pus

I wouldn't be too put off. What you could do is split that route in two. Glossop half and Hayfield half, get comfortable doing both separately over a period of time and then combine the two when you're realistically confident. But you still need to get some basic map reading skills together for your own security and peace of mind, you certainly won't regret it.

blister pus

http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/pennineb ... Route2.pdf

^ Take a look at that Dan. Probably a better start out route and It'll give you a flavour of the other.

Tank-slapper

38km is a bit far for a first ride in that area. As recommended above, do it in 2 halves. Also, get a copy of the 1:25,000 Dark Peak map, about 8 quid from book shops, and transfer the route onto that.

OH NO Dan

blister pus That looks much more up my street, Cheers.

If i was to do ill split it into 2 halves, and if im feeling good after the first section ill carry on. Plus my dad just bet me £10 i cant do it so need to prove a point

dave_hill

ibbo68 wrote:

Get a map and learn to read it,seriously it is easy to get lot anywhere with hills(especially in bad weather).

+1 for that. If you don't know what you're doing as far as map reading and navigation is concerned you shouldn't even be considering venturing into the hills, especially if you're going alone.

Get the OS Explorer map for your area and then download some of the excellent (free) booklets on map reading from the OS website. Or find somebody who can read a map and get them to teach you.

Navigating off a map is a piece of cake - it's simply a case of relating what's printed to what's on the ground.

punctureboy

cant agree more. if you crash and are seriously injured you at least need to be able to give a grid reference of your location when you call 999.

sniper68

After over 30 years of walking/mtbing i had to call Mountain Rescue(hellicopter) for the 1st time ever on our Nidderdale ride a few weeks ago.Luckily it wasn't for any of us but for an elderly lady walker,who along with her husband,had set off for a walk unprepared,were out far longer than expected and had fallen and badly cut her head on a very rocky ascent.It was a hot day,they had no water and she was very dehydrated and bleeding badly.The husband had called for an ambulance(which arrived over an hour later)but given the wrong location!He also didn't realise that an ambulance had no chance of getting to them.
The Air ambulance arrived within 5 minutes of me calling and took them off to hospital 8) The ambulance had to come from Harrogate which is why it took an hour.Had the couple dropped back down to Scar House reservoir instead of climbing further away from it,there were loads of people/cars parked etc so someone could have driven them to town or at least the Ambulance could reach them easily and calling out the Air Ambulance could have been avoided.
This is one of the reasons i always drop a few quid in the MR collection boxes,most of them are volunteers,do a fantastic job,save lives and its not particularly well funded.