Worthwhile Hills in Peak District

R8JimBob88

Evening people of BikeRadar....

I'm lucky enough to have some time off work over the next week or two and I am trying to hunt down some nasty knarly climbs in the peak district. So far I have done -

Mow Cop
Cat and Fiddle (today in 20'c, wonderful!)
Winnats Pass
Long Hill
Both side of Goyt Valley resivours
Macclesfield Road
and a few more

Are there many others out there with a reputation? The longer and the steeper the better!

freehub

blazehill/pyms chair.

R8JimBob88

Isnt pyms chair on top of kinder scout?! Unless there are two?

I havent climbed up to mam tor yet from edale so I think i'll do that in the morning!

amaferanga

Up Fiddlers Elbow from Hathersage is a nice 4km climb. You can then loop round by Outseats to Bamford and then head up Edale for Mam Nick. There's Froggat as well - about 6.5km. Neither are difficult climbs mind.

Pokerface

Depends on how far you want to travel.


Swiss Hill (cobbled) outside Alderly Edge.

And if you go further afield towards Snake Pass - you can climb up Holme Moss. The ride out to Glossop via Hayfield is a good one.

amaferanga

And a loop round Strines is always enjoyable - something like this

Tom Butcher

If you wanted to do some of the known climbs in the South Peak you could try the following.

From Cromford you could go Matlock take the road towards Alfreton but right while still in Matlock (possibly signed Starkholmes) and do Riber (left near top called Riber Road) and follow it back to the A615.

From there go across the tops and drop down to Beeley and go back South to Rowsley and go up the minor road on the left just before you get to the A6 called Rowsley Bar.

Follow along the tops again and drop into Baslow - then to Curbar and climb Curbar Lane (think the climb is known as Curbar Gap ?) , then I'd drop down into Grindleford (station cafe is nice) and climb go back and climb the A625 past the CHequers Inn which isn't particularly hard but I think it's a really nice climb (but it is a nice descent too).

Then once back on top drop into Hathersage and you can go on to Winnats and climb that. Then make your way to Monsal Head via sort of Millers Dale/Litton and then to Ashford in the Water and down the A6 to Bakewell.

Take the right towards Monyash and then follow the Rake and Long Rake and end up dropping down the Via Gellia which is a 6-7 mile descent back to Cromford.

peter101cycle

How about this then.....out towards Huddersfield from Sheffield maybe, up Holme Moss, up Snake Pass, then head out towards Castleton, up Winnats Pass, then out to Buxton, then Bakewell, then out to Hathersage, up Surprise View (towards the Round House), taking an early left up a really steep climb I cannot remember the name of.....back towards Sheffield above Fulwood way.......

One of my old training routes and a real leg killer.......

CiB

The direct route on the A624 from Chapel En Le Frith to Glossop goes over a never-ending beast of a hill - seems like it when you hit it 80 miles into a century. There's a nice drop down into Glossop that you've earnt by the time you hit the top, or you could veer off and take the yellow from the peak just before the pub to head back round to New Mills and High Peak.

sfichele

Mam nick. So instead of going up Winnats, you do the other side of Mam Tor from Edale.
[Edit: oops amaferanga already posted mam nick]

+1 for Strines, very hilly if done from A57 towards Langsett.

A good route is to do Strines - Home Moss and then back

lloyd_bower

amaferanga wrote:

And a loop round Strines is always enjoyable - something like this

Yep, used to be on my regular routes, plenty of decent climbs on quiet roads.

Chinley Churner

Castle Naze... one of the hardest climbs in the Dark Peak. On the road from Chapel to Whaley, turn left towards Coombs. Come into the village and then, in front of the school, bear left (signposted Dove Holes).... enjoy.

There's also a cracking cobbled climb (30% grade) near Whaley Bridge. Just before the Swan Pub and David Woods nursery in Ketttleshume on the Whaley to Macc road turn right. Carry on down road and ignore Unsuitable for Vehicles signs, potholes and just wait for the cobbly joy.

Chinley Churner

If you've got internet access I can send you a Memory Map Overlay (you can download a free reader) of an absolute brute of a route that has both of the climbs above in it. The routes only 63km but has 1800m ++ of ascent in it.. it also starts and finishes at the Derbyshire Pub of the Year 2010, The Old Hall in Whitehough.

R8JimBob88

Cheers folks. Plenty to go at.

I used to rock climb at castle naze a while ago and remember driving up thinking the car is going to tip over backwards!

Chinley Churner - I'd appreciate it if you could send me the file. Send it to james.Stockton@hotmail.co.uk

8)

Chinley Churner

Done

pottssteve

Chinley Churner wrote:

Castle Naze... one of the hardest climbs in the Dark Peak. On the road from Chapel to Whaley, turn left towards Coombs. Come into the village and then, in front of the school, bear left (signposted Dove Holes).... enjoy.

There's also a cracking cobbled climb (30% grade) near Whaley Bridge. Just before the Swan Pub and David Woods nursery in Ketttleshume on the Whaley to Macc road turn right. Carry on down road and ignore Unsuitable for Vehicles signs, potholes and just wait for the cobbly joy.

Wow! My grandparents used to live in Whaley but I never went up that road. Looks a really nice route.
Steve

R8JimBob88

Chinley Churner wrote:

Done

Nice one cheers for that. Ill have a look later, had a bit of an epic today....!

Set off from Hazel Grove up the A6 and into whalley bridge, I had an awesome tailwind so was easily maintaining 25mph on the flats. Turned towards chapel and then dropped down into coombs, beautiful day and nice and warm in shorts and t-shirt. The climb up to castle naze is a cracker, pleased that I managed to keep my arse on the saddle all the way, Garmin reckons just over 21% at the steepest.

A bit more up and down and then I realise I forgot to take some food! Big mistake!!! Started to get pretty hungry and tired now. Down winnats pass through castleton into hope and then I turn to head to edale, into a horrible headwind and was struggling to keep it about 12mph now. Finally get to the bottom of mam tor and start slowly grinding away to the top. Wouldn't have been half as bad had I had some food. Anyway at the top I head right towards Sparrow pit and the temp has dropped from 18'c down to 10'c and the sun has disappeared!

The rest of the route was constantly fighting into a headwind, freezing my bollocks off and gettig deliroious from hunger. That was the hardest 51 miles I've ever done! I've ridden super hilly 70-80 mile routes before and found them easier than today...

Anonymous

I love crowdicote hairpins, short but mega sweet

R8JimBob88

NapoleonD wrote:

I love crowdicote hairpins, short but mega sweet

Near longnor? I've been down them but not up!

Chip \'oyler

Gethisenon'tstrines

Anonymous

R8JimBob88 wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

I love crowdicote hairpins, short but mega sweet

Near longnor? I've been down them but not up!

Yeah, much better up than down! If you turn left at the cross roads at the top there's a top descent...

mingmong

Controversial: Cut Gate & Strines loop - one of my faves on the hardtail.

Anonymous

The Cumberland brook descent is one of the finest MTB moments out there

R8JimBob88

This should keep me entertained -

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/350332

A slight edit of chinley churners route to include the ride from my place. 2200 meters of ascent over 60 miles should be one to remember!

Feltup

Beware the descent to Lamaload just after 35 miles on your route. Make sure you cut your speed as you get to the farmhouse on your left. It nearly had me and it definitely had NapoleonD.

Chinley Churner

Quite a few frisky descents and rough roads on the route but that's what makes it interesting.

How did you get on Jim Bob?

R8JimBob88

Never managed to get out

Will do ASAP, might have a few hours free tomorrow so will have a quick ride up to these cobbles and see what fun awaits.

sheffsimon

R8JimBob88 wrote:

Chinley Churner wrote:

Done

Nice one cheers for that. Ill have a look later, had a bit of an epic today....!

Set off from Hazel Grove up the A6 and into whalley bridge, I had an awesome tailwind so was easily maintaining 25mph on the flats. Turned towards chapel and then dropped down into coombs, beautiful day and nice and warm in shorts and t-shirt. The climb up to castle naze is a cracker, pleased that I managed to keep my ars* on the saddle all the way, Garmin reckons just over 21% at the steepest.

A bit more up and down and then I realise I forgot to take some food! Big mistake!!! Started to get pretty hungry and tired now. Down winnats pass through castleton into hope and then I turn to head to edale, into a horrible headwind and was struggling to keep it about 12mph now. Finally get to the bottom of mam tor and start slowly grinding away to the top. Wouldn't have been half as bad had I had some food. Anyway at the top I head right towards Sparrow pit and the temp has dropped from 18'c down to 10'c and the sun has disappeared!

The rest of the route was constantly fighting into a headwind, freezing my bollocks off and gettig deliroious from hunger. That was the hardest 51 miles I've ever done! I've ridden super hilly 70-80 mile routes before and found them easier than today...

Should have stopped at Woodbine caff in Hope mate. Great cycling and walking caff.

R8JimBob88

SheffSimon wrote:

R8JimBob88 wrote:

Chinley Churner wrote:

Done

Nice one cheers for that. Ill have a look later, had a bit of an epic today....!

Set off from Hazel Grove up the A6 and into whalley bridge, I had an awesome tailwind so was easily maintaining 25mph on the flats. Turned towards chapel and then dropped down into coombs, beautiful day and nice and warm in shorts and t-shirt. The climb up to castle naze is a cracker, pleased that I managed to keep my ars* on the saddle all the way, Garmin reckons just over 21% at the steepest.

A bit more up and down and then I realise I forgot to take some food! Big mistake!!! Started to get pretty hungry and tired now. Down winnats pass through castleton into hope and then I turn to head to edale, into a horrible headwind and was struggling to keep it about 12mph now. Finally get to the bottom of mam tor and start slowly grinding away to the top. Wouldn't have been half as bad had I had some food. Anyway at the top I head right towards Sparrow pit and the temp has dropped from 18'c down to 10'c and the sun has disappeared!

The rest of the route was constantly fighting into a headwind, freezing my bollocks off and gettig deliroious from hunger. That was the hardest 51 miles I've ever done! I've ridden super hilly 70-80 mile routes before and found them easier than today...

Should have stopped at Woodbine caff in Hope mate. Great cycling and walking caff.

I'll need to remember some money next time too then! :oops:

sheffsimon

R8JimBob88 wrote:

SheffSimon wrote:

R8JimBob88 wrote:

Chinley Churner wrote:

Done

Nice one cheers for that. Ill have a look later, had a bit of an epic today....!

Set off from Hazel Grove up the A6 and into whalley bridge, I had an awesome tailwind so was easily maintaining 25mph on the flats. Turned towards chapel and then dropped down into coombs, beautiful day and nice and warm in shorts and t-shirt. The climb up to castle naze is a cracker, pleased that I managed to keep my ars* on the saddle all the way, Garmin reckons just over 21% at the steepest.

A bit more up and down and then I realise I forgot to take some food! Big mistake!!! Started to get pretty hungry and tired now. Down winnats pass through castleton into hope and then I turn to head to edale, into a horrible headwind and was struggling to keep it about 12mph now. Finally get to the bottom of mam tor and start slowly grinding away to the top. Wouldn't have been half as bad had I had some food. Anyway at the top I head right towards Sparrow pit and the temp has dropped from 18'c down to 10'c and the sun has disappeared!

The rest of the route was constantly fighting into a headwind, freezing my bollocks off and gettig deliroious from hunger. That was the hardest 51 miles I've ever done! I've ridden super hilly 70-80 mile routes before and found them easier than today...

Should have stopped at Woodbine caff in Hope mate. Great cycling and walking caff.

I'll need to remember some money next time too then! :oops:

Schoolboy error

OffTheBackAdam

From my youth.
Beeley Moor, either from Chesterfield/Holymoorside or Chatsworth sides.
I see Riber's been mentioned, that's a bitch of a hill!
Via Gelia, up from Cromford's a good hill.
For a bit of an MTB or "Rough Stuffing", there's the High Peak Trail, up from Cromford too.