A group ride on Snake Pass? Advice please!
Johnpsanderson
Posts: 380
So - i'm planning to take my club mates from Essex up to the Peak District in March/April next year for a weekends riding. We did this last year and had great fun following this route: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/55626016 starting from Edale (we stayed at the YHA). Holme Moss made quite an impression and everyone is keen to ride it again.
I'm thinking of changing the route a bit for 2012 so from Glossop we go over the Snake Pass to bag another 'name' climb (and then finish up with a chance to take on Winnats Pass).
I grew up in the Peaks so know the roads well as a driver - but was never much of a cyclist as a kid. Can anyone speak from experience in riding the Snake recently either solo or in a group as to whether it's a particularly good/bad idea to go over it on a Saturday afternoon en masse?
I'm thinking of changing the route a bit for 2012 so from Glossop we go over the Snake Pass to bag another 'name' climb (and then finish up with a chance to take on Winnats Pass).
I grew up in the Peaks so know the roads well as a driver - but was never much of a cyclist as a kid. Can anyone speak from experience in riding the Snake recently either solo or in a group as to whether it's a particularly good/bad idea to go over it on a Saturday afternoon en masse?
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I rode it from the Sheffield end for a few years (till '09), mainly by myself.
It's an amazing road, but cars do go VERY fast in parts.
I only went on a group ride once, and we were maybe 5 big?
There are enough great roads that are totally empty in and around (unfortunately, I can't give any names - I never really paid attention).0 -
There are enough great roads that are totally empty in and around (unfortunately, I can't give any names - I never really paid attention).
Yeah - normally I would say the same thing (i.e. why bother with the Snake!) - but once you've gone over Holme Moss there aren't a lot of options for getting back to Edale! So it's either the Snake or the Chapel-en-le-Frith Road...0 -
I did Snake Pass from the Glossop direction this year and it was good, not great though. The climb up wasnt hard due to the gradient, just a stiff headwind on the day.
The decent into Ladybower is excellent though, so I'd say do it that way round for a better finish.
You can combine Snake with Holme Moss if you start off in Holmfirth, then from Ladybower go Bamford-Hope-Castleton-Winnats Pass then branch off right at top of Winnats and back down into Edale. Or carry on taking the Chapel road into Glossop and go back over Holme Moss the other way.
Unfortunately you link doesnt work so I've no idea if your route already takes in those roads (your route is marked as private on that site)0 -
Sorry - link should work now.0
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The Snake is pretty scary from the point of view of fast cars and blind bends but, to be honest, the road from Glossop to Chinley is just as bad.
I'd advise extreme caution on both but, as they're really the only options to get back to the Hope Valley, you need to use one. Just don't ride in a bunch and make sure that, if you're on the back, you're lit up like a christmas tree!0 -
Oh, and it's a great route. Make sure you stop off at Longley's in Holme Moss - it's the Longley Farm factory shop and sells the most amazing ice cream. Just what you need before Holme moss the hard way!0
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the road from Glossop to Chinley is just as bad.
I did wonder if that was the case. When we did it earlier this year the Chinley Road wasn't so bad - on the climbs we were so slow and strung out we didn't have any problems with people passing and on the descents the cars aren't going that much quicker... And the traffic wasn't that busy at 3pm on Sat afternoon either...0 -
Just occurred to me to offer some feedback that others might benefit from.
We took in the Snake Pass on the club Peaks Weekend this year - on Saturday 31st March to be precise - at about 1:30 - 2pm in the afternoon. Absolutely no problems at all with traffic, or conditions. We approached it from the Glossop side after a feed stop at a cafe, plodded up it fairly steadily - strung out in ones and twos. Plenty of cars passed us, but none dangerously and none at high speed. The descent off the otherside and back to Ladybower was equally uneventful - light traffic and no dangerous moments.
So - for anyone thinking of riding out there - i'd say it's perfectly possible to have a nice ride on the Snake, without having to worry about the traffic!0 -
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Didn't realise there was a shelf life to threads....!0
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Johnpsanderson wrote:Didn't realise there was a shelf life to threads....!
Went up it yesterday - only the short side.
Got to see a Cervelo bike at the top. :twisted:
Can't believe anyone can say it is "easy".
I have a long way to go.
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Manc33 wrote:Johnpsanderson wrote:Didn't realise there was a shelf life to threads....!
Went up it yesterday - only the short side.
Got to see a Cervelo bike at the top. :twisted:
Can't believe anyone can say it is "easy".
I have a long way to go.
Keep at it, Manc33. I've been up it a few times (both directions) and the approach from Glossop is pretty easy. I wouldn't have said this a year ago when I began road cycling again after a few years off, but you'll get there in the end. I've noticed that I've actually come to enjoy our lovely Peak District hills, and I actively seek them out on rides now!0 -
One of these days when I haqve a day to cycle instead of just a couple of hours I will nip over Holme Moss and instead of just turning round at the top and going back or heading up to the Flouch and going home I will continue on to Snake Pass. I have a route in mind that returns over the Strines and should be about 60 miles but with probably 7000-8000 feet of climbing. Just need the time and maybe a bit more training before killing myself trying it.
I reckon a Sunday morning earlyish start would be better though, partly for traffic reasons and partly so that it was still daylight when I dragged myself the last few miles home.
In the mean time I will continue to nip up to the top of the Moss occasionally and then turn back round and head home for a quick 15 mile round trip. About 15-20 minutes going up and 2-4 minutes back down depending on where you count from. I have yet to cycle Snake Pass but I imagine the difference in times is similar. Why is there som much more uphill than downhill ?0 -
Start from Langsett Car Park and do either the Moss or Woodhead (warning may contain traces of lots of HGVs), down to Glossop and up over the Snake. Stop at the caravan at Ladybower for a reviving Bacon Butty and cuppa, then up to the Strines and back to Langsett. That last climb is a killer when you have 60 hilly miles in your legs.
Its a great ride and one of my favourites. I always do the Moss, mainly because of the traffic.Top Ten finisher - PTP Tour of Britain 20160
