Peak District hilly training ride - advice wanted
gattocattivo
Posts: 500
I live in London, but was hoping to make the most of a day off next week by driving up to the Peak District, riding about 50 miles with some climbs that you just don’t get down here, then driving all the way back again.
My original plan was to drive to the Surprise View car park (on the way to Sheffield from Hathersage), ride through Hathersage, Hope, Castleton and up Winnats Pass. Then down to Chinley, north up through Hayfield to Glossop, then up and down Snake Pass, back to Hathersage and then a detour on some back roads for some more climbing. Route here:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5281695
However, someone told me that they’ve recently been ‘resurfacing’ Winnats Pass (i.e. chucking down loads of loose chippings) and that when they tried to ride it a few days ago it was closed. I checked on this website:
http://splitapps.derbyshire.gov.uk/road_closures/
This has the Winnats road closure as due to finish on 25th July (i.e. already), but it is listed in a section for “schemes which have not been marked as complete but have passed their proposed finish dates” which suggests it might have overrun. The same website also says that my planned back road detour at the end of my ride won’t work because one or other of the two roads concerned (‘The Dale’ and ‘Fiddlers Elbow’) will be closed and all traffic diverted onto the other one.
On top of this, a bit of googling led me to this:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/snake-pass-road-ride-experiences
Where someone was planning something similar to me. Reading that thread through, several people are advising against riding the Chinley to Hayfield section as the road is too narrow and has fast traffic. Also it sounds as if Snake Pass could be too busy unless you go very early in the morning.
Is there anyone here with a bit of local knowledge who could tell me which roads are closed / best avoided at the moment so I can re-plan my route if necessary? If Winnats Pass is closed, I could ride round via Edale and up to Mam Tor instead. And if the Chinley-Hayfield stretch is best avoided, I could member ride Snake Pass twice, first from Ladybower to Glossp, then turn around and go back again?
My original plan was to drive to the Surprise View car park (on the way to Sheffield from Hathersage), ride through Hathersage, Hope, Castleton and up Winnats Pass. Then down to Chinley, north up through Hayfield to Glossop, then up and down Snake Pass, back to Hathersage and then a detour on some back roads for some more climbing. Route here:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5281695
However, someone told me that they’ve recently been ‘resurfacing’ Winnats Pass (i.e. chucking down loads of loose chippings) and that when they tried to ride it a few days ago it was closed. I checked on this website:
http://splitapps.derbyshire.gov.uk/road_closures/
This has the Winnats road closure as due to finish on 25th July (i.e. already), but it is listed in a section for “schemes which have not been marked as complete but have passed their proposed finish dates” which suggests it might have overrun. The same website also says that my planned back road detour at the end of my ride won’t work because one or other of the two roads concerned (‘The Dale’ and ‘Fiddlers Elbow’) will be closed and all traffic diverted onto the other one.
On top of this, a bit of googling led me to this:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/snake-pass-road-ride-experiences
Where someone was planning something similar to me. Reading that thread through, several people are advising against riding the Chinley to Hayfield section as the road is too narrow and has fast traffic. Also it sounds as if Snake Pass could be too busy unless you go very early in the morning.
Is there anyone here with a bit of local knowledge who could tell me which roads are closed / best avoided at the moment so I can re-plan my route if necessary? If Winnats Pass is closed, I could ride round via Edale and up to Mam Tor instead. And if the Chinley-Hayfield stretch is best avoided, I could member ride Snake Pass twice, first from Ladybower to Glossp, then turn around and go back again?
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gattocattivo wrote:Is there anyone here with a bit of local knowledge who could tell me which roads are closed / best avoided at the moment so I can re-plan my route if necessary? If Winnats Pass is closed, I could ride round via Edale and up to Mam Tor instead. And if the Chinley-Hayfield stretch is best avoided, I could member ride Snake Pass twice, first from Ladybower to Glossp, then turn around and go back again?
The Mam Nick (Mam Tor) is actually a nicer climb than Winnats, less steep and virtually traffic free... it's also a bit longer and more enjoyable, but still hard as a nail. Winnats can be busy and if you have to Zig zag to make your way up the >20% section in the traffic, well, that's not nice!
You can also use the old abandoned road from Castleton if Winnats is closed. You just have to shoulder the bike for a couple of hundred metres in the crumbled section of the old road... very scenic!left the forum March 20230 -
Yeah, I'm sure Mam Nick is nicer, but I was trying to make life as difficult as possible! I rode up Winnats Pass once when I was 18 (more than 20 years ago) and I remember it as being the hardest thing I'd ever ridden up, so I've promised myself I'm going to go back there and do it again.0
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I would just do Winnats and if it is impassable (doubt it will be) you can drop down and go up the Mam Nick or use the abandoned road (I'll take Ugo's word that is still passable with some walking as it's 25 years since I've been on it). As far as Snake Pass goes it's not all that dangerous but probably busy enough to spoil the ride (especially if you get knocked off by a car !). I'd be tempted to go out and ride the Cat and Fiddle from Macclesfield instead if you want an iconic climb.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0
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DeVlaeminck wrote:I'd be tempted to go out and ride the Cat and Fiddle from Macclesfield instead if you want an iconic climb.
Agree, although the barren moor often wrapped in mist at the top of the Snake pass is quite something... take with you a small emergency rear light if the sky is grey... other times it blows a gale, so best to avoid silly wheelsleft the forum March 20230
