Peak District advice

jimbo78
jimbo78 Posts: 19
edited September 2014 in Road general
Going up to the peak district on Monday and going to do the same route as I done on the tour of the peaks sportive. Winnats pass was closed for this event so was wondering how bad traffic gets.

Comments

  • Can't say the traffic was too bad yesterday.

    http://app.strava.com/activities/195892759

    There was a fairly busy junction before we peeled off left towards holme moss, I can't say exactly where it was but we'd just crossed a bridge between two reservoirs.

    Snake pass was regular but not overly congested, Holme miss was just foggy and wet so I couldn't care less what passed me.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • You will be fine. Most of the reports on bad traffic up Winnats is due to people riding it on sunny Sundays during the school holidays, so Monday will be fine.

    Personally, Winnats is a horrible climb and I would rather go up the other side of Mam Tor from Edale. It's still a tough climb but you get great views and end up in more or less the same place.
  • Wardster00 wrote:
    You will be fine. Most of the reports on bad traffic up Winnats is due to people riding it on sunny Sundays during the school holidays, so Monday will be fine.

    Personally, Winnats is a horrible climb and I would rather go up the other side of Mam Tor from Edale. It's still a tough climb but you get great views and end up in more or less the same place.

    I agree about the 'other side' of Mam Tor - it's a great climb with great views. Last time I came over that way we then bombed down Winnats..... went round the mini roundabout in Castleton..... and went straight back up again, before carrying on. Nice.
  • Wardster00 wrote:
    Personally, Winnats is a horrible climb and I would rather go up the other side of Mam Tor from Edale. It's still a tough climb but you get great views and end up in more or less the same place.

    Aye I think our route took us that way as we saw the Mam Tor sign but it was foggy so not worth a walk up.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    Wardster00 wrote:
    Personally, Winnats is a horrible climb and I would rather go up the other side of Mam Tor from Edale. It's still a tough climb but you get great views and end up in more or less the same place.

    Agreed. Winnat's is a climb to say you've done it (I haven't for 20-odd years and that was on a mountain bike) - it's quite dramatic but no views or anything.

    The climb up Mam Nick (which I have done several times much more recently than Winnat's) is a lovely climb with fabulous views. Not as steep as Winnat's, but not an easy climb in any way. The views are simply superb though. One of the real highlights of the dark peak.
  • I've done both those climbs in a weekend whilst staying at the Youth Hostel in Edale. The Mam Nik/ Tor out of Edale is the nicer climb, and the Edale Valley is quite spectacular itself. However, Winnats isn't too bad, it's a real grind but it's nowhere near as long or tough as some of the Lake District climbs such as the Struggle and Wrynose/ Hardknott.

    If you get the chance, I'd do both tbh. You can always go up Winnats and down Mam Tor into the valley, and climb back up. The descent isn't that bad but it is one you have to take with a fair amount of brake all the way down.
  • I also didn't enjoy winnats last time but my mate wanted another crack at it but I've managed to convince him mam tor is better so we're going that way round instead.Then on to macc and up cat and fiddle unless theres something else I should be on the look out for. Thanks for the replies