Live locally but I’ve never ridden in either (other than the two routes out the back of Hamsterley) as there don’t seem to be many / any routes and there is a real lack of bridleways, so always end up travelling out of the area to the Dales, NYM etc.

Does anyone have any routes that are worth riding? Legal or cheeky, all ideas welcome!

Yes there is quite a few, although I had to work hard to find them as they are not as obvious as you might think and often require a cheeky link up or two to make a proper route of it.

I have uploaded a number of good ones to GPSIES and also have a number of variations around.

I tend to ride Teesdale more often but the ‘Cowgreen to Burnhope fig of 8’ takes in both.

My favourite though is the ‘Three mines’ route. Very reminiscent of the Gunnerside classic just slightly less legal. Only draw back is the long road climb up the B6278, although you can climb over Eggleston Moor and through Hamsterley.

I have not yet done the ‘Mickleton to Bowes’ route yet but the descent into Bowes looks brilliant. One for the summer. Come Mid March I’ll be up that way every weekend.

I used to live in Teesdale – it’s possible to construct a XC loop taking in some brilliant scenery starting at Bowlees car park and heading across to Holwick, then on mostly decent track over the back (as far as High Cup if you want), then back up to Cow Green, down to Langdon Beck (nice pub) to pick out tracks on the other side of the valley back to the car park. A bare minimum of FPs.

If it’s very quiet you could follow the Pennine Way path down from Cauldron Snout back to Low Force. But this is a very popular path so is a very visible way to be cheeky unless conditions are appalling… but is in my opinion one of the best few miles of riverside path in the country.

The Weardale Way, from Sunderland Bridge just outside Durham, all the way out to Rookhope as an out and back ( or take the C2C back in again) is a good off road run. Nothing very challenging but nice scenery!

http://www.beyond-hamsterley.co.uk/

Great, thanks all.

KevJ, how easy is the 3mines route to navigate? I’ve walked around the 1st mine, but haven’t been to 2 or 3. I’ve been tempted to have a stroll through Coldberry Gutter before to check it out as a possible cheeky descent – it looks good on the map / google earth.

Also, will it be OK at this time of year or is it best left until the grounds frozen / summer?

In the spirit of sharing, there is a nice bit of cheeky Singletrack across Pawlaw Pike if you can work it into a route. It can be difficult to pick up from the B6278 end, and gets a bit boggy before it joins the man made tracks after Five Pikes, but it’s nice all the same.

Pawlaw Singletrack by crispy5449, on Flickr

Ah, that is my little short cut to miss the road section when I do the Doctors Gate loop. I tend to peel of the the left and down to Bollihope down the mine track.

The three mines route is ok to navigate, the only undefined bit is the ascent up Manorgill hushes.

Both this and the climb up coldberry is hike a bike but very worth it.

I have done Coldberry in both directions and now only ever head West.

View down the gutter earlier this year. Bear left up a slight climb when the valley breaks as this track is very fast and jumpy.
Probably best wait for it to freeze or dry out a bit first.