can anyone offer a nice way back from blacka moor (the bottom) to ladybower? Ridden it a few time but end up riding along the road. Will have come through stanage edge so would ideally like not to go back the same way if possible. Don’t mind the odd sensible cheeky link!
Thx
Simon
SmnkingstonATgmailDOTcom

There’s invariably going to be some road work but how about going over houndkirk moor, through lady cannings then over the road way to stanage pole. Then drop down the stanage plantation and pick up the road once more to ladybower?

The only way to avoid roads is to get to Stanage (take your pick as to routes, but you could go via the path underneath burbage edge from fox house) and then all the way north along Stanage to the A57 at cutthroat bridge. It’s all footpath though. I’ve looked for a decent bridleway route and there isn’t one as far as I lnow – you’ll end up descending on road unless you go an extremely circuitous route.

The footpath across the top of stange is pretty sensitive and very busy at times, definitely not one for a weekend or half term holiday trip!

I think the new rules after the rushup edge debacle are ” play nicely wherever you like”

I think the new rules after the rushup edge debacle are ” play nicely wherever you like”

They really aren’t.

I think most people would take Pook’s route if they wanted to stick to bridleways.

I think the new rules after the rushup edge debacle are ” play nicely wherever you like”

Riding along the top of Stanage Edge is a bad idea – it would piss off climbers and walkers who, via the BMC, are very useful allies in dealings with PDNPA/DCC. I think there is also a sign near the Fiddlers Elbow (Burbage North car park) warning of a £500 fine for MTBing ! Possibly because its a SSSI.

I’d head back up to Houndkirk – apart from Piper Hose Gate and Devils Elbow the other BWs on Blacka are good climbs – and down through Lady Cannings. Then head on the road to Redmires, up to Stanage Pole and down the Plantation. There a couple of options for the descent into Bamford – personally I prefer Coggers Lane/Hurstclough to Bamford Clough as it’s not so straight

Yeah I guess so. I’m just really pissed at what’s happening and frustrated that it feels like it’s running out of steam already.

Beaten by out own apathy.

is Bamford Clough open? it has some entertainment value in a “hang on and hope” fashion but last time I went past it was closed (though only at the bottom) due to exposed cables.

if you’re there at the wrong time the plantation trail can be busy and frustrating. Despite being entirely legal I prefer to avoid repeated and repetitive arguments with ill-informed militant red-socks

Head back allong the road untill you get to the T-junction with the big ‘D’ shaped layby/access to the houses opposite, instead of going right to gead back into Sheffield go straight accross and theres a footpath/bridlepath round a school/rugby club type field with some entertainingly large waterbars/speedbumps to launch off, before joining into endcliffe parks then potters clough, the resevoir footpath and back upto Stanage.

an alternative from the bottom of Blacka:
short’s lane then Hathersage Rd to Whirlowbrook
up to Ringinglow on Fenney Ln & Coit Ln
over/down to forge dam
Porter clough
redmires reservoirs
causeway to stanage pole
then as described above

what he said ^^

Yeah I guess so. I’m just really pissed at what’s happening and frustrated that it feels like it’s running out of steam already.

Beaten by out own apathy.

You need to be more realistic about what’s most likely to change DCC’s actions, which on balance – given its previous disregard for others’ opinions and Terminator-like determination to do as it pleases – is mostly likely to be some sort of intervention by the PDNPA on general environmental sympathy grounds. Or possibly a proper hammering in the national media.

Mostly DCC’s line is ‘you can’t please all of the people all of the time’, which neatly sidesteps everything and makes nonsense of the concept of National Parks.

Ultimately though, I guess it depends how you define ‘apathy’ in this case?

Also seems to sidestep the fact that the only person they’ve pleased is Peter White.

Cheers all for the routes, agree about stanage I have ridden it but only on the very quietest days. I shall get plotting!

Once you get back down to the bottom of Stanage, you’ve essentially got 2 options. Either road to Bamford Clough, (which although officially closed, is perfectly rideable, although not exactly perfect twisty singletrack). The other option is to go down Hurstclough Lane into Bamford, then either on road up to Ladybower, or go down to the station, across the road and go down the side of the sports pitches, turn right and use the old railway line up to Yorkshire Bridge.