First time this weekend, have a chance to sneak off for the day from the family while the kids are busy with parties and it keeps blooming raining….

It’s pretty dry up there, you should be good!

Have to say whilst its raining around our way its drying just as quick. suspect I will try it regardless 😉

I was going for the cut the beast route from IFB

Cut the Beast

I have the VP peaks book and have been searching on line, trouble is if I get onto Cut Gate and find it a nightmare there is no obvious fall back route without going back to where I started.

Anyone tried the cut the beast route recently ?

I’ve never ridden Cut Gate after sustained wet weather, however its mostly rocky trails anyway and there are only a few spots that I think would be paricularly bad.

Looking at that route (and these are just my opinions) I would say that 2-3 will be hard work. Last time I did that it was pretty loose gravel track. The alternative is further down the road & up through Crook Hill Farm. Adds on 3 miles though. Also, the little loop at the North end of Cut Gate I would do the other way round for personal preference.

Thanks Johnny, What’s the reasoning on the cutgate loop ?

I did cut gate tues, all bone dry. Langsett loop has to be anti-clockwise

Working that out in my head its the opposite of Johnny ;-0

So if one happened to be near the ladybower Inn late on Saturday night and found ones self in the hills with a small tent etc where would you errr put it up…..ideally with a view 😉 (First Bivvy too…)

Did it a week ago and it was bone dry. It’s been raining and forecast to, but I think it will still be ok. Fantastic out and back, one of the best. We did a different variation at the reservoir tho

Also, the little loop at the North end of Cut Gate I would do the other way round for personal preference.

Definately better like this.

excellent news that its dry up there…

planning on doing an out and back to fairholmes from langsett on sunday myself.. cant wait..!

done cut gate in all weathers and never once had to turn back so you should be fine.
theres a few boggy patches in the really wet weather but just manualing thru over and round isnt a problem.
enjoy

I’m confused by points 6-10 – what’s going on there? Where is track 6-7? Assuming 8-9 is ‘Potato Alley’? Or have I got that wrong? 9-10 being the Beast?

track 6-7 is cheeky – there is a a wooden structure and a couple of “no cycling” signs if you go in direction shown – ends up running along side of concrete conduit to bend on roman road

personally i use it because avoids A57 and it is one of those routes that makes perfect sense and always suggests to me that Derby CC’s and the Peaks boards “cycling policy” which include grand statements about providing traffic free alternatives are all b0[[@cks when an existing path like this would be fine and avoids a narrow and busy section of A57
PS just follow the tyre tracks

done cut gate in all weathers and never once had to turn back so you should be fine.
theres a few boggy patches in the really wet weather but just manualing thru over and round isnt a problem.
enjoy

I’d agree with most of the stuff on this thread, and I’d be very surprised if Cutgate wasn’t pleasantly dry – it’s warm and exposed so it dries pretty quickly.

However.

“A few boggy patches in really wet weather”? I’ll give you, I’ve never had to turn back on Cutgate, but there are prolonged sections that in winter can only be described as a bogfest… The kind of hub deep puddles that swallow your wheel and spit you out at the point where, unless you have 8′ legs there is NO chance of getting wet to the knees.

Myself I’d do the loop at the Langsett end the other way round, but I suspect either would be fun. You lose a lot of height on a fireroad that way round though.

Langsett loop has to be anti-clockwise

The Lansett loop is best ridden as a figure-8. North America S-N, then W to rejoin Cut Gate bridleway proper. N and clockwise round the reservoir past North America to Cut Gate bridleway proper and S back to Mickleden Edge.

oldagedpredator speaks the truth. It’s pretty damn good whichever way you do it, but that way round has the edge.

Thanks Johnny, What’s the reasoning on the cutgate loop ?

Clockwise gives me more downhill riding. After the small climb up Higgcliffe hill it’s all downhill again to the North America ruins where you turn R. And the climb is bearable either way so clockwise for me.