Heading to Hebden area on Saturday for a couple of days riding. Stopping at YHA Mankinholes. Was planning on beginning the ride by heading across to Stoodley Pike from the YHA then dropping into Hebden before heading off on the rest of the route I’ve got planned.

I’ve been to Hebden plenty of times, but never up to the Pike. Is there any preferred route to it and then back down from it, bearing in mind it all looks like FP’s on the OS map!?

There are two ways up from Mankinholes
1St head up the bridleway from Mankinholes(its steep) and turn left at the top of the cobbles by the Obelisk (big stone) and across the rock garden, thats good fun
or 2nd is the easiest, follow London Road up to Swillington and turn right up the FP that has new gravel on then right again and the route is obvious.
Best way down is straight over the edge in front of The Pike, drop your saddle and smile!

Both routes begin here

EDIT If you decide to go off the front try and find this sheeptrack here

Yes, either straight up the flagged path (West) from Mankinholes then along the top to the Pike, which has some rockgardens to make it an interesting traverse.
Or, extend it a bit at the start by going up via Gaddings Dam and Warland Drain (just more flagged stuff on the tops), then pick up the same route as above through the rockgardens to the Pike.

Either way, the best descent off the Pike is straight down the front to London Road.
Then traverse London Road/Kilnshaw Lane to here streetmap link
and descend through Crownest wood to emerge near Hebden station.

London Road is a great route, I have a Quo file for it if you want it. Can try and convert it to gpx tonight if needed. It is a corker, but may be short for what your wanting.

Heading east from the Pike and then over the wall and down the path to London Road is also pretty good. Overall its a pretty quick trail with a few funky bits to catch you out. And then to get right into Hebden, Birthday X (head east on London Road, straight on at the top of the tarmac, track goes left and then down and where it goes right again, go straight on and follow your nose!) or Kebab St (not telling but if you google it and put the puzzle together you might just find it).

I don’t think I’ve ridden Hebden more than a handful of times this year despite living 30 mins ride away. Might have to fix that next week…

https://wordery.com/mountain-bike-guide-south-pennines-of-west-yorkshire-and-lancashire-stephen-hall-9780948153976

Is the book I used to find most of my routes. It has the London road route described above it.

I think DBW is describing the same descent as my streetmap link. It’s on Strava as Birthday X or crowsnest-boulder-fest I think.

I don’t know Cowman’s whole route but I’d caution against London Road itself. It’s part of the Mary Townley Loop. It’s a doubletrack bridleway that has nothing “interesting” on it, so I wouldn’t bother with it personally, except as an efficient connection to link up the good bits (eg front of the Pike to Birthday X)

Terrible at local knowledge but nice little loop up/down Stoodley here when we last rode it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/347628165

This is all excellent! I pretty much know where to go now. This isn’t our whole day out, just figured as we were already up that side we should start the day by heading that way into Hebden.

Rest of the day comprises Gorple/Widdop/Hurstwood then back via Whirlaw.

Cheers for all the advice! 🙂

Rest of the day comprises Gorple/Widdop/Hurstwood then back via Whirlaw

A reasonable all weather XC route.

You’ll find the Pike bits that DBW and I have described are a bit more technically demanding than the rest of that loop though.

I use this route, steep initial climb out of hebden then it levels out for a nice long descent past the pike, down to the canal and back up to hebden:

Suprised no ones yet mentioned riding on the road to the Shepherds, then follow PBW till you get to a Cairn, turn left up to Gaddings Dam (Where you can go for a swim if brave), then either follow the ridge to the left of Gaddings all the way to stoodley (technical), or go right up the slabs and turn left when you get to the top to go across the moor to Stoodley.

+1 for the Stoodley sheep trail off the front of the Pike. Another good one is to carry on along the ridge (E -> W) and find the Hoo Hole singletrack (boggy when wet).

Don’t worry about it being FPs. The locals are friendly and it’s all pretty weather proof, althought Stoodley rock garden can be a bit boggy after lots of rain. I reckon I see more people on bikes up there than I do walkers.

A reasonable all weather XC route.
You’ll find the Pike bits that DBW and I have described are a bit more technically demanding than the rest of that loop though.

That’s fine, we’re out for the ride… not specifically to do an easy XC route or anything in particular. Happy to have a crack at anything!

Richard I should be out round that way on Saturday. I’d be happy to show you round if you can’t be bothered navigating.

Sounds like a good ride thats planned!

One thing I’d consider… a lot of the route guides take you from Hebden on the road up to Hardcastle Craggs and then up the BW towards the House of Shit and loop over the top to Walshaw. This means you have a massive road drag to Hardcastle Craggs and then another drag up to the House of Shit followed by a very short descent to Walshaw.

I’d consider riding through Hebden and up San Francisco (Moss Lane I think its called) which pops you out on the Heptonstall Road. Spin up there and from here you could:
a) go all the way up to Heptonstall and do Blue Pig down to Hardcastle Craggs
b) go all the way up to Heptonstall and then do the top half of Blue Pig, swing a left and then look out for a hole in the wall somewhere near the left hand turn at the top 😉
c) up to Slack and then across Heptonstall Moor before dropping down to the BW at Egypt and then spin down to Gorple, over the dam and then pick up the road to Widdop

Bit more interesting than a HUGE climb and a tiny descent to get to the same place…

In fact, you could go bananas and if you wanted a really big day out, ride up to Slack, down the zig zags or something to pick up the Jack Bridge climb. Up to the New Delight and then continue straight on before dropping down further up the valley from Colden and then BW to Egypt. Or just go straight up the Jack Bridge climb all the way to Colden and Egypt to start off with.

dazh – Member
Richard I should be out round that way on Saturday. I’d be happy to show you round if you can’t be bothered navigating

Cheers fella, but I wouldn’t want us to be holding you up! Be sure to say hello if you spot us plodding about though, I got a bright green Bell Super and a blue Stanton!

Ok, I think I’ve worked out all the places people mean! (Apart from house of shit!?)

Our route takes us through Mytholm up Colden Clough to Jack Bridge, down Brown Hill lane then across to Clough and the PBW.

Hopefully look at Blue pig on the Sunday if we have time.

From the bottom of Blue Pig, what’s the best way of taking in another up+down before heading back into Hebden?

Which way are you heading over to Whirlaw from Hurstwood?

From bottom of blue pig, I’d head up past house of shit (bridleway between the car parks at hardcastle craggs, go straight and keep climbing, you’ll know it when you see it!), follow Haworth old road till you get to tarmac, then head right, back up to Peckett Well then drop back down Peckett A or B to midgehole road, then back into Hebden.

Mattyfez, although I love your drawing of Stoodley Pike, do you realise how much great riding you’re missing out on on that route?

Rusty Spanner – Member
Which way are you heading over to Whirlaw from Hurstwood

Quick spin along the long causeway and right on the bridleway at hawks stones

dienamic – Member
From bottom of blue pig, I’d head up past house of shit (bridleway between the car parks at hardcastle craggs, go straight and keep climbing, you’ll know it when you see it!), follow Haworth old road till you get to tarmac, then head right, back up to Peckett Well then drop back down Peckett A or B to midgehole road, then back into Hebden.

Yep, I got this. I now know where house of shit is. I’ll be able to phase myself off as local at this rate

From bottom of blue pig, I’d head up past house of shit (bridleway between the car parks at hardcastle craggs, go straight and keep climbing, you’ll know it when you see it!), follow Haworth old road till you get to tarmac, then head right, back up to Peckett Well then drop back down Peckett A or B to midgehole road, then back into Hebden.

Thats an absolutely MASSIVE slog to just do Peckett Well. It’d be easier to ride/push up one and ride down the other. We often do this if we’re nearing the end of a winch up/drop down session of Hebden’s trails and happen to find ourselves finishing on one of the trails that drop out at Hardcastle Craggs.

Trouble is, once you’re at the bottom of Hardcastle Craggs, there are only a couple of real options to get back out the valley – the BW towards Walshaw/House of Shit being the only half rideable one. There is a little track just after the Blue Pig WMC which goes back up to the little road out to the scout camp or whatever it is and from there you could spin back to the Hebden>Slack road and then spin up and do Barely Legal / Stannys / Alis / Slack Tracks or something off the front of Heptonstall like Midgets Pit etc.

Finishing a ride on Midgets Pit, virtually into the centre of Hebden is a great end to a ride 🙂

DBW has it.

and finishing on Midget’s Pit followed by a pint in the stubborn dwarf is mandatory on all rides.

Oooo, forgot about a pint sat by the canal! Great shout.

Well the lad I’m riding with hasn’t been before so I thought doing the Blue Pig should be mandatory.

How do I find Midgets Pit from the WMC? I’ve only ever gone from there up House of Shit.

How do I find Midgets Pit from the WMC?

The best way from the WMC at the foot of Blue Pig would be to go back up the bottom section of Pig to the first road crossing, go left there, then follow road up to Heptonstall. Or ride/push back up all of Pig. Sorry.
Midget’s Pit starts at the sports ground at the bottom end of Heptonstall, down the path next to the phone mast.
here

Thats an absolutely MASSIVE slog to just do Peckett Well.

Being a bit of a believer that MTB routes should be of a circular/continuous loop nature, Peckett Well often gets omitted unless i’m going across Midgley Moor. You either do the slog around HOS as above, go up the road, or push up and go back down, none of which are particularly great.

How do I find Midgets Pit from the WMC? I’ve only ever gone from there up House of Shit.

If you want to get back to Heptonstall from the bottom of the BP, the options are not great. In the past I’ve just gone back up the BP (usually after a detour to do PW as mentioned above), or you head up the FP (push unless super fit) from New Bridge up to Lee Bank. Usually I just don’t bother with the BP unless I’m going over to Midgley Moor or straight back to Hebden.

Is this https://www.strava.com/segments/3655133 Midget’s Pit?

yep

Usually I just don’t bother with the BP unless I’m going over to Midgley Moor or straight back to Hebden.

Me neither. I literally cannot remember the last time I did it. Its over rated – the bottom bit where it gets dead rocky and fkd up is the best bit and I usually do that bit after doing something else. Alis Zig Zags (I think thats what its called – the BW from Slack down into the valley which meets the end of Mmmbop) is a load better trail IMHO if you want a decent length, not too technical descent. Loads more options for more fun from the bottom of there too.

Thanks for all the ideas, we had a mint weekend in hebden. Did the ride as planned on Saturday then, following brekkie in the organic cafe, did the blue pig and midgets pit before a pint in the sun at old gate and heading home.

Got a load more ideas for the next visit…

Good stuff – cracking weekend for it too!

Aye, we rode Hebbers on Saturday too and managed a new record for shortest distance ridden on an “all-day” ride. <15miles but over 3000ft of descent.
Best place for miles around if you’re looking for a tech-fest 😀

We did manage Blue Pig twice – both times as a climb though!!! 😈

I am no longer a Stoodley Pike virgin.

Had a great ride from Hollingworth lake last night & got to Stoodley Pike for the first time. https://www.strava.com/activities/403687771

Bumped in to the Hebden Bridge Massive – Thanks guys for the guidance & pointing us in the right direction. Lost mynerve on the sharp right bend but rode all the rest of that downhill straight off the front.

Beautiful night, great sunset & perfect conditions.

You went the wrong way off the front 😉

we just didn’t want you hoons following us.