More bad news for riding in the South Pennines. Just after the news of the recent landslide at Lee Mill Quarry, I was riding parts of the Pennine Bridleway today and found there has been a massive landslide on the section of the PBW/MTL near Stoodley Pike. I had to walk through knee-deep mud (seriously) for ages to get through it. It is horrendous. I’m not sure if there are any decent diversionary routes around this, or how long it will take before it gets sorted. This winter (so far) certainly has wrecked some devastation on the trails in the south pennines.

We were up there too – it looks like we’ve suddenly acquired a new river up there. Not sure when it will be sorted but the Pennine Ranger is aware of it and is on the case.

Has anybody been down the BW from Robin Hood’s Well on Holcombe Hill recently? Rossendale Council always battled to keep that from being washed away and I bet it’s gone again.

Probably going up there tomorrow Globalti. I’ll post up. I know what you mean though. Seen some big land slips up there in the past. And that’s without anywhere near the volume of water we’ve had recently

We walked up near Stoodly the othet day and turned around at the land slide.

My main thought was the chap in the farm house was very lucky! His garden not so much…

Does anyone have a grid reference for this? Ta.

Has anybody been down the BW from Robin Hood’s Well on Holcombe Hill recently?

Walked it yesterday and it seemed fine. No big damage.

Any updates on the landslide near Stoodley Pike? Or the one at Lee Mill Quarry?

We came across this riding yesterday – it’s a mess. Still, for every trail spoilt there’s another one that just got a whole lot more exciting.

That’s not good. Any more up to date reports on whether its been fixed as it’s been another 2 weeks now.

Surely with this being part of the MTL is cannot stay this way for long.

Given what’s happened in the Calder Valley over the past few weeks I’d say that there might be higher priorities.

The mtl section between Charlestown /Hebden and widdop is ok if it’s any consolation. Was up there yesterday, not drama other than a puncture, couldn’t get my tyre back on the rim.. Snapped two levers and walked back from gorpal res to Hebden. That was annoying!

Luckily blazing saddles are still operating thier workshop from a pretty gutted shop, so I sheepishly got them to sort my tyre problem out, saved the day!

I was up Lee and Craggs on Sunday just gone, the landslide is still there I expect it always will be. Shame as its positioned 2/3rds of the way into the second section of the down hill section from the timing gate. I noticed it on the climb up and thought it was lucky toi have subsided only from a foot or two the other side of the fence, it didn’t seem to affect anything and wont if you turn left at the path that separated the two sections after the longer first section with the jumps.

The number of options for mountain biking routes within 40 minutes drive for me has certainly become noticeably less since this Winter due to these two landslides. It has certainly forced me to go looking elsewhere. Annoyingly there is a bridge in Rammy that is closed off for mountain bikers as well at the moment, although not a particularly exciting bit of riding, it was an essential link when riding from one side of the Ramsbottom valley to the other.

Any news on whether this landslide (Mary Townley Loop near Todmorden) has been sorted?

It wasn’t a couple of weeks ago when I was last up there and was a muddy slog across it. However I’ve since found that if you’ve reached it via shawwood road and up next to the cul de sac then rather than climbing right to the top gate if you take a left before it in front of the bottom farm and climb to the Pennine way from there it puts you out just the other side of the landslip. Alternatively coming across from lumbutts you can drop down and do this work around.

Any updates on the landslide near Stoodley Pike?

The one on the Lumbutts side? London Road?
There’s a signed diversion in place, as you come in on London Road, you turn right, left at the bottom (Lee Bottom Road) and along the foot of the hill, left again (up Broadgate) and it brings you in on the other side of the landslide although it does add 40m of climbing.

The Pennine Ranger reckoned about 100,000 tons of hill had shifted. The landslide missed a house on the hillside by only a few feet.

On a slightly unrelated note – clockwise or anticlockwise for the Mtl? Was planning to head and do it Saturday but no idea if it’s better one way than the other.

I’ve done the widdop/hurstwood section before and that I think was definitely better anticlockwise but I’ve no idea on the rest of the route.

Clockwise is definitely easier. There’s only one climb you have to walk on the CW route, but about two or three ACW. If you’re going CW, don’t start in Waterfoot as the biggest climb will be right at the end.

As for the landslide, you can get past it on foot but it’s very muddy so if it’s been raining be careful not to lose your shoes.

can someone do a streetmap linky to exactly where the landslide is please.

http://binged.it/1S3CEUz

not streetmap – but i’ll let you off.

Thanks

There’s only one climb you have to walk on the CW route, but about two or three ACW

Not a good plan on the ss then? 🙂

CW would be fine on a singlespeed as most of the climbs are long and draggy. Obviously though you’d need to be fit to still be able to push a singlespeed gear up a hill after 40-odd miles. I’m guessing you know that though 🙂

here’s only one climb you have to walk on the CW route, but about two or three ACW

There were four climbs ACW that involve walking when I did it, not walking all the way though

Hi,
The track below Stoodley Pike (I think it is called London Road) is fully open now – I went for a run along there on the 22nd Aug and the clearing up team have done a great job.

Yes I rode past the JCB when I was there about a week ago. Think the section is called London Road. Im glad it has finally been sorted.

In other news the landslide at Lee Quarry has become quite essily ridable, done it a few times over the last few months.

Technically I believe all the climbs on the MTL are ridable (CW or ACW) by the best bikers. They just require a lot of skill and strength in the steep techy sections.