Anyone know if these routes here are cycleable? Going up this weekend with the family and they looked good on the map.

Aye

Great route is upto Scarhouse and round to Kirkby Malzeard.

Plenty to go at round there. Where will you be based? One loops is up to Scar House Res, around the res (keeping it on your right)then over the tops to Middlesmoor and back to Lofthouse (21k approx), this can then be extended with further loops, one up to Stean and take a bridleway along the tops to Ramsgill and then Continue on the other side of the valley around Gouthwaite Res and back along the road.

http://www.nidderdaleaonb.org.uk/Pages/Mountain-biking.aspx

We’re stopping in Lofthouse. I’ll have a look through these posts later guys – thanks!

This is the most obvious one, well worth a couple of hours.

http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/visit-the-dales/things-to-see-and-do/get-outdoors-dales/mountain-biking/mountain-biking-routes/mtb-routes/mtb-route-nidderdale/mtb-tour_of_nidderdale.pdf

Its a good base to bike from. The link i posted is different to the described route.

That^ tour of Nidderdale Martin linked to is the one I’d recommend and it’s a doorstep ride from Lofthouse. At one point the BW is signed off on some boggy detour, ignore it and continue on the track to the shooting hut and beyond. It can get quite wild up there, however the route is considered a good all weather one.

There is the famous Nidderdale Loop, call the lads at Stif for the link (because I can’t find it, but have it on my Garmin) Done on my CX’er, bit hard going past Grimwith but doable.. and the reservoir over the top of Lofthouse (Scarhouse) is a bit er…. bumpy going down from Middlesmoor … 😆

Bloody lovely riding though, get out, enjoy it.

At one point the BW is signed off on some boggy detour,

I didn’t even realise the BW left the track at that point until quite recently. There’s no evidence of it on the ground, so I assume everyone just ignores it. I’m normally too busy straining manfully pushing up that short, desperate climb to even contemplate taking it.

Bikebuoy – There’s a route up by Grimwith? Also surprising news!

Nidderdale you say? Don’t forget your cyclocross bike and a sense of humour about land rover tracks and lots of muddy fields with endless gates.

Fantastic stuff guys – can’t wait to get out there now. My 8yo son will love it (he’s pretty tough!)

Sounds perfect for him. The only bit that’s tricky is the descent to Scar House – a few little drops and rocks.

Grimwith, well if you follow the BW from Fewston Res with Simons Seat on your left, take the right BW towards the Caves. Get onto the road, turn left (BW route changed here) and before you get to the farm turn right onto it again then head over to the Res over the top. Loads of routes around Grimwith taking you left towards Scarhouse Res then you can loop all that back to Fewston.
Took me 5.5hrs on the CXer to do that and some sections are carry/push but other than that it’s rideable, probably better if you are on an MTB but hey, doable and enjoyable on my CXer.

Loads of routes around Grimwith taking you left towards Scarhouse Res then you can loop all that back to Fewston.

That’s the bit that interests me – I know you can ride around Grimwith, but there are no marked BWs (or FPs) heading towards Scar House from there. Can’t even see anything on aerial photos.

I remember walking down to Grimwith along Gate up Gill from Great Wolfrey, and that was pretty desperate on foot!

Would be useful to be able to link up in that direction.

http://outdoorsgps.com/route/show/377881_nidderdale-loop-2-1

http://www.mapmyride.com/gb/addingham-eng/nidderdale-classic-loop-route-23578980

😀

I’ve done the classic a few times (with a few variations) and played about above Ramsgill. What is the landrover track up the side of Meugher like?

It looks decent enough, the only problem is that it goes nowhere, ending just before Ragstaff Crag and the from experience I know the ground around there is a boggy, heathery mess with no paths. However, the track running between Mossdale and the Grassington mines is excellent, so in theory you could hike-a-bike down by Priest’s Tarn.

I was more interested in the FP/BW that crosses Sandy Gate into Mossdale – again, looks non-existent on the ground for a few K, so hike-a-bike seems inevitable.

martinhutch,

I’ve got the GPX’s for all the routes I’ve done over that way. Happy to share once I get back home.
On the routes, the main one I use at Grimwith is to head to the far end from the dam wall and there is a track that leads up over the top, you can’t see it from the dam wall but it’s there, among some scree run off. I have been told off by a ranger for riding along the dam wall, but there was a family doing the same thing when I rode through and he just shut up. I know a lot of the routes around it are footpaths but even on the Harrogate published BW map on their site shows BW’s over that way.
Also, I know theres a few tracks that lead off from Grimwith when you are on top of the moors, some look to head down into the valley that Lofthouse is in, even the village to the right of Middlesmoor theres a few lanes and such that could be the link ups that drop you in that valley before Scarhouse.
Loads of them, ok not all are clear on the map as BW’s but there are double lined routes shown on the OS map.

I need more exploring in my blood, I’ll check out the OS again to refresh..

That would be great. I’ve been wanting to put together a big day out across from Skipton via Wharfedale into Nidderdale and back via Thruscross/Beacon Hill.

Anyone done the BWs leading northwards towards Coverdale? Looks like you could make a loop cutting back towards Slipstones crag then back up Colsterdale.

I’m sure I’ve asked on here before about the FP from sandy gate to middlesmoor, the reply was that it wasn’t very good. However, on the premise that ridges are usually dry, you could maybe join that land rover track on Meugher with sandy gate.

However, on the premise that ridges are usually dry

😀

Lot of peat haggs. It was certainly drier than some off the stuff off to the side though.

Whitestone – done that earlier this year from Ramsgill via Scar House, Arkleside Moor into Horsehouse, then along to Caldbergh, across from there to Colsterdale, passing Slipstones on the opposite side of the valley, then back across to pick up the Nidderdale round pretty much at the big shooting hut/refuge.

All good tracks apart from descending into Colsterdale, which looked like pristine foot-wide singletrack on the aerial photos, but was properly disappointed to find it was mostly eight inch wide singletrack sunk into a two-foot rut, so you couldn’t actually ride it! The BW opposite looked very faint, but might be a better prospect.

In my comments up there ^^ I meant the village (hamlet actually) to the LEFT of Middlesmoor looking up the valley with Lofthouse on your right.
The valley over the top of Middlesmoor is Coverdale, and I’m sure you don’t have to “walk in the shadow of the blues” to get to enjoy it 😆

Also, back on the Nidd Loop, the route that takes you over the top of Wath (from the climb out of Lofthouse) back to PB ATM is running hard, I did that on Friday on the CX’er. Also, you know you can get to the old Mines on top of that Moor if you take the left as the BW bears right towards Wath. It’s marked my Farmer tracks and lots of walkers use it too to get to see the Mine towers. One route I’ve not done yet is one that takes me past the Mines and down towards the Moors over the top towards Kirkby Malzard way.. I know you can get there because there are BW’s off the lane.

Also, s’cuse the lack of road names and such but I’m not a local see, I just use my nose and Garmin and OS to guide 😆

I was more interested in the FP/BW that crosses Sandy Gate into Mossdale – again, looks non-existent on the ground for a few K, so hike-a-bike seems inevitable.

You couldn’t sum up our irrational access laws better than that gem could you. I’ve never done the Mossdale side specifically, but it is on the same plane as the peat bogs above Hag Dyke that have nearly done for me. Not sure if it drains better to the south.

Thanks for recommending this route guys. We loved it up there.

😀