Were off down there tomorrow for a few days, which isthe best track at Rushup Edge – turning left for Chapel Gate track or carrying on over Rushup Edge in the direction of Mam Tor?

Mam Tor. Then either continue along the ridge & right into Castleton about halfway along (Hollins Cross? Or next junction over).

Or to Mam Tor and left through the gate down to Edale. Both, on their day, stunning descents. Oh, and Rushup Edge along to Mam Tor is great in itself.

Chapel Gate – not worth bothering with.

Second what jimmy says.

Cheers gents, so you recommend the track to Holins Cross then down past Hardenclough Farm back to Edale? Or is the track down past Backtor farm better?

backtor is ace

chapel gate is worth bothering with if you like riding very loose rocky eroded stuff, but I would not like to try it on a light xc bike.

if you do go down chapel gate, turn right at the end and climb up the road back to the top of mam nick, and then you are back to the recommendations above either down to Edale or along to Hollins Cross

Either way works well. Get to Hollins Cross from Mam Tor direction. As you’re at the cairn there’s 2 descents off to your left, 1st one doubles back and drops into Edale, 2nd brings you out Mill Cottages way, personally I prefer that one.
Back Tor itself is FP leading to Lose Hill but it’s a good track (ahem, so I’ve heard…)

I disagree with jimmy re Chapel Gate- I reckon it is worth bothering with, then following AndyPaice’s suggestion of the road back to the top.

Chapel Gate is imo (though I’ve not ridden it since January) one of the the more interesting descents in the Peaks, and a real test in places. Sure, it’s stop start and reconnoiter but it’s great fun, especially navigating some of the paved strips, but equally, it’s a spectacular example of the destruction of a road, and should be ridden for that reason, as should the old road up to mam tor to see the power and scale of earth movement.

True, not bothering with CG is maybe harsh. I gave up doing it years ago, though, simply because Mam Tor fitted our routes with (IMO) better trails. But if its one or the other, I’d always choose Rushup to Mam Tor.

From the descriptions, our further route has come back to me – once you’re at Hollins, we used to carry on over the next ridge ascent / descent and at the junction in the next col, turn right, back on yourself and follow it to a gate, through onto a rocky / (usually) wet track onto a farm track which will take you past Lose Hill Hall into C’ton. Similar to descents from Hollins IIRC but the extra ascent / descent on Mam Tor ridge is also fun.

Chapel Gate is one of the best descents in the Peaks – but make sure you ride the original track (now a gully) not the grass bank at the side.

I try and ride it pretty much every time I go to the Peaks, whatever bike I’m on on. Did it yesterday on the big bike and it was a proper full on hoon.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s not an easy dh, but one of the reasons to go to the Peaks is big rocky descents. This is one of the bigger and rockier ones, so is well worth doing.