Has anyone carried their bike up Parkin Clough to Win Hill summit and then ridden the ridge path down to meet the Hope Brink bridleway? Is it doable? Parkin Clough looks like a hike-a-bike slog; is it worth the effort for the ride down the other side?

Just trying to cut out the boring road bit through Thornhill and Aston, and thought it might throw in another fun bit of cheeky downhill for good measure.

Thanks for any help.

Going up Parkin is utterly pointless , just ride up the fireroad from the water and smile at any walkers. Down Parkin however…

The fireroad leading up from the bridleway near The Springs that connects to the footpath to Winhill Pike?

I don’t fancy riding down Parkin Clough, looks a bit steep…!

I carried up Parkin Clough once, never again! Just ride the fire road like Scruff says, it’s a bit further round along the edge of the reservoir, look on an OS and you’ll see it.

Is Parkin Clough the path that leads straight up from Yorkshire Bridge ? It’s pretty hard to walk up it even without a bike on your back ! There is a fireroad from the north that leads to the top of it that ought to be a BW, as should the track that leads from Hope Brink to the summit cone of Win Hill.

But riding the summit cone of Win Hill itself, and the steps to the fireroad, would be a bit anti-social if there were walkers about. But makes for a cracking descent when they aren’t….

Aye, that’s it. I wouldn’t want to drag a bike up there.

What is a ‘fireroad’ by the way?

it’s what Americans call gravelly forest roads.

Maybe they serve as a physical fire-break, maybe they allow fire-trucks access to forests, maybe both…

But there isn’t a ‘British’ alternative that sounds as cool, so the name has stuck.

I always assumed they were called fireroads because they provide a break in the trees to prevent the spread of fire.

Cheers anyway chaps, fireroad it is then – with a cheery wave and a smile for any walkers I might meet.

I remember hike a bike up there once 😳