If I was planning to do the Mam Tor figure of 8 loop from Edale, is this a decent ride?

I don’t know what the Mam Tor figure of eight is but if you like rocky, steep, wide trails with lovely views, you won’t go wrong whichever direction you go.
The weather looks good up here this weekend as well.

Ride the peaks alot, thats a good ride with decent views and plenty to challenge you

It’s from the Dark Peak book…Edale up to Mam Tor then drop down (is it the Cavedale descent?) then back up to Hollins Cross, then down to Castleton, back up to Mam Tor and the Rushup Edge / Chapel gate

Rocky trails and good views sound great

Yep. Although you could probably ride 10 different figure of 8 loops from edale taking in mam tor, you’d be hard pushed to do a bad one though.

Edit: cross post – but on that loop bear in mind rushup edge has been sanitised.

Like nickdavies said so well loads of options, just turn up and ride you wont go wrong.

Yeah – I know about that, cheers tho

Not ridden it before so have nothing to compare it to – sadly. So unless there’s another option to descend from Mam Tor then we’ll have to make do

Any advice I’m happy to listen to 😉

Assuming you want to ride from Edale and not do a massive ride you could also but look at the kinder loop as well on pg 69, it’s a bit longer but not by much as you’re adding a couple of k onto the mam tor route by starting in Edale anyway.

I’d go the opposite way to the book though, Jacobs ladder is a bit of a push but the mount famine descent is cracking, the climb up rushup is good and quite tricky to clean with the new resurface, you still get up to mam tor and a choice of a few good descents off Hollins Cross.

Cheers Nick

I’ll have a look at that -much appreciate the feedback

tmb467 – Member

It’s from the Dark Peak book…Edale up to Mam Tor then drop down (is it the Cavedale descent?) then back up to Hollins Cross, then down to Castleton, back up to Mam Tor and the Rushup Edge / Chapel gateCavedale is not in that loop, it’s on the other side of the valley down to Castleton. You can see it on page 80 of the book – hardest bridleway descent in that area, so well worth a dig if you like a challenge. Big climb up to it though.

Some of those loops look like nothing in terms of mileage, but they pack a fair wallop – hard yards on the ups. So doing a figure of 8-ish thing around Castleton is good as you can see how you’re going to add extra bits.

If you want a decent loop then Edale, Hollins Cross, Man Tor, then that track by Rowter Farm towards Limestone way and cave dale, do cave dale, back up to hollins cross, Mam Tor, Rushup Edge, roych clough, south head,coldwell clough, Jacobs ladder then Edale.

I wouldn’t do chapel gate to get back to edale as its just tarmac shavings, either of the 2 descents from hollins or Greenlands descent would be better. My favourite is the furthest one from mam tor.

Rsl1 the bermy one? I.e not the one from the bustop? Either of those yes. Chapel Gate is mort.

OP how far are you travelling? If some distance I’d Jacobs/Kinder Circuit

Which way round Hora? Rushup / Roych Clough then Jacobs or the way Nick suggested?

I’d forgotten the Rushup / Chapel Gate sanitisation – Hollins might be an option, as is starting in Castleton instead

Id definately do cavedale, and weather permiting Bradwell clough as well. Cavedales easy enough if you just go up thr road from castleton (or up pindale if youre a climbing god) and follow dirlow rake (farm track) to the limestone way on the OS map, then right into cavedale. Bradwell clough is out of castleton in the same direction but instead of going up the road/pindale, go straight on the bridleway, and find the road up which eventualy goes through a gate to a farm track and the bridleway is on the right. You’ll feel both climbs in your legs afterwards but as standalone loops you can add them on if youve still got the energy After another bigger loop or after lunch In the pub.

I’d do Cavedale early unless you enjoy picking your way between militant redsocks waving walking sticks

I’m not sure what you mean by the bustop. Looking to edale side from hollins cross far left is bw round mam tor, less left is the one with drops at the start which ends at same place as Greenland’s descent or right a bit for the one I like best (its good for going up Jaggers too)

I can’t visualise the far right one as a decent but think I’ve climbed it a few times, does it have axle deep ruts in it? The one that goes back to greenlands is the one that starts with a couple of ~1ft waterbars doesn’t it?

The middle one if a footpath by the way.

Either way I usualy go down the greenlands one from Mam Tor rather than Hollins cross, fast rocky and moderately techy.

Monkeyspoon has them all on a map, with pictures here

I’m doing a loop there tomorrow, never done it before although my mate has.

Edale, Hollins cross, mam tor, rushup edge, the roych, mount famine, hayfiled and round to Jacobs ladder. http://www.mountainbikerides.co.uk/routes/1-the-peak-district/15-jacobs-ladder.html

Is it gonna kill me, i’ve not been on my bike much this year……

ooohhhh tomorrows weather up there looks terrible,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2653543

Bit of rain in the morning then turning nice in the afternoon. I was going to go early doors. might delay it a bit now though.

it’ll be gone 12 by the time we get down there…probably start in Castleton now – Mam Tor, Greenlands, back to Hollins Cross then either round to Cavedale or down and back up again to Cavedale

or something totally different now i know what I’m looking at

weather

So – Castleton, up broken road, down Greenlands then back up to Hollins Cross, then down again to Edale, up Rushup Edge – over to Cavedale and down to Castleton

Only got 2.5 hrs to play with and not really fit enough (mentally / physically) for long rides but does this sound fun?