I’m planning to do a route in the peaks a week tomorrow (weather dependent) on my own. Skill and fitness I’d say are average at best I’d say. I’m after advice on a route, I’ve found this Ladybower route, which looks OK and not overly difficult. Any other suggestions for a Peaks virgin armed with an OS map?

It’s a great route, and quite a good intro to Peaks riding. Derwent Edge is a bit squishy at the moment, as is the top of the descent of Whinstone Lee Tor. The Roman Road is a bit boggy too, but otherwise it’s all pretty weatherproof. Certainly well rideable.

I’d see if you can meet up with someone though – it’s an easy route to follow if you can read a map, but it’s nicer with someone that knows their way around. Sadly I’ll be in London that weekend.

Love this route, best done in clockwise direction IMO. Love the descent from Whinstone Lee Tor to Cutthroat Bridge and Nabs Wood to Derwent Res. As flyingmonkeycorps said, take care on following route as easy to take wrong turn at Whinstone Lee Tor and miss descent from Cutthroat Bridge to Ladybower Inn if your not careful.

Yep, definitely a good route-bit of everything in there.

Yeah that’s a point – it’s easy to miss the right turn halfway down WLT and end up having to ride the A57 back to the pub. After you clear the rutted boggy bit the track goes right, look for a wee singletrack climb on the right just on the bend and follow that for the best bit of the descent 😀

The descent through Nabs Wood is one of my favourites ever, stay off the brakes as much as you dare!

I intend to do Cutgate next trip to Dark Peaks in May having not done this one yet 🙂

last time I was up there the climb after crossing over Ladybower Dam had been well and truly cut up by forestry.

If that is still the case stay on the main bottom track until the next left 1.5 km further along, marked as a footpath on the OS map but it’s a wide (steep!) track and follow it up back to your route (don’t miss the right turn through the metal gate).

Apart from that nice little run out that.

We rode the permissive bridleway for the first time in ages the other week, it’s actually not too bad – not the singletrack it once was by any means, but pretty firm all the way up. Could be a different story after rain though.

Yep loving Nab’s wood too, otherwise known as the screaming mile!

I would personally turn off the Roman road to the right at Hope Cross and take ‘the beast’ down to the A57 rather than carrying straight on to the potato alley, much better descent IMO and a true peak classic.

its this turnoff here… link

then you can either ride along the road to pick up the rowlee farm climb which is ridable or go up hagg farm which is mostly a push (for me at least)

Isn’t Nabs Wood Suicide Brake? I thought Screaming Mile was the now sanitised one down to the reservoir by the Hagg Side car park?

Either way it’s ace!

I would kind of concur with the Beast suggestion, but for a first time in the Peak Blackley Hey might be better… I did it for the first time in ages not long ago, and it’s actually more fun than I remember, especially the bottom section. As long as it’s not frozen.

Yeah, now you mention it I don’t think there is a consensus on which one is which. I’ve only climbed up the one from hagg side (whatever its called!) once a while ago. Shame to hear it’s been flattened I remember it being pretty nice.

Yeah I’ve only ever climbed it. It’s not tarmac flat, but apparently it used to be an ace ace techy descent back in the day.

Not sure if this link will work, but this is an awesome peaks route too… hence the name.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/141926839

That LOOKS like it might be awesome, but the stupid map won’t let me look at OS level 🙁 Might have to work it out when I get home.

This is a very good route too…

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/153248253

Although cut gate was a real boggy mess last weekend… I blame the Peaks Pootle boys for excessive traffic lol

That LOOKS like it might be awesome, but the stupid map won’t let me look at OS level Might have to work it out when I get home.

I just uploaded the GPX file from my garmin onto GPSies… link below, that should be easier to follow.

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xmyqiebasoutqmbj

I can possible come and show you the way.

I love this one. And you can vary bits once you know it.

how would you say that compares to ladybower loop from a difficulty point of view BigJohn?

All look good, I like the sound of “the beast”, I assume a better down but more road riding by the looks of things.

The problem I’ve found is, I look at my OS map and there are routes all over the place and not knowing what’s good. Coming from Leicester I don’t have this problem and not having that much time I’d rather ride the best bits without having to explore too much, if that makes sense!

Oh and thanks for all the suggestions, much appreciated 😀

The Beast is one of the tougher decents in the Peaks, hard work on a hardtail but it depends on the line you take I guess.

The problem I’ve found is, I look at my OS map and there are routes all over the place and not knowing what’s good. Coming from Leicester I don’t have this problem and not having that much time I’d rather ride the best bits without having to explore too much, if that makes sense!

Check out the Vertebrate Publishing Dark Peak guide book then. All the classic, obvious routes. Clear descriptions. OS mapping. Nicely produced and laid out plus photos of people riding, so you get some idea of the character of the route. Good investment if you’re going to head up here regularly.

This one…

I’ve posted a wanted ad for one of them BadlyWiredDog anyone got one lying around, OS map edition, let me know 🙂

If you want me to guide you round that weekend i’m up for it.

gsp1984 – Member
The Beast is one of the tougher decents in the Peaks, hard work on a hardtail but it depends on the line you take I guess.

Maybe I’ll give it a miss then, though I suppose the worst that can happen is I push down, then I would look daft, pushing downhill 😆

BadlyWiredDog – Member
Check out the Vertebrate Publishing Dark Peak guide book then. All the classic, obvious routes. Clear descriptions. OS mapping. Nicely produced and laid out plus photos of people riding, so you get some idea of the character of the route. Good investment if you’re going to head up here regularly.

This one… Thanks, I’ll keep an eye out for that!

Shorty121 – Member

If you want me to guide you round that weekend I’m up for it. Thanks for that, might give you a shout when I know what I’m doing for definite.

Done this today.Not for novices imho!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/154204032#.T1Ef9dfQW3A.facebook

Is the bottom of doctor’s gate not a massive bog at the moment?

Good footage of the beast at the end of this video.. (full face helmets aren’t the norm btw)

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXVniHc5JiI[/video]

The good thing about the Hope triple 8 route is there are lots of cut it short options if you start to feel you’ve had enough.

Last time we turned right at Hope Cross, went down the beast (favelicious!) crossed the road and pushed/rode up Hagg and on the way back did that in reverse for a change.

Once back at Hope Cross you can miss out the Edale/Castleton loop and just head back to Hope That’s a fine descent if you keep off the brakes.

The full route has several really top descents, and they all have their own unique character which makes it a great day. Oh and as far as fitness, the last time we were out there 4 of us had a total age of 207 and only the 43 y.o. youngster didn’t manage to get to Hollins Cross (last climb of the day) without walking.

That video is awesome… so simple, yet so effective.

I agree, fantastic little vid

Just wanted to say thanks for everyone’s advice. I made a last minute decision Saturday night to drive up to Ladybower Sunday morning.

So glad I did, the weather was glorious and the riding superb. I followed the route I posted but went down the beast as suggested and pushed up Hagg Farm. Pretty easy to follow, though I managed to miss the left hand turn up to the Roman road from the res edge! Can’t wait to get back up there now!