Very few things are absolute or constant. I was on Cutgate yesterday, bits of it definitely can be pumped, pretty much like 99% of all trails. I too had pedal strike but insufficient to report on here, just a normal amount that I'd expect on rocky Black Peak trails.
I'm not sure how shorter cranks would affect the pedalling input and feel for you. I'd be tempted to play with fork and shock pressure / preload / compression damping (whatever settings you can play with) and really concentrate on setting your speed on approach to large rocks that you have to get over. If you've got speed you might get away with a manual to put the front wheel on the rock, keeping body weight forwards and then a shove on the bars to bring the bike up underneath you, all coupled with a stab at the pedals at an opportune moment. Easy! 😉