Planning to do this in the Spring, Kirkby Steven to Middleton.
But I have not ridden any of it above the Mary Townley loop.
Reckon I could do the section from Todmorden to Middleton in a day so would I be right in thinking KS to Toddy is also possible in the previous day?
Traveling fairly light – overnight in YHA.

It would be a very long day, I did it last Spring and there is a lot of climbing around Settle and again between Earby and the Mary Towneley Way. It was an easy 3 days to Mankinholes but we were a big group of very mixed ability. If you plan to do the Settle Loop it would be 100 miles and around 18,000ft of climbing.
Tod to Middleton isn’t easy as well, the bit round Hayfield is particularly hilly.

Ouch 18000ft!
Would not do the whole settle loop – that’s showboating 🙂
Pretty sure I can do Tod to Middleton – but not if I have totally beasted myself the day before. Would you say the Northern half has more climbing?

Tonto – I’ve got this on my todo list for this year.

Current plans and they are just plans are:
Day 1
—–
Arrive Kirkby Stephen on Train 1430ish
Kirkby Stephem Train Station to start 3.8miles
Kirby Stephen – Clapham cum Newby 4019ft 31miles
Clapham cum Newby to Ingleton YHA 5miles
Total 39.8miles 4019ft +tails

Day 2
—–
Ingleton YHA to Clapham cum Newby 5miles
Clapham cum Newby to end of north section 5311ft 50.7miles
Start of MT loop – Mankinholes YHA 2115ft 12.9miles
Total 68.6miles 7426ft

Day 3
—–
Mankinholes YHA – Start of South section 649ft 3.59miles
Start of South Section – Middleton 7218ft 65.5miles
Total 69.09miles 7867ft

Distances & climbing assumes GPX’s I’ve acquired are reasonably accurate. Mileage also excludes Middelton to Railway network or parked car.

Day’s 2 & 3 seem comparable distance-wise to day 1 of the SDW I did last year (Winchester – Truleigh Hill YHA). The bit I’m trying to work out at the moment is casting my mind back to completing the SDW last year – could I have gone to bed and woke up the next morning and done another 70miles & 7867ft the next day!

Give me a shout when you plan to do it. I might do day 1 and if so you wouldnt need to spin to Ingleton YHA you could scam a free bed.

C http://www.highbark.co.uk

Can you post GPX file please

MT loop and South section I got from gpsies.com
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=lnoepoxrqwkievsx

Trying to remember where I acquired the North Section from…

I knocked this together a while back, mainly because it was tough to get proper route information as the northern section hasn’t officially opened yet.

http://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=163

Should give you an idea of the climbing involved.

My route doesn’t follow the PBW exactly – it misses the climb over the flank of Wild Boar Fell near Kirkby Stephen, which would help if you’re looking to shave off some time and climbing.

FWIW I think it’s a better ride south to north.

@MarkSS Why not include the Settle Loop and overnight at Malham YHA? Brilliant riding and probably be worth more than 10 miles off your original route as you wouldn’t even need to go right into Clapham.

Tonto, sorry for the relayed reply, I was out. The Northern section has more climbing as it doesn’t have the long railway line section down to Middleton Top. I have a GPX log of the Northern section as far as the Mary Towneley loop just South of Wycoller, it was sent to me by Bill Brady aka Rangerbill who is the Lancs Ranger for the Pennine Bridleway,so it is exactly right. I’ll e mail it to you.

Interesting read, I have been looking at this route.

Yeah i’m finding it interesting reading too. The link up there to that northern bit of the PB is particularly usefull.

Im thinking of entering my first Kielder 100 this year so im starting to look at practice rides. I might look at getting dropped off in Kirkby Stephen then doing the PB down to settle, then its just 20ish miles back on the road. Could be a good training ride.

pistonbroke – would you mind emailing me the Northern section as well. Email in profile. TIA.

I did the Southern section in October and was surprised how hilly it was, though I am not a good climber. I was not travelling light as I slept out a couple of nights so the bike was a bit loaded. On my list for this summer to do as a through route.

Blackhound, ygm.Enjoy, we did. Strangely I did the Southern bit in October as well, I didn’t find it as testing as the North, more rolling hills than the short sharp climbs of the Dales.

Pistonbroke – thanks for the gps and the advice.
Might be better doing it over three days as you said.

Martinhutch – I’m doing it north to south as I live 2 miles from the finish and that should draw me forward towards the end 🙂

I just thought about chips in Kirkby Stephen from about Garsdale onwards. Seemed to work. 🙂

Email received pb, thank you. It may be harder further north but I am such a poor climber that the South end was tough enough for me in places!

It is a nice route and quite remote for England and I always enjoy being up there. Won’t let the hills spoil my enjoyment 🙂

I’m not a great climber by any means and I managed the route I linked OK. One of the advantages of the northern section is that if you absolutely run out of legs, weather or motivation you can just head off to the nearest station on the Carlisle/Settle and get to your end point that way, rather than be marooned in a puddle of sweat and tears in the middle of a remote fellside a long push from anywhere…

hi, also rode this last spring. lovely route. 1/2 day to hadfield, 1 day round to mankinholes, 1 day back to hadfield and then a half day back to middleton top. 3 days in total, was quite a tough ride with the extra clobber etc. i think its a good route to do once fit, rather than to get fit on 🙂

Well I failed in my attempt this weekend.
Got down as far as the MT loop but by then I decided to bail.
Could point to many factors for not finishing: the wind, the heat, faulty gps, too much gear, toothache…
… but really it was the mental weakness that talked myself out of pressing on.
May have another try next year stopping in B&B’s rather than bivi camping.

The one bit of advice I can give to those planning a similar trip is choose a dry period to go, much of the new sections between Long Preston and Wycoller are through grass meadows which will be a proper slog if wet. Especially if horses use the route.