Looking to tap up some of your knowledge chaps/chappettes.

Looking for a MTB ride, somewhere around the skipton area (or within an hour from leeds) for me and my wife to do tomorrow. I’ve found this but i’m worried it will be a swamp.

Anyone got any good routes they would recommend? Max of 4 hours riding would be cool.

Thanks in advance,

Ed

Not quite Skipton but Calderdale was soaking yesterday – lots of surface water and deep mud. I’d stick to rocky/stony trails wherever possible except steep descents, which are fantastic fun right now 😉

Current favourite… http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/outandabout/gettingactive/cycling/mtb/mtb-findaroute/mtb-route-bardenmoor/mtb-grassington_over_barden_moor.pdf

Avoid Sharp Haw/Flasby section of your original loop. BW across will be sloppy as at the moment.

The second route should be mostly fine if a bit splashy – section after Middle Hare Head towards Bolton Abbey would be the muddiest spot.

Yes it will be muddy, indeed a swamp in places.
The bit from Bolton Bridge to Draughton will be a real drag and is normally ridden the other way around to get the best from it.
Sharphaw, dont bother in winter unless its frozen and as someone said the approach to Westy bank woods is a mud fest if the cattle have been in the fields.

Bingley Bash might be worth a look. I’ve ridden it in all sorts of weather (it’s local to me). Yes there will be muddy bits but generally it holds up quite well.

Simon or Mugboo might see your post & offer more up todate info

Good call Pennine,
Me [living in the Dales]it would be Grassington mines, north to mossdale and the lovely descent to Conistone, cross the valley and back via 1st half of Mastiles then across to Borderley and down the back of the Quarry and return via Linton. Thats wet but not much mud.

Did a variation of the Bingley Bash last Sunday and it was riding OK, bit of mud in places but it holds up well. Harden Moor was riding well just a few puddles.

With 4 hours to play with you could do a Bingley/St Ives/Harden Moor/Crossroads/Brow Moor/Cullingworth/Wilsden/Cottingley Woods ride and then if you fancied a bit more head up the other side of the valley to Shipley Glen and back to Bingley via Gilstead Moor.

Me [living in the Dales]it would be Grassington mines, north to mossdale and the lovely descent to Conistone, cross the valley and back via 1st half of Mastiles then across to Borderley and down the back of the Quarry and return via Linton. Thats wet but not much mud.

That’s a nice loop – normally do it the other way around. If OP was interested in the Barden Loop, it wouldn’t take much effort to continue up Hebden Gill, up past the mines and across to Mossdale and back down to Grassington either via Conistone and the grass wood road, or some slightly cheekier alternative.

(Do you descend via Conistone Dib or on the BW next to the radio tower?)

Riding the long winding track up into Mossdale does give a rare ‘lonely back country’ feeling for the dales. A cheeky route I only ride in summer (too wet otherwise) is taking one of the deadend shooter tracks then faint ST to Capplestone Gate. North towards Hag Dyke & BW down to Kettlewell. Various options from here.

Conistone Dib? – hmmmm unsure about that!

I’m sure someone more talented and braver than me could take on that little section at the top! There are loads of smaller drops and runnels on the way down which would make it a belting descent even carrying the first bit (were it not a FP, obviously).

It’s a pity the radio mast track is tarmac most of the way, though I don’t say that when I’m climbing it.

I like Mossdale – as you say, it’s quite a remote and forbidding spot by Dales standards, especially with the tragedy associated with it.

I’ve often thought about trying to push through to Kettlewell from Mossdale on those shooting tracks as a way of linking back over to Arncliffe, and I’ll take a look at the satellite for your route.

One of the cavers was in my class at school. My brother knew them all because he was a caver too.

I’ve email chatted with the Nidderdale ANOB warden about upgrading the FP part of the route from Mossdale to Middlesmoor. This has been an ongoing debate but the land owners aren’t very receptive about the idea of a BW. Oddly, he wrote something about horses crossing their grouse moors! A pity because some their shooter tracks would miss some really boggy areas.

The first km or so after Sandy Gate look ‘challenging’, certainly, but it looks like there are decent shooter tracks down to How Stean after that.

BW or no BW, the idea of a long ride across to Nidderdale and back to do the classic does appeal. There can be no argument about the historical packhorse route with the dead-end BW up to Sandy Gate.

martinhutch – Member

(Do you descend via Conistone Dib or on the BW next to the radio tower?)

Down the B/W but fancy trying the Dib some time, a mean drop off in there.

The Bridle way at one time must have gone straight on to Middlesmoor, its one of those that changes status when it cross’s the CP boundry