Looking at a couple of the routes on here and I have a friend with a place just 2 mins away from this route.

Can anyone who has riden it give us some idea of what to expect ?
For some of the guys this will be their first natural riding experience and I’m hoping we are not going to chuck them in too deep !

Here’s a link to the route :
Link to route

on the 1st loop, the climb from halton gill over horsehead is ok, with a steep descent.
the climb fro redmire back over firth fell is a rocky push/carry, with a ok descent back to litton.

the tour of penygent part of the route is ok for anyone.

That 1st’s a pretty big route IMO, with some big climbs. Done all of it in various other routes. I’ve got a terrible memory for detail, but I do recall in nightmares the climb from Redmire up to Firth Fell, first bit is ok on concrete farm track, but up the fell it was soul destroying, too wet and boggy to get any momentum going, so by-n-large a push and it seems to go on forever. descent into Litton was ok tho.

As Ton, might be better off just doing the tour of P-Y-G bit as a taster for them.

Think I’d swap the grades around. As Ton says, Horse Head & Firth Fell are two big climbs up to 2000ft (old money). The steep climb out of Littondale back south is no push over either. I assume the others are more used to built trails so techie wise they should be fine on dales terrain.

The 2nd route is at a lower altitude with fast sections.

btw the routes are in North Yorkshire 😀

Descent from Horse Head to Yockenthwaite

Drop off Firth Fell (left skyline ridge in photo) into valley & then climb up this

At Firth Fell trig. You can see your route out of the valley which heads eventually to the left of Pen-y-Ghent (that big hill!)

I reckon there are much nicer routes in the area, especially for beginners. Whereabouts does your mate live?

pennine, that descent off horsehead has had some work done on it, since i last rode it.
i was a hard to follow wet boggy gully then.

Aye Ton, it was renovated a couple of years ago. Must admit I prefer the renovation rather than the deep bogs & ruts of old.

that descent off horsehead has had some work done on it,

If it’s the one I recall last summer, it’s good like that higher up, but then I think the first time it rained heavy, it all got washed away lower down, so just turns into a bit of a mess and what looks like random building site waste. might’ve been somewhere different tho.

pennine, i once did a crisscroos of the lump
kettlewell to hawkswick (fp)
arncliffe to starbotton
redmire to litton, and over horsehead to finish.

killer day without being further that 5 miles from the car.

This was Horse Head April last year after lots of rain. So you could be right BA.

Definitely think that the grades are the wrong way round – the bottom map is quite a bit easier than the top. The climb up Buckhaw Brow from Settle (on tarmac) is about the worst bit of that loop!

Given the recent wet weather, the bottom loop should have drained better, and it doesn’t go too high.

TBH I’d be tempted not to do either with beginners – have a look at going out of Settle on the bridleway that brings you out near Jubilee Cave, then head over the moor to Water Sinks and Street Gate above Malham. Drop down the Eastern side of Malham Cove into the village (cafe and pub), then climb back up the Western side of the cove. Hang a left just after the really steep bit of road and climb over Kirby Moor, then you’ve got an outstanding descent down Stockdale Lane back down to Settle.

If you need a guide I can do most weekends, only about 30 mins drive away.

Wow thanks for all the replys !

My friend has a place that is about 1 mile from the litton arms.

A tiny place between Litton and Halton Gill called Nether Heselden.

Having just got back from a trip over Weets Top to Malham, I can confirm that there isn’t much lovely solid trail out there on the moors at the moment. Disappointingly claggy and slow – no frozen stuff at all.

So you should, IMO, be looking for routes that stick mainly to decent tracks rather than grassy climbs or moor crossings.

The version of the Settle Loop John Ellison is suggesting is fairly solid, apart from the first climb out of settle, which will be soft, and the descent to Street Gate, which I’d expect to be a muddy mess.

T-d-PenyGhent should be OKish, except perhaps for bits here and there on the section that crosses Foxup Moor.

I always end up recommending this one to novices: http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/outandabout/gettingactive/cycling/mtb/mtb-findaroute/mtb-route-tunnelsbridges/mtb-tunnels_and_bridges.pdf

Solid as anything and good in either direction.
Only problem is it’s probably too short for a decent day out.

too short for a decent day out

Martin: your route could be extended with five miles of road. From Bark House to Helwith Bridge & Horton (2xcafes) Take back lane towards Birkwith & left down new Pennine BW to Selside. Follow BW to Thieves Moss and then either Long Lane or Crummock/Wharfe back to Clapham.

Having done something pretty similar last weekend after a route change-of-heart near Horton, I’m not sure I’d substitute extra road and the grassy climb out of Borrins for either Long Lane or the wharfe singletrack.

However, you could make it longer, and add a pie stop by heading over from Feizor towards Giggleswick and Settle, climbing back up on the PBW, do the descent into Stainforth, then take a short road section back onto the route. Or Settle Loop in reverse would make a great figure of 8 tacked onto this route – prob too long for OP though.

Thanks for the replies again !

The reason for selecting the route was it would not involve any vehicles, if people find it hard after the south loop they can bail at Halton Gill as its only a 2 min ride down the road back to the barn and the fact that the end of the ride would be at the Litton Arms and they serve a great pint !

Thanks again for all the responses singletrackers are always a helpful bunch !
I’ll put all your ideas/suggestions to the guys and let them decide.

Mark

I did the Mastiles Lane climb with the BW down to Arncliffe this AM. Some mud but mostly frozen; pretty well perfect!

Mastiles might be a good climb up for beginners; it seems to never end & its not full “off-road” but the going is good and it gains you height. Decent run down to the road, though the best/steepest bits were covered in soft snow.