unless you're some fat munter who can't handle ribboned, technical Peak climbs
You've just described most of the riders I see out in the Peaks... 
SFB, you forgot to mention the Oak Howe descent - a previously wonderful packed stone descent now turned into a gravel road. 
SFB, you forgot to mention the Oak Howe descent
>> Baysbrown - Oak Howe (Great Langdale)
was my 3rd item 
Yep, what confused me was that you marked it as 'arguably improved', whereas what used to be an entertaining climb and a vicious little downhills has incontrovertibly been wrecked.
that was the general opinion, but as I'd never managed to ride up it except in very dry conditions due to its insane slipperiness, I wasn't so put out :o)
munter-barnes
The local authorities (ie council) are currently in the process of **** up a lot of the trails beyond imagination round here. In the last couple of years several skinny bridleways have been dug up, 'soil reversed', any unwanted surfaces (ie rocks, unevenness) removed, filled in or broken into a fine top. Neighbouring trees have been removed and streams channelized and diverted. Kms of singletrack have gone from 30cm wide to over 3m wide hard, even surfaced- that's wider and better condition than all local tarmac roads, forestry or estate tracks- especially given the massive open drains running alongside the new roads. These are rights of way that many of us have been using happily for 20 years, and in some cases longer.
I stopped for the diggers busily destroying one piece of track last week, and a guy who lives at the farm at the end of the track saw me and came over to chat about their work. He described it as “a piss-take... you'll have to go down there on rollerblades next”. The justification for this is that some of the routes have been subject to applications to change their status from bridleways to BOATs. Never mind the fact that you have to clear hundreds (no exaggeration) of trees, massively change the local environment, create huge roads where there were previously none... Nobody in their right mind wants this kind of access, and nobody can justify the damage being done in order to provide it.
Luckily they haven't quite managed to ruin everything yet, and they've recently started a 'consultation' regarding access to and conditions of the ROW network that might lead to a more enlightened approach. I'm not that optimistic however, two of the five 'solutions' proposed involved the wholescale “upgrading” of ROW in the manner described above. The other solutions were more complex and actually involved thinking about what the problems were and what future generations might hope the ROW network and environment to be like, rather than hastily throw money at something and hope that solves everything. As usual, it seems there are few people willing to engage in those kind of debates, and the few that are will not be heard or listened to, at least until there is a fundamental shift towards a more reasoned approach to issues surounding the environment and access.
This excesive motorway building around Blanchland? If it is, from what I understand, we have the byways and bridleways trust to thank for all the BOAT claims.
Perhaps you might want to show the local authority some of this stuff from a seminar last spring run by the North Pennines AONB. Basically its looking at the issue unsympathetic track construction. Its a bit odd at the moment that Natural England and organisations like the AONB are trying to encourage low key sensative track construction techniques. Natural England have prosecuted private moorland owners for building motorways. Yet, some local authorities go out and build exactly that kind of track. Nothing like leading by example then.
OAP, that's on the edge of it, yes. 'Are you local'? as they say? Just saw your posts on the Co. Durham climbs thread and thought you might be, or at least know the area a bit.
Indeed that does seem to be who has been putting pressure on to get it done speaking to those in the know. Personally, I can't wait till they hard surface all the sheep tracks in the SSSis to 3m width. That link is really useful to look at, thanks, I'll bookmark it. Perhaps the recent consultation will have done something to make the powers that be realise that their approach thus far is doing far more harm than good.
One of the first examples I ever saw was a fantastic final decent on the peak classic Baslow loop that went from Curber Edge down to Baslwo Village. They tarmaced it! Not sure a bit of heavy rain will improve that. The irony is, with a layer of wet leaves on it, it's suicidal down there now. (Not been there in so long now, it could be back to its original condition).
TandemJeremy - MemberTon - I don't know whether to be flattened or scared
probably the latter followed by the former, from what i've seen of the pics!
sustainable = meeting the needs of today without comprimising the needs of tomorrow.
So if a trail is made crap now it doesn't count as sustainable as it doesnt meet todays needs.
Places with lots of DH rund usualy get lots of local pixies, as tracks cut up they build new ones and the old ones fade away.
I'd rather have a wood with 25 badly made rooty/muddy tracks (Shladming, sp?) than 5 sanitized motorways (Willingden).
On the other hand I quite like places like Cannock, no technical challange, just flat out fun.
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