@thegeneralist - it's just the Three Peaks race route itself that's sensitive and it's only on Ingleborough with the ascent of Simon Fell from Selside and the descent from Ingleborough to Cold Cotes as neither are a ROW. The routes on Whernside and Pen-y-ghent are on footpaths. I don't know the reasons why the race uses those lines or what agreements were struck up, what, sixty years ago?
Is it any different from the "race weekend only" segments of Ard Rock up in Swaledale?
The route of the Three Peaks fell race also takes a line that is frowned upon at other times, from Ribblehead it crosses the railway and takes a direct line to the summit of Whernside.
I've not done the Simon Fell ascent but have run down the line to Cold Cotes and it wouldn't be my first choice to ride a bike down unless I was racing it, variously grassy and boggy.
Bob has just written the answer I was going to write. I'm presuming they chose those lines because they didn't involve riding CX bikes down long flights of steps!
It's not elitism, it's just sensible. Regular traffic from mtbers, or more likely CXers 'training' outside raceday, may well degrade the pasture on the race line, at least in the opinion of the farmer, which is all that counts.
Excellent relations with the farmers at Reeth mean that the organisers even get to temporarily take down bits of drystone wall to allow better stages to be constructed.
I meant to note that the damage of the race to the line down to Cold Cotes is usually visible from the A65 until the following spring - does depend how dry/wet things are on race day as to just how long the scar is visible.
Similar, but added a bit of stuff in Crummackdale on at the end rather than heading back down Long Lane.
The route of the Three Peaks fell race also takes a line that is frowned upon at other times, from Ribblehead it crosses the railway and takes a direct line to the summit of Whernside.
I've walked it since a child, it's the original ascent, it's still a footpath afaik, there's even a new stile at the road n'all. who frowns upon it?
Rode the route on Saturday. brilliant. Couldn't see my hand infront of my face on Ingleborough but was only the top 100' or so that was in the clag.
Dear god its a busy hill though. I'd suggest anyone thinking of going up do it really early or late or midweek. Was impossible to get a good run down the descent.
The Singletrack over Thieves Moss was outstanding. Went on like this for miles.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48847614796_d2ac4b203e_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48847614796_d2ac4b203e_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2hquN47 ]20191005_135525[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-lowe/ ]Dave Lowe[/url], on Flickr
Cheers for the route Martin and cheers everyone else who chipped in.
How was the descent from "fell beck head" back to Gaping Gill on Martin's route? Easy to find / interesting?
Congestion is why I think Simon fell / Park fell could be interesting, looks like a steep grassy descent to Ribblehead - is it interesting to ride?
Few pics from the dry conditions earlier in the year around some of Martin's route:
Top of Moughton scar about to drop into Crummackdale
Pic below is looking down Sulber Nick which was fun in very dry conditions. As you can see it is very worn by 3 peakers and turns into a slopfest in the wet - best to do theives moss as above.
How was the descent from “fell beck head” back to Gaping Gill on Martin’s route? Easy to find / interesting?
I'm going to slam my own route and say 'not that interesting' 🙂 . I hadn't been up there for a while, and looking at it in passing it's basically faint doubletrack on marshy grassland as an alternative to the stepfest off Little Ingleborough. And in fairness, descending from the plateau back down to the Horton path involves some significant tech which I only remembered as I carried the bike up it last week, so it's not like it's an easy option.
So I recommended that Lowey ignore my ramblings and take the Little Ingleborough descent.
I’ve walked it since a child, it’s the original ascent, it’s still a footpath afaik, there’s even a new stile at the road n’all. who frowns upon it?
Not a footpath, the line of the fell race goes over some land that isn't open access so we may not be talking about exactly the same line. I think it's the farmer who isn't too happy, one or two years the route was blocked. The race route goes directly to the summit from about here: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=374733&Y=480125&A=Y&Z=120&ax=375453&ay=480298 . I'd need to dig out my old maps to see if that line was ever a footpath, there's a path marked further to the south.
@wzzz - never been on the Simon Fell/Park Fell bit, here's some shots from geograph:
How was the descent from “fell beck head” back to Gaping Gill on Martin’s route? Easy to find / interesting?
Noticed it on the way up. As per Martin really, its there on the ground but looked proper boggy. Wouldn't really fancy a go at it except after a dry spell.
Reason for avoiding 3 beaks cyclocross route: it really is very sensitive. there's a whole bunch of landownders/farmers who are less than enthusiastic about it going over their land. Whilst something is made of the local charitable contributions from the event, it wouldn't take that much for one of them to say 'nah' and there's zero leverage over these folks, it is just on goodwill. I think we should try to minimise threat to this good will basically it's a fantastic and iconic (and bonkers) event, part of cycling culture for want of a better word, and not just in this country. This probably only matters to a few thousand people, but it matters to some of us quite a lot. It doesn't feel terribly elitist as in they let me do it, alongside more than 500 others. I had to marshal last year to be sure of getting in for this years race. Anyone can do this.
Reason for avoiding the 3 peaks walking route: it's mobbed with people many doing their year's only hill walk, and fpr charity. That probably does come across a bit elitist, but it's not meant to be. It's a good challenge and a good day out, and so much better than the British 3 peaks which is all about driving and really does piss people off. So great that it does attract crowds. It also overlaps the cyclocross route in parts, and in other parts (ascents of penyghent and ingleborough) is unridable up or down.
That said, I've never ridden the little Ing route am feeling highly tempted by a loop from Crumockdale and might have done it this weekend had there not been surf.
Slightly off-topic (and route) and probably only Martin is likely to know the answer but what's the path like between here http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=396708&Y=462330&A=Y&Z=120 and the track to the north that's the normal way up Threshfield Moor? I've done the track heading south west and that's fine. Just considering options for when Boss Moor returns to its usual quagmire (not quite at that point yet).
Johnx2.
Good answer, well put. Don't fully agree with you, but not far off.
Thanks
@whitestone thanks for those, looks um meh might be nice to ride along the top though.
I'd avoid the 3 peaks bike race route because its probably rubbish. Mostly a carry up and then riding pedally hillocky grass down, miserable. However, I have never ridden it racing or otherwise so feel free to ignore.
Walking route is mobbed, no fun pardonning yourself every 2 mins approaching big groups. I'd ride it up as Martin suggested. Then the little Ingleborough descent should be a bit quieter. Although expect that to be mobbed on a nice weekend.
Are any of the whernside descents any good? I did top down over west fell - disappointing off the main path.
@wzzz - the main paths on Whernside are likely to be chocca with walkers. I've run the path over West Fell and apart from one or two short steps at the top there's nothing of note. I've never been on the track north that meets up with the Great Wold BW.
Again have a look on geograph.org.uk to see if anyone's taken any shots of it - but the contributors tend to be more interested in rotting farm machinery than the quality of any track.
pedally hillocky grass down, miserable
That's only ingleborough and you left out randomly and sometimes wheel-swallowingly boggy. For the others you could chuck in pointless stone staircase, soggy peat, and boring bridleway. Why did I type so much when that pretty much sums it up?
Slightly off-topic (and route) and probably only Martin is likely to know the answer but what’s the path like between here> http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=396708&Y=462330&A=Y&Z=120
Not an improvement over normal winter Boss Moor conditions, sadly.
It's an OK track near the top, but a tussocky, boggy slog up the BW from behind the quarry, then more wet stuff until you're nearly there.
Agree with Martin it's not great during wet winter months. Once at the gate it's a welcome change to a stoney track either way.
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Or wait until the bogs are iced over. Just make out the track behind the signpost & left of the wall.
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I've done the BW from behind Swinden Quarry, it was the track where the BW ends I was interested in. Looks like it's decent track heading back to Threshfield.
It's not diabolical, the wettest bit is next to Hammerton Hill Syke.
