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Looks like it closed for several week, it's a cracking climb without the cars.
Any locals know if its rideable?
(even if its only up to where the landslide was/is)
I don’t know about just now but I did it once when it was closed by roadworks and it was great.
If it's a landslide you should be able to get off and carry around it, maybe a wide berth depending on how stable it looks
done the same, not bothered about going over, it's well worth riding up and just turning around at the top.
It's not a landslide closure in the traditional sense - ie road covered in earth, rocks and debris from landslide above it. It's the land underneath and below it that has gone. In addition the land underneath it is still moving. Which could mean the road itself ending up in the river (kind of similar to Mam Tor IANAG)
Probably safe to ride, but you might end up surfing tarmac down a steep hill..
I rode it a few years back and it was full of motorbikes and boy racers. Cyclists aren't the only one thinking it being closed might be fun.
I'm tempted to head over there early morning or late afternoon this weekend and see what it's like.
I rode it a few years back and it was full of motorbikes and boy racers. Cyclists aren’t the only one thinking it being closed might be fun.
Yes, the usual format is that it's nice to cycle for about 2 weeks before the local motorcyclists discover it and use it as a racetrack. It's not fun to be riding it to find a motorbike coming towards you on a racing line at 120mph...
camera front and back, assuming they dont kill me any c**tishness will be reported.
just some decent weather now 😀
They've said access has been maintained for residents so I suspect you could get right through even if it meant a couple of little walks with a bike.
Might be best done on weekend as i would imaging the contractors won't be happy about members of the public wandering through a work site.
Cracking idea... I'm firing the KTM up.
Tweet from Simon Warren (the 100 Climbs... guy) earlier to say he'd ridden it both ways and it was great, no traffic at all and no bother getting through the damaged sections.
came to post that - https://twitter.com/100Climbs/status/1497189589500317700
This report says at least 4 weeks closure.
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/a57-snake-pass-to-remain-closed-for-at-least-four-weeks-following-three-landslides-25-02-2022/
Simon Warren says it is!
game on, now for some dry weather...weekend doesnt look that bad.
I've ridden through road works before to avoid a long detour on a dual carriageway and the workers didn't bat an eyelid so that aspect wouldn't bother me
Rode it today. I wasn't actually planning on it initially but realised half way through my ride that there'd be a cross/tailwind over it so I re-routed.
Bottom of Fairholmes there was active traffic management - 2 bored looking guys in a truck who didn't even look up from their phones as I rode through. Once on the road there were quite a few people walking, a couple of horse riders and lots of cyclists. Saw one car, guessing it must have been a local farmer cos it was a battered 4x4.
Three sections of damage. One is some cracks in the road, one long stretch where the entire verge has gone - it's literally just edge of road > big drop. And one stretch where it's all sunken and twisted but more or less intact.
Anyway, it's all open to cyclists, was lovely to ride it.
A mate was up there today too, rode it both directions !
If you go to the Yorkshire Post FB page, that story has predictably brought out all the frothing gammons furious that cyclists can ride on a closed road.
Rideable but some reasonable cracks opening up across the road in places some take some care, I'm told on descents toward east.
There are cones around the bits which are falling down. It's a lovely ride - feels very unusual for England, with the forest and the long climb.
Rode it yesterday, E->W. Absolutely fine. The cracky sections are pretty obvious and coned off.
A very pleasant experience on the whole.
**NB there is still some motorized traffic on it - farm vehicles and the like (and randomly a 911 GT3), so I'd still stick to your own side of the road!**
Closed to cyclists now according to a photo I’ve just been sent. Had vague plans of going up over holme moss and back to Sheffield via snake on Sunday. Maybe not now
https://photos.app.goo.gl/u6nBz2Z7oqm9zmBZ6
Sign says "Road closed for cyclists" rather than "to cyclists" 🤔
I'm going to try and head out there tomorrow to assess the weekend situation.
Otherwise it'll be reduced to getting out there at 6pm and doing a night ride over it.
Can you keep this thread updated if you do it tomorrow as I had it planned for Sunday. Thanks
Ditto re Sunday ta
Open to bikes all weekend. Just ridden it. Fuller update once I'm home - I'm mid ride at the moment! Thought I'd let people know in time to plan weekend rides though. 🙂
I rode it from the Fairholmes side, got there about 9.15am today (Saturday 5th) and the signage that I'd seen on Twitter saying Road Closed to Cyclists had been replaced by a simple Road Closed sign.
A couple of guys in a Highways van at the bottom who said it was fine to go on, the road would be open to cyclists all weekend and then work would be starting again on Monday.
Was overtaken by a tractor somewhere up around the Snake Pass Inn and there were a couple of other cars on it (farmers and residents) so it still requires some care. Windy up the top and loads of riders coming up from the Glossop side.
Also, watch it if you do it early on, there were a couple of patches of ice in the sheltered spots.
The original landslide spot has got considerably worse, half the left hand lane has now disappeared down the hillside (it's barriered off, there's no danger) but when I rode it last weekend, it was only the verge that had slipped. There's a few cracks across the road in various places but it's mostly that one slippage.
Excellent news, thanks for the update.
Does seem to have made for some grumpy drivers in the area today! Looping it back to the south involved lots of beef. In hindsight an out and back would have been much nicer
I went over from the Ladybower side to Glossop this morning around 11am. It was amazing. Barely any wind at the top.
I headed South from Glossop and eventually back into the Hope Valley, no problems with car drivers. Excellent lunch in a café in New Mills.
Does seem to have made for some grumpy drivers in the area today!
It's always like that. They're either desperately en route to the Harvester or similar for Sunday cholestrol and refined sugar top-ups or about to undertake / just done an arduous expedition to the legendary peak of Hollins Cross from Mam Nick basecamp and buzzed with righteous outdoor adrenaline.
You're arguably better off heading across on the Strines Road to Langsett, then threading over to Holmfirth on back roads then back across to Glossopville over Holme Moss, which tends to be relatively quiet. A quick half mile on the Woodhead then off up the back road to Glossop.
Glossop this morning was like a Sportive start line. I joined the club for a ride up and back down (from Glossop) fairly early on but the variety of people on the road - kids, folk on touring bikes, hybrids, e-bikes - was amazing.
Fairholmes side (which I didn't ride today) seemed to be quieter as it's a bit more remote but a friend rode it and certainly down towards the res said there were a good number of people walking, cycling and horse riding along it.
Not sure what the score is with closures during the week, might head back midweek and have a look.
The wind on the decent was proper sketchy, a really nasty crosswind. Front wheel was wobbling all over the place at one point as the wind swirled around the valley. Somehow in spite of a promising forecast, I seem to have caught a head/crosswind at least for a bit on every ride over there...
We came through a bit later than @crazy-legs today.
Same story though! Lots of cyclists but not exactly busy. Some walkers especially lower down. Clear sky, sun out, bit gusty which mattered more going down than up. Lovely atmosphere, everyone happy and relaxed. And leaving Glossop people coming the other way excitedly asking if it's open etc
Basically a chilled cycling party on a great road. Really recommend it to anyone within range.
I did Ladybower Glossop Ladybower today, fantastic to see such a wide range of people and bikes plus the odd walker and runner. Great to see a load of litter pickers too, gave them some good words, doing a fantastic job.
Less great to see 5 motorbikes and 3 luxury SUV driving over.
Went over it this evening from Glossop down to Ladybower. Probably saw half a dozen cars. I'm not sure it's really very closed.
If you go to the Yorkshire Post FB page, that story has predictably brought out all the frothing gammons furious that cyclists can ride on a closed road.
This is so weird. Surely drivers of that ilk should be *thankful* that cyclists have all gone over to a road that they're not on.
Derbyshire police RPU bikers Twitter feed states that they can and will now be fining cyclists for riding through the road closures. There’s even a special sign that states the road is closed for cyclists..
Not on Twitter so can’t post a link to it but seen it via on a Facebook page.
Edit
Hope this link works
Try here
I assume it's still open for access. As a cyclist, I wish to access various rights of way along there. They've not closed those.
.
Cheeses for the update. I didn’t go in the end but my strava feed is full of people who rode over the snake yesterday. Interesting point re access above. A mtb loop from Edale to fairholmes or vice versa necessitates riding on some of the a57. Can’t see that being an issue
A mtb loop from Edale to fairholmes or vice versa necessitates riding on some of the a57. Can’t see that being an issue
Yeah, you could get onto it from Lockerbrook or Potato Alley, however from some of the comments on there, I *can* see it being an issue. Seems like they got a bit overwhelmed with cyclists at the weekend and there's clearly been some drivers getting through the closure under whatever pretext they've used.