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I kinda suspect that the problem is that loads of drivers are using it because "it can't be that bad if cyclists can use it", and so they've closed it for everybody.
It was closed to cyclists during the week last week. The tweet was posted today, and I’d expect the road to be closed to everyone while they are working.
I’d also expect a strong anti-cyclist message from Derbyshire Police…
Reads as if there has been further damage to the road so it'll be closed 24/7 to all but access and maintenance traffic from now on.
Update from Derbyshire County Council.
It's closed to all.
Whereabouts exactly is the landslip? Is it still possible to cross at lockerbrook and hagg?
Yes, easy. The landslip is further on
There are still some idiots going through when told not to, so I suspect that's caused the complete closure. Weekdays, yes fully appreciate not using it when contractors are working. Some people have still been trying to use it.
love the way that facebook update from the council slips in this bit...
'We are also aware of road races involving vehicles taking place at night.'
like that in itself is not a massive freaking issue.
That police post is utterly ****ing pathetic. They are worried about ****s racing cars so they ban the cyclists.
That police post is utterly * pathetic. They are worried about * racing cars so they ban the cyclists.
Every single time Snake has been closed for landslides, roadworks etc, it's taken the boy racers a week or so to discover that they can just use part of the road as a racetrack.
We used to do night rides over it years ago when it first got closed for a couple of months and it was fine for a fortnight or so. Then it became a site for car meets - once or twice a week, not often enough to justify having a police presence to stop it and they'd be screaming up and down the hill for an hour or so then bugger off quick before the police could get there. It became far to dangerous to ride.
Even now with a staffed closure, all it would take is for a driver to say "oh I'm visiting..." or "I've got a delivery for..." and they'd probably be let through.
That seems like quite an anti-cyclist post from DCC.
That seems like quite an anti-cyclist post from DCC
DCC (and Derbyshire Police) have always been anti-cycling. They'd quite like it if cyclists could just drive out to Monsal Trail, Tissington Trail etc and pootle slowly up and down, buy a few overpriced coffees from the various cafes and then drive home again but they really hate it when they're Using The Roads.
Anyway, they're coming in for a load of piss taking on their social media after claiming that the road is closed for "safety reasons". People not unreasonably pointing out that if that's the case, you'd close all roads immediately.
DCC (and Derbyshire Police) have always been anti-cycling.
Yeah, I'm a local. Not entirely unfamiliar with it.
I was just fairly struck by "We're stopping walkers and cyclists from using Snake Pass. *Cyclists* have been standing on the area affected by the landside."
Anyway, they’re coming in for a load of piss taking on their social media after claiming that the road is closed for “safety reasons”. People not unreasonably pointing out that if that’s the case, you’d close all roads immediately.
It is pretty silly, everyone's obviously gone for Snake Pass because it's safer than usual. If they really cared about safety, they'd man the barriers and just block the cars, not everyone.
DCC (and Derbyshire Police) have always been anti-cycling.
I’m struggling to answer this one sensibly without getting bogged down in local detail.
There does seem to be an anti cycling agenda but its difficult to be certain measured against the background level of incompetence. You could blame budget cuts but the Highways department’s incompetence & pre-dates the cuts. They seem to be an entirely reactive organisation having given up preventative maintenance, except where there is a need to spend the remnants of the budget before April (The only explanation I can think of for Bamford Clough, Ashop Edge, Pindale etc).
In DCC Highways terms four weeks is a flexible measurement which based on experience can stretch to more than three years.
You only have to look back to Covid to see that Derbyshire Police have a fine record of identifying a problem and taking decisive but entirely inappropriate action, seemingly based on, and as well thought out as, the on-line comments on the Daily Mail website.
Well with my cycling hat (helmet) on I'm disappointed I've missed the window of opportunity. It's rare we get to ride without motor vehicles around us. However, putting on my (ex) civil engineering helmet I can easily see that the whole road will need to be taken over for the rebuilding. It's not a tiny collapse and won't be just a case of chucking in some hardcore and saying "that'll do". Or at least it shouldn't be if it's done properly.
However, putting on my (ex) civil engineering helmet I can easily see that the whole road will need to be taken over for the rebuilding.
Yeah, that's entirely reasonable - but currently it's closed for observation, they're not actively doing work on it.
https://twitter.com/harryhamishgray/status/1501532360759812098?s=21
trespass being organised, anyone going?
It's closed so that the dangerous bits can be monitored and then properly repaired. Not sure that's any grounds for a trespass?
You want to trespass about cycle access? Let's do something about the shit RoW situation here in England, or the lack of adequate infrastructure inland between towns rather than a piece of broken road.
Wrong ****ing hill to die on.
Rode the bottom 2 miles today - we rode around the gravel track along the res from Yorkshire Bridge to the bottom of The Beast and then took the track up [url= https://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?x=416460&y=387782&z=120&sv=416460,387782&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map&searchp=ids&dn=821&ax=416460&ay=387782&lm=0 ]HERE[/url] to join the road.
As we got to the road, a Highways van came up and I thought he was going to pull in and stop us but he just kept going. We rode down to Fairholmes and through the closure which was staffed but no-one said anything to us - maybe they weren't going to argue the toss as we were exiting the road, not trying to go up it.
Saw one other rider heading up the hill, not sure how he'd got through.
It’s closed so that the dangerous bits can be monitored and then properly repaired. Not sure that’s any grounds for a trespass?
It's not "closed". Access for residents (and visitors, deliveries, services to those residents) and presumably also the emergency services has been maintained. There is no risk assessment in the world that would find that if you can maintain minimal access for vehicles, you cannot maintain access for walkers and cyclists.
Wrong **** hill to die on.
Not if you want to show up DCC for being an incompetent bunch of anti-cycling arseholes, it's a very worthwhile hill to die on. It's partly the principle of it and partly the fact that there is no lawful reason for them to do what they've done. Barrier the landslide bit properly while they're observing it and waiting for the ground to settle (it's still moving, they can't do anything to fix it yet) and just let walkers and cyclists enjoy the peace and quiet.
The people using the road on Sunday - kids, families, folk on hybrids / touring bikes, horse riders - none of them ever get a chance to use that road when it's open to traffic as it's dangerous so for DCC to suddenly claim that it's *more* dangerous with bare minimum traffic on it is just insane, there is no sense or evidence behind that decision and that is what needs to be challenged.
You want to trespass about cycle access? Let’s do something about the shit RoW situation here in England, or the lack of adequate infrastructure inland between towns rather than a piece of broken road.
I don't disagree but it's not an either/or situation, you can do both.
trespass being organised, anyone going?
The irony of this is that if you just leave it alone for a week, everyone will have forgotten about it, including Derbyshire Police. But no, I won't be wasting valuable riding time meandering pointlessly up a closed road.
Meanwhile if you want to dodge the barriers at the Glossop end, all you have to do is ride up the bottom section of Doctor's Gate then hang a right and emerge at the first right-hander above Glossop. You'll be fine unless they've deployed snipers.
To be fair, most of Derbyshire RPU/the cast of the current series of Traffic Cops were at the rather splendid burger van in Draycott when I drove past earlier, so if anyone wants to have a crack at Snake Pass, I'd suggest lunchtime is a good option 👍
Are they patrolling New Rd in Somerset instead today? 😆
rather splendid burger van in Draycott
Where is that then? The one in the car park in what was the motorbike dealer?
If so, it must have changed hands, as Ive stopped there before and even the tea was awful.
Birds Bakery for me down the road in Borrowash, or Maries Cafe in the square at Breaston.
A coffee van at the top this last week would have made enough to retire on.
The one in the car park in what was the motorbike dealer?
Thats the one - tea and coffee are average, but terrific value food
I guess about 100 people rode it today - met up in Glossop and set off to the foot of the Pass, very varied group. Hybrids, tourers, kids on Tag-Along bikes, couple of e-bikes, some folding bikes. All very good-natured. The guys manning the road closure at the bottom were fine (they must have been expecting us, just waves and "stay to the left guys", no attempts to stop anyone or tell them not to ride it).
Anyway it all split up as everyone settled into their own pace. Big group of people already at the summit, including some walkers who'd clearly managed to get their cars through, parked up at the top and had been to visit the B29 crash site.
A few of us rode all the way down past the landslide area to Fairholmes - it's all barriered but you can get through it, there were a couple of Highways vans negotiated it while we were there so the idea that the road can't be accessed by bike is total rubbish.
Talking of rubbish - a small group of cyclists has been returning to do a litter pick, there's now about 30 bags full of rubbish in the layby down near Fairholmes but judging from the state of the verges, probably at least that much again to collect. Quite staggering how much shit gets thrown out of cars. Anyway - nice day out, good weather and a lovely atmosphere, everyone very friendly and positive.
Well done to you for attending.
Good that someone is making a stand of sorts.
I meandered over the Snake on a whim from the Glossop side yesterday. It was more or less desserted. I saw two riders on the Glossop side and another five or six down closer to Ladybower and that was it. No guards or boy racers in souped-up Corsas just one pick-up, probably a farmer, and a transit heading into an entrance on the Ladybower side.
To be fair it was quite windy, but there was nothing to stop anyone going up there and no dramatic street parties / festivals of cycling / family groups on roller skates etc.
I get that the whole thing has been handled badly by DCC - as ever - but I couldn't help thinking that the whole thing is a storm in an A(57)-cup and without the social media furore, no-one would give a stuff, which has always been the case in the past.
Anyway, certainly at weekends there's nothing that'll stop you riding a bike peacefully over the moors as far as I can see. Finally, there's something just odd about the bus-stop at the top.I wonder if you could bus-shuttle Doctor's Gate 🙂
Finally, there’s something just odd about the bus-stop at the top
It's a popular start/finish for Kinder and Bleaklow.
and without the social media furore, no-one would give a stuff, which has always been the case in the past.
A very fair point, it seems to be closed for maintenance after the winter most years and doesn't usually get much attention. This year seems to have seen an overreaction on all sides.
overreaction on all sides
You think people wanting to take the opportunity to cycle one of the most iconic ( yet normally unpleasant) passes in England in safety is an overreaction?
Quite staggering how much shit gets thrown out of cars.
Isn't it just. Pretty much every day I walk about half a mile along a country lane (for those who know it, south along the road from the layby by East Lodge entrance to Lyme Park). Every day the verges are full of crap thrown from cars. Some people are just d1cks.
You think people wanting to take the opportunity to cycle one of the most iconic ( yet normally unpleasant) passes in England in safety is an overreaction?
I think some if the responses to proposed limits to that opportunity were over the top and smacked of entitlement.
As were the reactions of some drivers.
And the reaction of, or communication by, DCC was its usual disaster.
Quite surprised at all the fuss too. I honestly never found Snake Pass that bad to ride as long it's early in the morning (though I've only ever done it at the weekend).
I get that it's a great opportunity for people who might never ride it otherwise but I'm sure for most on here if you can tackle it at 8/9am on a Saturday or Sunday it will be no bother at all. The descent into Ladybower afterwards, surrounded by the forest, is great.
Anyone know what the situation is during the week? I'm mulling over a ride from Sheffield to stalybridge on Friday. One option is to descend to Glossop down doctors gate - I'd have to ride up snake pass to get to it
The only bit of Snake that is legally closed is 200m in the middle.
If you're happy to ride Doctors Gate then just take this diversion.
Awesome, just what I was after 🙂
Agreed, awesome work Podge
Does that mean there's no walkers allowed on that 200m section? I assumed TROs were for vehicles, but it seems sometimes pedestrians do count. If we're on foot, perhaps we are allowed to walk (carry?) a bike across there?
I think some if the responses to proposed limits to that opportunity were over the top and smacked of entitlement.
I was going UK argue this point, but then....
Does that mean there’s no walkers allowed on that 200m section? I assumed TROs were for vehicles, but it seems sometimes pedestrians do count. If we’re on foot, perhaps we are allowed to walk (carry?) a bike across there?
😀
I'm starting to get where you're coming from!
Does that mean there’s no walkers allowed on that 200m section? I assumed TROs were for vehicles, but it seems sometimes pedestrians do count. If we’re on foot, perhaps we are allowed to walk (carry?) a bike across there?
It's a TRO [b]with exemptions[/b]. Residents, Highways vehicles, emergency services can all get through. They do have CCTV on it now - whether that is connected up to ANPR I have no idea. However, if a vehicle can get through it, there's legally nothing to stop a bike going through. It's in no more danger than a vehicle is and it's not causing any issues...
I guess once they actually start working on it, things will be considerably more restricted if there's heavy machinery in operation but right now, the major problem is the guys at either end and if they're being jobsworths or not.
The diversion comes from CTC / Cycling UK.
If you look really closely there is a private road between the footpath and the road at the most Western bit of the diversion. I imagine if you are polite then it should not be an issue.
As for passing through the actual closed bit, I imagine it depends on the people there at the time. If there is no machinery moving and you're one of the first people then they might let you through. If there's massive machines moving and they are bored of people asking then it'll be a flat "sod off". I guess they couldn't give two hoots about legality and even less about people trying to be clever and spouting legalese at them, all they will be bothered about is getting the job done without fuss.
I guess once they actually start working on it, things will be considerably more restricted
My understanding was that work was already underway which was why the week day closure was in force? Anyone know for definite?
I've never bothered to get up early enough to go up and ride it, maybe this summer I'll have a go. 10 years driving it most weeks when I worked that patch never made me tire of the route though. Apart from the day I was going from Hathersage to Glossop and got right to the top before finding the road blocked by a burning bin lorry - that's a ****ing Ballachulish (I'm leaving that auto correct in!) of a diversion.
My understanding was that work was already underway which was why the week day closure was in force? Anyone know for definite?
Based on me going through there on Saturday afternoon...
There were more barriers and cones up around the damaged bits of road. The collapsed section has temporary traffic lights on it too.
There was (as of Saturday) no actual machinery in evidence. One of the laybys further down had some sort of temporary hut thing in it which could have been connected to the works.
The latest update from the council (or from a Councillor) was that the area was still moving as it dried out and they can't actually start doing anything until the ground is stabilised. As I understand it at the moment, it's a case of monitor it and work out what to do, not actually get in there and start pouring concrete.
I'll try and ride it on Thursday evening, it's the soonest I can get out of work early enough to get over there for a reasonable time.
I’m starting to get where you’re coming from!
Ha.
I suppose my thinking is partly along the line of risk, and partly asking where you draw the distinctions of pedestrian <--> cyclist <--> car. Pedestrians seem to have all sorts of rights: right of way on roads, right to roam etc. Cars obviously less and bikes are sandwiched somewhere in the middle. Sometimes playing Devil's Advocate in this situation makes people how arbitrary the rules are.
As far as risk (of further subsidence) is concerned, I'm sure that a cyclist is no more danger than a pedestrian, so perhaps the pedestrian rules ought to apply? Which is why I was asking if it's closed to pedestrians too.