Anyone know if there is a cyclable trail from northern Derwent Reservoir area across the Moors to the summit of Snake Pass/ Doctors Gate ?
Note that I'm not talking about the standard Bleaklow Circuit that goes through Woodlands Valley and up Snake East. Bin there dun that.
Also not talking LOTL nor TPT/Woodhead pass.
I'm looking for a ( clearly cheeky) route over Bleaklow, probably going near the plane wreck.
So Langsett
South over Cut Gate to Slippery Stones.... then what?
Turn right at Slippery Stones to head north then west to Swains Head.
Or up the River Westend and onto Ridgewall Moor...
Up onto Bleaklow Hill then south along the Penine Way to Snake.
TBH, it looks utterly shit, even in this drought, but would love be to find a way through.
Anyone?
You could ride the Land Rover shooting track as far as Lands Clough but from there its not great up to Swains Head and from there it’s really broken through groughs as far as Bleaklow. I’d not want to ride it.
But moreso the land owners (National Trust from memory) consider that area one of the most ecologically sensitive bits of land they manage. Seeing bike tracks across it really wouldn’t do much for the reputation of mountain bikers going forward and could unpick good work done elsewhere. If in doubt look at the issues trying to organise the High Peak Marathon across that part of the Peak, basically unlikely to ever be held in the foreseeable future. Glad I managed to run it before it got closed down.
So, you could but you really shouldn’t.
TBH, it looks utterly shit, even in this drought, but would love be to find a way through.
Very much this plus Doctors Gate is also mostly shit anyway. A whole load of trials riding if you're very good (walking/carrying/pushing if you're not), some rideable bits and then a swamp at the bottom.
I made the mistake of trying to find a way through on the other side of Snake Pass once (heading towards Little Hayfield direction) and it was similarly awful. Very little that was rideable, two incredibly arsey walkers and a ride that basically turned into a push.