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And also what's the steepest?
Cheers
Up or down?
Legit or cheeky?
parkin clough is a tough one.
top bit of doctors gate is also pretty tricky.
Legit for me its cavedale I've rode it dozens of times and never made it down without a dab
Cheeky wise I walked up lose hill recently and think it would be a challenge getting down the centre of that
Jacobs ladder, up
Legit and cheeky, going down!!
Cheeky - Parkin Clough, I will never clean this.
Legit - Cave Dale, this I have done clean a few times, but there is luck and dry conditions needed!
We shouldn't be discussing Parkin Clough as well it is highly dangerous to other users on the second part. You can't brake and stop if theres a few walking up. Therefore it is too dangerous (for all) to ride.
the beast.
the beast
Like Doctor's Gate, that one requires trials skills to clear it. Some of the trail is very much hit-and-hope, some is simply too big and jumbled up to roll.
Cavedale is proper technical, I've only ever cleared that twice in all the years I've been trying! Needs good weather and a quiet time as well, if you try it in the middle of tourist season you won't be able to move down there for all the walkers coming up.
As a climb, Jacobs Ladder. It is doable, I've seen it ridden (by Nick Craig) but even he freely admits to only managing it half a dozen times.
What ton said up there^^^^
Technically challenging
Parkin Clough is about control, skill and a splash of luck. You can brake and stop, if you can't, then your out of control and don't have the skills to ride it? The bottom half is rideable, I've done it more than once but I've never tried it from the top. I have walked up it and would say that the top section is the tougher.
Dr's Gate if iirc would require some trails skills to clear the Boulder/rock section near the top. Ive ridden the route once, walked that bit and it was ages ago, so might have changed a bit since.
As for steepest descent, dunno.
Did cavedale for the first time yesterday.
Great descent, I had a couple of dabs but I reckon I could ride it clean with a couple more goes and a bit of luck with walkers.
I was on a slack 170mm bike. Would be way tougher on an xc machine of course.
parkin clough is in a different league to the beast/jacobs/cutgate/cavedale.
a couple of the sweary boys can ride it. most cant.
Of those that I've ridden it has to be Cavedale. Loose, always wet, and slippy. Add in the hordes of walkers and I've not cleaned it yet.
The Beast I don't find that tricky. I'm not fast down it but it's fairly easy to get down clean.
[STWboasting] I cleaned* the Beast on a cross bike once[/STWboasting]
I'm teh awesums me.
* nearly.. 😆
The Beast is easy. I used to day dream on that. It's fun though.
Carlos the top of Parkin is way easier than the second half. I personally feel once on you are committed. That's bad news if you come across people who are supposed to be there. Even the steep cheeky across on WLT is way easier to stop on at any point. For that reason I don't think people should ride Parkin.
We should always 'what if' with walkers.
The beast is a piece of pish. All rollable, riding it fast is a challenge but for the most difficult legit downhill for me is Cavedale by far.
Lots of luck needed with no walkers, hell I did it early last Monday morning and still there was walkers blocking the sensible lines. But even once that hurdle is done, its a challenge and a half at the top.
Rushup
It's so technical that its deemed dangerous and has been closed over a year 😉
Tried to ride the beast fast yesterday with tired limbs at the end of a big loop, almost came a cropper. It's a bit like playing pinball on a bike.
The beast and cavedale are both rocky and maybe 'not for novices' but neither is really the kind of decent where you have to measure it in dabs. Especially on modern trail/enduro bikes.
Cavedale in winter is particulalry fun, just dont do it if it's been below zero or snowing as the narrow bit through the gate doesn't defrost untill the spring and also happens to be the steepest!
Other stuff thats a challenge:
Packhorse trail off stanage.
Blacka Moor / Dore drops, some trails more than others and weather dependant, another one thats really good fun over the winter but Ive not ridden it for a few years since it became popular.
Cut gate to langset resevoir. Not hugely technical, but a good challenge to learn as a lot of it's sunken so the trail itself is blind.
Don't tell me the beast is easy 🙁 I still feel pleased with myself everytime i clean it.
Cavedale gets my vote but i don't ride these cheeky routes.
Cavedale needs momentum!
I can ride the beast on my hardtail, but I wouldn't call it easy!
parkin clough is in a different league to the beast/jacobs/cutgate/cavedale.
a couple of the sweary boys can ride it. most cant.
Its horses for courses but I find parkin always doable without a dab (I've done in the dark with lights also)
But always struggle with cavedale as its mostly always wet and can be very slippery
Most times I've been rode it with some very capable riders and most struggle getting down without a dab
Hora I've a pic on my phone of you on parkin 😉
I think there are more technical descents than both Parkin and Cavedale. They both just take a bit of brakes off. Parkin is just sensible wheel placement.
I find Jacob's tougher - especially the bottom end.
Of course, you can always up the technical 'rating' of a route by upping the speed IMO
Yep Rushup with the bloody great sharp rocks that DCC dumped is lethal (hope you all have filled in the DCC consultation)
Cavedale needs momentum!
Of course, you can always up the technical 'rating' of a route by upping the speed IMO
Naaa, I remember riding cavedale on:
100mm XC hardtail with decidedly 'euro' geometry (very short, very steep, long stem).
130mm Hardtails (various)
150mm FS bike.
On the FS bike even the arse-puckering bit through the middle gate and down just becomes a case of disengaging the bit of your brain that deals with consequences of failure. Roll out of it and the rest is just a load of chatery rocks. The faster it's ridden, the easier it gets.
Ditto the beast, there's a few horrible rocks/steps with wheel swallowing gaps under them. Near impossible at walking pace without being Danny MacAskill, with a bit of momentum you just plop off them without any skill required.
I find parkin always doable without a dab (I've done in the dark with lights also)
But always struggle with cavedale
Are you sure you're talking about the same trails? You can ride Parkin Clough in the dark, but you can't ride Cavedale? Weirdo 😛
There's a great little section heading downhill from Surprise View car park that's pretty tech. Part of the first section is pretty difficult to clean.
The Beast - the hardest trail......[b]in the world.[/b]
The Beast - the hardest trail......in the world.
on a 1995 saracen tufftrax, yes; six inch middle manager mobile, no.
Erm he was saying that in Jeremy Clarkson s voice
Not done much cheeky in the Peak so it's Cavedale for me, probably clean it 50-60% of the time.
Isn't there some really techy stuff at Hollinsclough?
there's several sections there fathomer, it's very techy but very short, also pretty sure sure it's in staffordshire so technically not in the peak district?! I dunno.
I'm a useless mountain biker but have made I down the Beast a couple of times. The first time with a few dabs, the second time I just went for it. I've successfuly been down Jacob's as well and don't know how anyone in their right mind can think about riding up it.
However, I went down Cavedale not knowing what I had let myself in for and completely bottled the bottom part which I still have nighmares about. Tank traps is something that springs to mind about that trail.
Jekkyl, the Peak District includes bits of Derbyshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire. Hollinsclough's trails can play the game.
indeed Hollinsclough is in the peak district: http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/maps/pdmap
strange how there's little cut outs for Buxton, Glossop and Hayfield. Wonder why that is.
strange how there's little cut outs for Buxton, Glossop and Hayfield. Wonder why that is.
You often find that in National Parks. It makes development / housebuilding / renovations easier.
Anyone who says Parkin clough is easy doesn't know where Parkin Clough is.
The top stepped section is ridable, the bottom section (after the fire roads where everyone turns off and thinks they've "cleaned Parkin") is barely walkable never mind ridable.
+1 thepodge
I've never attempted to ride Parkin but have walked down it with a dog on a lead and 2 dozen cub scouts to look after. Virtually impossible to get down on foot.
For me cavedale is always the biggest challenge. I can now clear it if the conditions are right. The beast is easy in comparison.
I was thinking hollinsclough too, having ridden those trails only once in a thunderstorm I had one otb and one section I had a dab so had to go back and do it again. Might well be dead easy in the dry though.
Parkin Clough is certainly one of the toughest I've had a crack at. Cleared the top section, but parts of the bottom were beyond me.
There's also some pretty hard stuff near Alport Castles. And Laddow Rocks down to Crowden is consistently tech. Loads of steep cheeky stuff if you seek it out.
parkin clough easily the most tech youll find in the peak, and there wont be many riders that have cleaned it, I know of a few pros that have done it mind
but mere mortals and even highly skilled non elite/pros will struggle to completely do it, agreed with the podge any one who thinks that its not so hard mustn't be riding the whole thing, its very very very tricky
its about the only descent (not done doctors gate so cant comment), ive never got down and cant see myself getting down (the bottom section) in 1 complete run
hollinsclough there are 2 really techy ones, big drops, big boulders, but rideable if you commit, they are about as techy as ive seen in the white peak though....ive only ever done both in the wet and raining and was meaning to go back in summer but never got around to it, I imagine its much easier in the dry as the rocks are slippy when when wet, its one of those lines you have to commit to as some of the tech drops aren't overly rollable on it
cavedale, I'm really struggling see how its mega techy, but each to their own, yes its slippy and wet (pretty much all year) but I don't find it a chore to get down in one go, the beast too, don't see it as techy, just fun and fast
The top stepped section is ridable, the bottom section (after the fire roads where everyone turns off and thinks they've "cleaned Parkin") is barely walkable never mind ridable.
There's a horrible sketchy drop a bit higher up which I think is the crux move, I don't think I've ever cleaned it. The bottom section is more consistently hard but not as scary!
Hollinsclough descents are gnarly but not too steep if memory serves?
Or maybe I didn't find them all.
Superficial - There's a horrible sketchy drop a bit higher up which I think is the crux move, I don't think I've ever cleaned it. The bottom section is more consistently hard but not as scary!
Not sure we're on about the same bit, the top section is basically a load of old steps, then there is a fire road, the bottom section which is about 4 times longer is rocky and rooty with a big drop into the stream on your right.
The beast is only technical because you can go at it fast.