Next weekend, me and my lad are riding from High Peak Junction up to Hurdlow and back – a mini bike packing trip, but staying in a camping barn.

The short route is obviously straight up the High Peak Trail, but I was wondering about cutting down the Sustrans route 54 to Carsington Water and following it over to the Tissington Trail. Gradient wise, it doesn’t look too bad, but was wondering what the roads were like.

He is a strong rider for his diminutive size and we do ride on quiet local roads. But I would rather not be taking him on anything too busy or fast.

Any local knowledge around?

The hard parts are High Peak Junction to Middleton Top

First slope up from HPJ to Black Rocks is something like 1.5 miles at 1:8, Black Rocks to Middleton Top is maybe have a mile at 1:10, the just Hopton Rise after that which is 1:14

Going from Carsington to Tissington involves a long road descent on a country lane, then you would cross the ford to begin the road slog up to Tissington.

He will find it tough at that age, whichever route you go.

Out of nosiness, are you staying at the Royal Oak at Hurdlow? Looks a great place.

Yep, got the four person bunk house.

I have provisioned for a sling arrangement to give him a tow if needs be. We have all day, so if we walk the steep stuff it isn’t a problem. At least the tough bits are at the start.

It’s quite undulating but my lad did it at that age without any problem so you are likely to be ok

I would agree with MoreCash here, and that doesn’t often happen, the rises up from high peak are fairly sharp and reasonably long for a 7yr old – personally I wouldn’t do it with my 7yr old as I don’t think he would enjoy it, but without knowing yours I can’t really help.

Roads aren’t to bad for traffic that way though

We are both really excited. Just gone over the route with him. He is determined to ride 50 miles :-)think at best we will be a fair way off that though.

Hoping for a trial run tomorrow with the bikes loaded up. He has his sleeping bag and a few light bits on his bars and I have the rest. So if you see a fat bike loaded up with a small guy in tow, give him some shouts of encouragement!

He is raising some money for wheels4life as well and doing a project for school, so hopefully it all goes to plan.

Just hoping the weather improves if it’s as bad in the Peak as it has been in the Midlands.

Hmm – now wondering if we should start at Middleton Top or Steeple Grange.

It is a constant climb from Tissington

We have done the length of tissington before, so know that part quite well.

I think you’ll have a great time. Any reason you want to do the HPT rather than the Tissington trail?

For a 7 year old I’d do the Tissington trail, partly because there are some good places to stop – like the sweet shop in Tissington, and it’s a lot less exposed.

As above, the rise up to Middleton Top will be a drag for him, and there’s another though small rise just shortly after. From there it’s a nice but more exposed ride up to Parsley Hay.

If you want to do the 54A route you should be fine as there’s little traffic in Hopton and Bradbourne. Just be careful crossing the roads around Carsington. The slog is the hill from Tissington splash (Ford) up to Tissington…I doubt he’ll like that! Also by linking up on the 54 you loose ALL the height you worked to gain, so I wouldn’t recommend it.

The Royal Oak is a brilliant pub, and the food is fantastic. At 7 he’d love the play area at the Bull in Monyash just down the road (but it’s not great ride back to the Royal Oak from there for a 7 year old. The road can get busy and it’s a very long drag).

Weather is OK here. No rain all day, about 15c and it’s apparently much nicer tomorrow.

Crell – thanks for the info. As I say, the original plan was to do both trails and this seemed a good way to join them up.

Sorry to jump in but The Royal Oak is a regular haunt for us. Seriously good food and beer!

Good stuff. We will be in there eating our own bodyweight and playing Pass the Pigs if you happen to be around 🙂

Should be a good trip, as long as he see’s it as fun and doing for a reason not just for dad then he should enjoy it. W’ve just finished the way of the roses a month after my son turned 8. it was 185 miles in total and absolutely fantastic family fun, already planning the next trip.

Woop! Woop! andyfla has agreed with me! 😆

Let us know how this trip goes, might be an idea for me and my lad. (But he’s 11 next week, and would refuse to try and ride up from High Peak Junction!)

I had planned my appointments in the Peak next week so I would be passing by the Royal Oak at lunchtime, stumbled across it when walking the HPT with my wife a couple of months ago. Then some little old dear rearranged on me… 👿

By the way, is the trail fully open from High Peak Junction yet? Seems to have been closed for months to repair the retaining wall. The path round the works was rideable going down, challenging going up carrying kit, but easily walkable

I shall report back. I have a number of options depending on weather and how the boy is feeling. The easiest option being to just do the Tissington Trail.

Bikes are loaded up ready for a trial run in the Wyre Forest tomorrow to make sure nothing falls off!

Stufield – how long did that take you? Sounds great!

High Peak Trail was fully open the other night I think. Rode up it all anyway – still lots of scaffolding up and the diversion in place, but the main trail through the works was open.

Sheep pastures incline was still under the diversion last time I rode there a couple of weeks ago. Roughly 1 in 7 for over a mile is a tough start for a nipper, especially as 1 in 8.75 climb to Middleton Top follows soon after.

Personally I would stay on the High Peak Trail rather than mix it with traffic. There are a couple of short sections on reasonably busy roads on the route across from Carsington Water.

If you want to short cut across to the Tissingtin Trail from theHigh Peak Trail look at Cardelmere Lane (route 54 off-road) and then along the Tissington Trail to Parsley Hay & Hurdlow.

Cuckoo – thanks for that. I hadn’t spotted that cut through. I think that will be the route we take all going well.

We’ve done the a Tissingon Trail, 54A, High Peak Trail circular route a couple of times.

This to be precise

http://www.ebygomm.ourownlittleworld.org/mapping/osmap.php?f=trialrun.gpx

All fairly quiet roads, but some steep bits at times, I think it’s doable for a 7 year old taking it steady. If you start somewhere round Carsington you can miss out the High Peak Junction to Middleton top bit.

What Cuckoo said, use the Cardlemere Lane cut through to Tissington Trail, a short stint on a very quiet road to just along from the Mininglow carpark and 800 metres along a road with an off the road cycle track beside it.
It’s quite a fun offroad uphill, with a long gentle descent.

Did I see you on the Tissington Trail today on fat tyre bike with a youngster in front?

Yep, that sounds like us. We had a fantastic weekend. Started off at Bradbourne after finding out that no one would let us leave the car overnight anywhere near Carsington. Adam did a great job almost making the climb from Tissington Ford. The Tissington Trail was quite tough for him given the steady gradient, but we made it with plenty of stops and the thought of large platefuls of food and a bed at Hurdlow.

The Royal Oak was great. Very welcoming and ideal for us. Will definitely stay there again.

After eating piles of cooked breakfast we headed to Parsley Hay and then picked up the High Peak Trail. This was just amazing and he set a good pace in the morning sun, spotting hares and rabbits in the fields. Stopped for lunch just before Middleton Top and headed off on road to Carsington. After an ice cream stop it was back on road to the car.

14 miles on the first day and 20 on the second.

Remembered this having ended up at the Royal Oak yesterday for lunch.

Think I may borrow your plan and do something similar with my lad. as the accommodation like at the Royal Oak?

Sorry, just saw your post. The accommodation is great – so long as you expect a bunk house. Pub food is amazing. We had a brilliant time but had real issues parking, so the Bradbourne town hall (which isn’t signed) was good to find.

Will probably do it again some time.