Castleton Route Advice

Planning a ride with a few mates in the Castleton area and could do with the hive mind helping out on the last bit…

Start In Castleton, up broken road, down greenlands, up to hollins cross, down back tor, jaggers clough to hope cross (ish), down potato alley, up via rowlee farm, down hagg farm, elmin pits climb up to hope cross.

Now… last time we did this and made our way back to Castleton we did so via pindale and cavedale, but pindale was a bit too much for some of the lads so now looking for an alternative return?

Is the descent from hollins cross down to hollowford road any good? If so whats the best way to climb up from edale to hollins cross??

Any other ideas?

Think you have to just tell your mates to pull themselves together and get up pindale, because that’s the best end to your route. The descent off HC to Edale is OK but not worth a specific climb up to do.

Pindale is a grind after a decent ride like that, but just push up because Cavedale is worth it. Or take the road up from Bradwell (after you’ve descended Hope Brink). That’s still an effort but easier than pindale.

From Edale to Hollin’s Cross either ride up the road and then turn left and skirt around Mam Tor if you want it to be rideable.

If you want a bit of a test and probably some easy hike a bike, just go up the bridleway.

The bridlepath from Hollin’s Cross down to Hollowford Road is probably best described as slippery as **** unless it’s bone dry. Quite fun, but expect that at least some of you will be on your arses at some point. There’s nothing too technical on it.

The descent off HC to Edale is OK but not worth a specific climb up to do.

I agree with that assessment. It’s ok for route completion, but not a classic.

Think you have to just tell your mates to pull themselves together and get up pindale, because that’s the best end to your route.

Hmm thats why that was the plan last time. I suppose we could cut out the hagg farm side altogether and keep pin/cavedale in.

if you don’t want to climb pindale then you can go up the road – follow it round to the right then double back left to the top of Pin Dale and rejopin for Dirtlow rake.

I’d much rather ride down Dirtlow Rake and Pindale though then ride up them, and I’d take those over Cavedale personally, but then again I haven;t tried it in “quite some time”

From Edale to Hollin’s Cross either ride up the road and then turn left and skirt around Mam Tor if you want it to be rideable.

If you were going to ride up the tarmac – which is a horrible, draggy thing on a mountain bike – just turn right and do a horrible, draggy climb up Chapel Gate off road then zip along Rushup Edge – to Mam Nick and hit the bridleway from that direction. Slower, but more interesting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice climb on a road bike, but a horrid drag on a mountain bike.

Anyway, I wouldn’t bother for the Hollowford road thing. Cavedale or Pindale would be considerably more fun. If a small number of people are terrified of Pindale, they can always miss it out – carry on down the road, steep descent into the back of Castleton, turn right at the bottom before you get into the villlage as things level out, then along the back road to meet the others at the bottom of Pindale.

You also have the option of doing The ‘so called’ Beast / Fluffy Kittens, then turning left along the side of the water thing to the bottom of Potato Alley.

Edit: I wouldn’t bother climbing up Pindale. Or on the road. I think I’d just do a completely different route…

Spin the route around – up the broken road, turn left and ride to dirtlow rake / pindale, through hope and up the roman road, do a loop over potato alley / hagg farm / fairholmes / wooler knoll to make a figure 8, then through jaggers clough to Hope Cross and either down Hollowford road or right round to finish on cavedale

If a small number of people are terrified of Pindale, they can always miss it out – carry on down the road, steep descent into the back of Castleton, turn right at the bottom before you get into the villlage as things level out, then along the back road to meet the others at the bottom of Pindale.

Oh, I was seeing pindale as a climb to reach the cavedale descent in the original route. It’a much better descent though

Oh, I was seeing pindale as a climb to reach the cavedale descent in the original route. It’a much better descent though

I think you were right… Obviously the ‘real’ climbing challenge would be to ride up Cavedale…  ;-)

I think I’d probably do a Jacob’s / Roych loop and finish with a descent of Cavedale after a blast along Rushup Edge, but then I lack imagination.

Obviously the ‘real’ climbing challenge would be to ride up Cavedale

In the rain.

When did you last ride it? Pindale was resurfaced a year(ish) ago, so might be less of a struggle for people.

The pindale thing wasnt the technicality of it, it was the long climb aspect after what a few of them thought was already a big day out.

What always amuses me on these rides are those who are maybe lacking a bit of fitness and are carrying a few extra pounds but then turn up for a 3 to 4hr peak ride on a 160/170mm enduro bike. Despite me sharing the route in advance with time / distance / elevation all set out in black and white. Nice bunch though.

What always amuses me on these rides are those who are maybe lacking a bit of fitness and are carrying a few extra pounds but then turn up for a 3 to 4hr peak ride on a 160/170mm enduro bike. Despite me sharing the route in advance with time / distance / elevation all set out in black and white

. This made me giggle, as with any group ride, this has been the case.

What always amuses me on these rides are those who are maybe lacking a bit of fitness and are carrying a few extra pounds but then turn up for a 3 to 4hr peak ride on a 160/170mm enduro bike. Despite me sharing the route in advance with time / distance / elevation all set out in black and white. Nice bunch though.

Big bike in the peak is really hard, but would be fun on cavedale right enough. I think in part its because almost everything in the Peak is rideable. 250 m vert is the max more or less, so no climbs are huge, its rounded rather than steep – no one thing is killer but it’s relentless after a while on an enduro bike.

I actually drove up cavedale last w/e – did a Ladybower route with my son and he wanted to see what Cavedale was like, but nae legs. So we parked up the rake, rode it (was great), left him with a tea and cake in Castleton and rode back up to get the car.

Start In Castleton, up broken road, down greenlands, up to hollins cross, down back tor, jaggers clough to hope cross (ish), down potato alley, up via rowlee farm, down hagg farm, elmin pits climb up to hope cross.

Sounds good. Personally the beast is loads better that Potato, but then Potato gets you to Rowlee better

Now… last time we did this and made our way back to Castleton we did so via pindale and cavedale, but pindale was a bit too much for some of the lads so now looking for an alternative return?

If I’m late on in a big ride then I tend to go up through Bradwell and Batham Gate rather than Pindale. It’s dull road work but at least it’s rideable with dozens of miles already done.

you don’t want to climb pindale then you can go up the road – follow it round to the right then double back left to the top of Pin Dale and rejopin for Dirtlow rake.

Nah, that has a really annoying bit of road descending. 40m less lost descent if you go Bradwell

I’d much rather ride down Dirtlow Rake and Pindale though then ride up them, and I’d take those over Cavedale personally, but then again I haven;t tried it in “quite some time”

😟🤔😁 Yak!

Is the descent from hollins cross down to hollowford road any good?

Didn’t someone say it’s been resurfaced recently….

If so what’s the best way to climb up from edale to hollins cross??

Defo Greenland’s Farm to Hollins as it’s all rideable. ( though admittedly a big ask after a long ride)

You also have the option of doing The ‘so called’ Beast / Fluffy Kittens, then turning left along the side of the water thing to the bottom of Potato Alley.

+1 Anything that avoids Potato Alley has to be s good thing.

Spin the route around – up the broken road, turn left and ride to dirtlow rake / pindale

All the way up Broken Road just to go down Pindale?
Not keen on this suggestion

Any other ideas?

You could add Cut Gate as well if the group is well up for it…
But then you’d need to do the Pindale ascent first, else there’s no way they’d make it.

Anyway, sounds like a good route. Especially like the Toboggan/Greenland’s/Hollins/ Backtor shizzle. That’s a key part of my Peak Tarmac Avoidance route.

I actually drove up cavedale last w/e – did a Ladybower route with my son and he wanted to see what Cavedale was like, but nae legs. So we parked up the rake, rode it (was great), left him with a tea and cake in Castleton and rode back up to get the car.

Yep. If I’m with a mismatched group ( which up until COVID I pretty much always was) then I’d park most cars at Castleton then take people to the top of Winnats in the van to start the ride. Meant the kids had fresher legs and the keen people got a lovely 250m climb to keep them exercised.

Park in Castleton, Up Broken Road, cut round Left over Windy Knoll and past Rowter Farm to do Cavedale, back up Broken Road, then pick your loop up.. blah blah blah, finish on The Roman Road back into Hope, head out to Pindale but keep Right and stick on the lanes back in to Castleton?