Cut Gate advice

I was looking at riding the Kinder Circuit again this weekend. I like the mix of XC, technical etc.

However I do want to try something new- what is the Cut Gate loop like? (Vgraphics version).

Ive only ever seen one pic of Cut Gate (traversing the side of a valley). Is it good? Worth the trip etc?

Always worth the trip, the climb up from Langsett is great – technical but not impossible for mere mortals & the descent into the valley is tight & can be scary.
Heading back the other way the run back down to Langsett is fast & furious but needs concentration.

Remember Hora, there are no bail out options on the cut gate ride. It's an out and back. ONce you;re out, you;re out…

Is in an out and back or a loop? It makes a good couple of hours ride as an out and back. Start at the Langsett side and I always go down the main trail at the end and then back up and down North America as well adds to the fun.

if you make it into a loop it means goig ove to glossop and back vie doctors gate / snake pass or via Edale. Great ride going vie Jacobs ladder or roych clough, but a full day's riding – 47 miles I think we clocked it at, 10 hours.

47 miles I think we clocked it at, 10 hours

😯

I'm fine with the Hope Tour (33km?). So Cut Gate (28km?) should be fine. If I find it difficult going, I'll just stop and rest. You can't do that in a group 🙂

We always do a loop of Derwent water etc. and add in the cut-throat bridge section.

It's just 'Derwent Reservoir', Derwent Water is in the Lakes IIRC. It is however a good ride with Derwent Edge and Cutthroat Bridge thrown in.

All on the Derwent / Howden side

V Graphics Cut Gate is great. Do It. Set off from Fairholmes out and back. Next time I do it I'm adding the Langsett loop (V Graphics again) to it.

Not having seen the revised path, is Cut Gate now a viable all weather route?

"Not having seen the revised path, is Cut Gate now a viable all weather route? "

A lot more than it used to be, but not all of it

Hora, I'll be doing cut gate saturday morning if you fancy meeting up for a ride out and back from fairholmes?
It will be a very steady pace as I'm recovering from an injury and well out of shape. PM me if you're up for it.

Pat

It's gonna be pretty damn wet at the moment.

A

holy shit i've never seen it dry

My mates rode it last weekend after a couple of years away and loved it.

If you've got the time and energy the slabbed BW climb heading uphill (steep) away from the lefthand side of Ladybower ends in a great descent towards the A57. I've only ridden it once and it was dry but it just seemed the perfect gradient and was coverd in things to launch off!!

Pat emailed you. alexpalacefan weathers looking good so far- does it not drain well? It *looks* c.90% drainable?

Errr no. Certainly elements never seem to dry out unless there has been a continuous dry period a la those photos posted.

I'm still itching to do it and kinda in limbo which way to set off at the moment 😐

Do it from Fairholmes if you want a full ride – worth it just for the descent to Cranberry Clough.

If you just want a quick blast go from Langsett up to the Howden Edge cairn and turn around.

How do you get onto North America? Start at the carpark nearest the Flouch Inn? The VGraphics book doesnt make it clear.

Hora, it'll be fine today, go for it! If I were you, I'd set off from Langsett car park. Go out of the gate at the end of the car park, straight across the road, onto the firetrack through the woods, take a left after a while and you'll go down a short steep bit, cross a bridge over a river, then you're on the bridleway. You'll know it's right cos it's a steepish quite interesting climb.

Just don't turn off the bridleway and you can't go wrong. Eventually you'll come to a cairn – it's the highest point on the bridleway. Chill here, take in the view, and decide if you're up for a much bigger ride or not. If you turn back and retrace your route it's a great descent all the way back pretty much, and you've an option to turn off to North America farm on the return – it's signposted.

If you decide to carry on from the cairn, you have a v long downhill with some ace technical bits, but remember on the way back it's a long and sapping climb/push….

I've always set off from the langsett side, and gone around the resevior anticlockwise. There are some good little bits that way that you may miss out if you only follow the VG graphics Cut Gate route

I've never seen it dry, but I'd guess it'd be quite, but not as wet as January right now

Some pics:
"You'll know it's right cos it's a steepish quite interesting climb" is here:

from the langset side and over in order:






There'll probably be a bit of this

Some bits like this too

One of the best rides in the peaks IMO.

Well just back in from the Bradwell Circuit. The descent into Bradwell is awful. Gloopy, the dry then really cut up. With too much riding on roads in general 🙁

Next Sat, CutGate WILL be mine. All mine….if anyone fancies is as well.

But did see a Lancaster Bomber(?) and a Hurricane? fly lowish over Hope valley today

Wasn't a Lanc, it looked to be a Manchester as it had only two engines that sounded pretty lame compared to Merlins and it had the funny shaped top turret. It was crawling thru the air too. We were sat up on Hope Brink being entertained by Higgo with his amazing seatpost.

Now I know I was extracted an ever-lengthening seatpost at the time but I think it was a Dakota accompanied by a Hurricane with the Spitfire a bit further off. Probably part of the BBMF on route from a display at Gamston to one at Rhyl.

Despite laughing at Hig's stretchy seatpost with its random saddle angle generator clamp!
I did manage to get a couple of quick shots of the planes(very distant & taken with a cheap compact camera, and there might have been a Dakota in the air somewhere but I am sure Dakota's didn't have twin vertical stabilizers.
Will post pictures

Worlds most out of focus & tiny aircraft shots

Rode cut gate yesterday, apart from a handful of boggy bits it is all in very good condition, eminently rideable.

Right! Im off this Saturday weather dependent. Will endeavor to take a camera and show up SFB's shots 🙂

Any takers? For a SLOW. I repeat SLOW ride. As in- pushing up most of the ups (worse-case) and I literally mean that in case anyone doesn't want disappointing.

How do you get onto North America? Start at the carpark nearest the Flouch Inn? The VGraphics book doesnt make it clear.

Park in the Reservoir car park ride out of the carpark through the gate on the left as you look at the water (signed no bikes! but its only a few yards to the gate onto the dam) and drop left to the dam. Cross the dam on road and look for BW on right as you climb up. BW goes up edge of wood and spills out near a house and garages, keep the house on right and look for snick through right between house and garage, this path takes you down to a minor road go thro farm gate on right and then follow BW eventually up to North America.
It's up to you then which path, through the gate takes you to the main cut gate path or left up the peat takes you up the classic north america descent (good for picking your lines later IMO). both paths meet at signpost on Mickleden Edge.

Have fun, it was all fairly dry last night 😀

Heading up there on Monday night – can't wait for more of this

http://www.vimeo.com/3848666

rode it on tuesday and despite the low cloud/hill fog and all the rain we've been seeing lately it was pretty dry. the best bit was descending back to Langsett in the dark with the fog with only two metres max visability. eerie, dangerous but intensely fun! never ridden it in those conditions before 🙂

Have fun, it was all fairly dry last night

Rain Friday/tomorrow but only some parts are boggy I guess.

Pooks- how come you climbed up the interesting descent on Walna Scar? (from your Vimeo)!

hora i may well join you – which is your start end and what time?
robjackson@hotmail.co.uk

From Fairholmes. I was going to follow the books route religiously. Timewise? 10am ish? Leisurely though. I might be quicker, no guarantees though. If I pre-stress/pressure myself I tend to go slower. Wierd I know. Everyone most welcome 🙂

maybe see you there, email me your number

YGM

maybe see you there, email me your number

I've found mobile reception to be nil/poor at Fairholmes.