I’m heading up to the Peaks next weekend for a proper explore. I’d like to do a route called Cut gate and Doctors gate that I found on gpsies, however I am aware that there are concerns over riding this route in the wet due to erosion. Is it now best avoided?

Cut gate will be a massive bog and Doctors Gate isn’t rideable unless you’re a trials bike god.

I’d head for the Edale Loop!

Usually I’d say avoid cut gate at this time of year but I was up there last weekend and other than the usual few bits in the bog of doom, the rest of it was very dry and in excellent condition. At the moment another dry week is forecast so if that holds, it should be fine to ride next weekend.

The consensus is generally that even in good weather CutGate/Doctors Gate isn’t the best route in the area. It’s very long with two huge stretches of road riding, on unpleasant A-roads. Cut Gate is awesome and well worth a ride in its own right (both ways are different and good) but Doctors Gate is very technical and unless you have great trials skills you’ll end up walking a lot.

Far better to do Cut Gate both ways with as much or as little as you want added on to the Ladybower end

If the route you have is a circular one that takes in both doctors gate and cut gate don’t do it..

cut gate is great, then you have to get to doctors gate which involves 7 or 8 miles of possibly the most unpleasant ride up the A57. Then doctors is a rubbish descent..

edale loop, cutgate out and back from ladybower or the classic ladybower loop would be a much better ride!

You’ll be lynched.

Thank you for the advice. I definitely don’t want to even go near a busy road.

On my second day I was thinking about doing the Scott mtb marathon route from Hope. Good idea?

Doctors Gate is ace in the dry if you like v techy riding.

Cut Gate will be boggy after the rain we’ve had this week, but is best done as an out and back as said above.

Linking them together as discussed above involves long and rubbish road sections.

Not sure what the Scott Marathon route is.

I’d do Edale, Rushup, Roych and Jacob’s one day – maybe with a drop or two off Hollins Cross at the end.

Then combine The Beast or Potato Alley, Lockerbrook, Hagg Farm, Whinstone Lee Tor around Ladybower on the other day.

I rode the Scott Marathon route this year and I know the area very well. The Scott Route is as good as it gets, best of everything and great in all weather conditions. I’d highly recommend it.

Thanks again.

Have found a nice out and back for Cut gate and then around Ladybower. Scott marathon route also downloaded.

Have put a 65km White Peak xc route on as well. Could make a nice contrast on day two.

Some places are still dry for the time of year. Did the Marsden circuit yesterday. Still had to clean the bike at the end (mainly just some mud sticking to the tyres) so not as good as a Summer, but nothing that had much impact on the actual riding, most parts had no mud at all.

Not sure how Cut Gate will compare

I did Doctors Gate in the Summer. There are only a few  short sections where I had to carry. This was mainly because those sections had a massive drop on the right hand side, with tech at the same time, so not worth the risk of crashing. Note: walking and carrying your bike on this sections is hard as well but not as dangerous as trying to ride them. Still worth it though. Just because there’s a few short sections of carrying doesn’t make it a write-off because 95% of it is quality if I remember right, and found it a better experience than riding the  same usual Dark Peak descents yet again.  There’s also a path which goes right up to Doctors Gate, mainly on paving slabs, so you can avoid the very busy A57,

You can also get to the top of Kinder Scout from this path at the cross roads at the top, though to get up onto Kinder is a carry on the final steep stepped section. From here you can ride across the top of Kinder Scout and drop down onto the top of Jacobs Ladder. Another option for those who are getting bored of the usual bridleways around the Hope Valley.

Not sure how muddy Cut Gate  will be, last went in early August and there was no mud at all! Even the part at the top had dried out.

I’ve done Cut Gate 3 times last Summer. The first time was just an out and back from Langesett to where Ladybower res starts. Good riding but too short.  The trail on the Langsett side is good as both a climb and a descent, while the trail on the Ladybower side is only good as a descent (and even at that it’s not as good as the longer one on the other side), and going the other way it is mostly a rubbish steep climb. I only got 14 miles out of it so was too short to drive all that way.

I went back the 2nd time and thought I’d do same as last time, except do a loop around Upper Derwent Res to make it longer, and stop at Fairholmes for food and water. Not the best idea. Cut Gate was quality as last time, but the ride around Upper Derwent Res was seriously boring and went on for longer than expected.

I went back the 3rd time, once again starting at Langsett, headed over Cut Gate then did Lockerbrook and Whinstone Lee Tor at the other end before heading back over Cut Gate. This was the best (but hardest) version of the ride. Over 45km and another 2 big hill climbs in addition to Cut Gate itself.

Grannyjones

I’ve also looked into extending the loop at the other end (Langsett) but found that apart from a small loop around Langsett Res, there isn’t a good loop possible on that side. What I did try (the option from the Dark Peak book) was absolute rubbish. The only extensions of any length and quality are possible on the Ladybower side.

Of cause you could make a massive loop out of it (Langsett > Longdendale Trail > Hadfield > Marple > Edale > Ladybower > Cut Gate) but it is around 80km and you would end up riding plenty of very disappointing sections to link stuff together.

There is also the Cut Gate + Doctors Gate loop in the Dark Peak book. This loop has around 10km on the very dangerous and busy A57 Snake Pass so that straight away makes it a write-off as far as I’m concerned.

Bog of Doom is boggy and doomy but the rest of the route on the Langsett side at least is fine at the moment. I’d say yes to Cut Gate.

I’ve never been to Cut Gate outside of very warm and dry Summer days so never seen the Bog of Doom. I’ve seen a bit at the top which has been a puddle at worst, or at best, no water up there at all. How big is the bog of doom ?

As I said on another thread.I rode it on saturday and am still feeling guilty – apart from the main descents, it’s wet enough up top that you’re cutting the landscape up a bit.

I’d be inclined to wait for a week of dry or more.

you’re not gonna wear out the hill.

I’d be inclined to wait for a week of dry or more.

That might be April now

I’ve only ever been up in spring and summer but to me the defining feature of the bog of doom is that it’s utterly unavoidable! It’s not that big, you can see the other side but there’s just no way round! It just spreads either side of the trail in every direction blocking all progress!!

Snowing up on Snake Pass today and it’s been belting it down too. Might be worth asking on keeper of the Peak

You’re not going to wear out the hill

10/10 for attitude

Any damage done to the landscape disappears in Summer

I was there in July and early August and from what I can remember it was in perfect condition

We were up there a couple of weeks ago and it was still running very good. It was bitterly cold on the top

As Pook said above its been raining on and off all week and has been heavy for the last 24 hours. With snow on the Snake Pass today there will probably be snow up on the top.

Its our local ride but will give it a miss till the frost comes.

It was pretty sloppy on Sunday but rideable and good fun (my first time riding in this neck of the woods) , can’t help but feel the group of half a dozen or more guys riding enduro motorbikes I came across probably not helping any erosion issues.

Regarding Doc’s Gate, read the info/opinions on this post when I did it a couple of months back.  I enjoyed it, but have to admit there are better rides out there.

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/get-thee-to-cut-gate-and-doctors-too-if-you-can-be-arsed/

Key points:

The A57 isn’t that bad COMPARED to the hell that is Woodhead Pass.  That was truly terrifying.

You can easily do the A57 on a road bike if you have one handy.  Just lock your mtb to the signpost at the top of the Snake Pass

Doctors Gate has some well tricky bits, but is by far mostly rideable.

Cut gate from the north is utterly amazing.  Every single bit of it is rideable (in the right weather) and yet there is loads of it (up and down) which is at the limit of a reasonably competent biker.  See if you can do every section, then if you’re a god see if you can link them up!

and at risk of stating the obvious, Doctors Cut is a good candidate for a shuttle if there’s a group of you.  Drive to the top of Snake and drop bikes and most people.  Drive to the res and leave a car.  Drive back up and ride.  Use car to collect car from top of pass…. etc  fafftastic but gets you 400m (guessing) of height gain and eliminates A57