MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Looks like it closed for several week, it's a cracking climb without the cars.
Any locals know if its rideable?
(even if its only up to where the landslide was/is)
I don’t know about just now but I did it once when it was closed by roadworks and it was great.
If it's a landslide you should be able to get off and carry around it, maybe a wide berth depending on how stable it looks
done the same, not bothered about going over, it's well worth riding up and just turning around at the top.
It's not a landslide closure in the traditional sense - ie road covered in earth, rocks and debris from landslide above it. It's the land underneath and below it that has gone. In addition the land underneath it is still moving. Which could mean the road itself ending up in the river (kind of similar to Mam Tor IANAG)
Probably safe to ride, but you might end up surfing tarmac down a steep hill..
I rode it a few years back and it was full of motorbikes and boy racers. Cyclists aren't the only one thinking it being closed might be fun.
I'm tempted to head over there early morning or late afternoon this weekend and see what it's like.
I rode it a few years back and it was full of motorbikes and boy racers. Cyclists aren’t the only one thinking it being closed might be fun.
Yes, the usual format is that it's nice to cycle for about 2 weeks before the local motorcyclists discover it and use it as a racetrack. It's not fun to be riding it to find a motorbike coming towards you on a racing line at 120mph...
camera front and back, assuming they dont kill me any c**tishness will be reported.
just some decent weather now 😀
They've said access has been maintained for residents so I suspect you could get right through even if it meant a couple of little walks with a bike.
Might be best done on weekend as i would imaging the contractors won't be happy about members of the public wandering through a work site.
Cracking idea... I'm firing the KTM up.
Tweet from Simon Warren (the 100 Climbs... guy) earlier to say he'd ridden it both ways and it was great, no traffic at all and no bother getting through the damaged sections.
came to post that - https://twitter.com/100Climbs/status/1497189589500317700
This report says at least 4 weeks closure.
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/a57-snake-pass-to-remain-closed-for-at-least-four-weeks-following-three-landslides-25-02-2022/
Simon Warren says it is!
game on, now for some dry weather...weekend doesnt look that bad.
I've ridden through road works before to avoid a long detour on a dual carriageway and the workers didn't bat an eyelid so that aspect wouldn't bother me
Rode it today. I wasn't actually planning on it initially but realised half way through my ride that there'd be a cross/tailwind over it so I re-routed.
Bottom of Fairholmes there was active traffic management - 2 bored looking guys in a truck who didn't even look up from their phones as I rode through. Once on the road there were quite a few people walking, a couple of horse riders and lots of cyclists. Saw one car, guessing it must have been a local farmer cos it was a battered 4x4.
Three sections of damage. One is some cracks in the road, one long stretch where the entire verge has gone - it's literally just edge of road > big drop. And one stretch where it's all sunken and twisted but more or less intact.
Anyway, it's all open to cyclists, was lovely to ride it.
A mate was up there today too, rode it both directions !
If you go to the Yorkshire Post FB page, that story has predictably brought out all the frothing gammons furious that cyclists can ride on a closed road.
Rideable but some reasonable cracks opening up across the road in places some take some care, I'm told on descents toward east.
There are cones around the bits which are falling down. It's a lovely ride - feels very unusual for England, with the forest and the long climb.
Rode it yesterday, E->W. Absolutely fine. The cracky sections are pretty obvious and coned off.
A very pleasant experience on the whole.
**NB there is still some motorized traffic on it - farm vehicles and the like (and randomly a 911 GT3), so I'd still stick to your own side of the road!**
Closed to cyclists now according to a photo I’ve just been sent. Had vague plans of going up over holme moss and back to Sheffield via snake on Sunday. Maybe not now
https://photos.app.goo.gl/u6nBz2Z7oqm9zmBZ6
Sign says "Road closed for cyclists" rather than "to cyclists" 🤔
I'm going to try and head out there tomorrow to assess the weekend situation.
Otherwise it'll be reduced to getting out there at 6pm and doing a night ride over it.
Can you keep this thread updated if you do it tomorrow as I had it planned for Sunday. Thanks
Ditto re Sunday ta
Open to bikes all weekend. Just ridden it. Fuller update once I'm home - I'm mid ride at the moment! Thought I'd let people know in time to plan weekend rides though. 🙂
I rode it from the Fairholmes side, got there about 9.15am today (Saturday 5th) and the signage that I'd seen on Twitter saying Road Closed to Cyclists had been replaced by a simple Road Closed sign.
A couple of guys in a Highways van at the bottom who said it was fine to go on, the road would be open to cyclists all weekend and then work would be starting again on Monday.
Was overtaken by a tractor somewhere up around the Snake Pass Inn and there were a couple of other cars on it (farmers and residents) so it still requires some care. Windy up the top and loads of riders coming up from the Glossop side.
Also, watch it if you do it early on, there were a couple of patches of ice in the sheltered spots.
The original landslide spot has got considerably worse, half the left hand lane has now disappeared down the hillside (it's barriered off, there's no danger) but when I rode it last weekend, it was only the verge that had slipped. There's a few cracks across the road in various places but it's mostly that one slippage.
Excellent news, thanks for the update.
Does seem to have made for some grumpy drivers in the area today! Looping it back to the south involved lots of beef. In hindsight an out and back would have been much nicer
I went over from the Ladybower side to Glossop this morning around 11am. It was amazing. Barely any wind at the top.
I headed South from Glossop and eventually back into the Hope Valley, no problems with car drivers. Excellent lunch in a café in New Mills.
Does seem to have made for some grumpy drivers in the area today!
It's always like that. They're either desperately en route to the Harvester or similar for Sunday cholestrol and refined sugar top-ups or about to undertake / just done an arduous expedition to the legendary peak of Hollins Cross from Mam Nick basecamp and buzzed with righteous outdoor adrenaline.
You're arguably better off heading across on the Strines Road to Langsett, then threading over to Holmfirth on back roads then back across to Glossopville over Holme Moss, which tends to be relatively quiet. A quick half mile on the Woodhead then off up the back road to Glossop.
Glossop this morning was like a Sportive start line. I joined the club for a ride up and back down (from Glossop) fairly early on but the variety of people on the road - kids, folk on touring bikes, hybrids, e-bikes - was amazing.
Fairholmes side (which I didn't ride today) seemed to be quieter as it's a bit more remote but a friend rode it and certainly down towards the res said there were a good number of people walking, cycling and horse riding along it.
Not sure what the score is with closures during the week, might head back midweek and have a look.
The wind on the decent was proper sketchy, a really nasty crosswind. Front wheel was wobbling all over the place at one point as the wind swirled around the valley. Somehow in spite of a promising forecast, I seem to have caught a head/crosswind at least for a bit on every ride over there...
We came through a bit later than @crazy-legs today.
Same story though! Lots of cyclists but not exactly busy. Some walkers especially lower down. Clear sky, sun out, bit gusty which mattered more going down than up. Lovely atmosphere, everyone happy and relaxed. And leaving Glossop people coming the other way excitedly asking if it's open etc
Basically a chilled cycling party on a great road. Really recommend it to anyone within range.
I did Ladybower Glossop Ladybower today, fantastic to see such a wide range of people and bikes plus the odd walker and runner. Great to see a load of litter pickers too, gave them some good words, doing a fantastic job.
Less great to see 5 motorbikes and 3 luxury SUV driving over.
Went over it this evening from Glossop down to Ladybower. Probably saw half a dozen cars. I'm not sure it's really very closed.
If you go to the Yorkshire Post FB page, that story has predictably brought out all the frothing gammons furious that cyclists can ride on a closed road.
This is so weird. Surely drivers of that ilk should be *thankful* that cyclists have all gone over to a road that they're not on.
Derbyshire police RPU bikers Twitter feed states that they can and will now be fining cyclists for riding through the road closures. There’s even a special sign that states the road is closed for cyclists..
Not on Twitter so can’t post a link to it but seen it via on a Facebook page.
Edit
Hope this link works
Try here
I assume it's still open for access. As a cyclist, I wish to access various rights of way along there. They've not closed those.
.
Cheeses for the update. I didn’t go in the end but my strava feed is full of people who rode over the snake yesterday. Interesting point re access above. A mtb loop from Edale to fairholmes or vice versa necessitates riding on some of the a57. Can’t see that being an issue
A mtb loop from Edale to fairholmes or vice versa necessitates riding on some of the a57. Can’t see that being an issue
Yeah, you could get onto it from Lockerbrook or Potato Alley, however from some of the comments on there, I *can* see it being an issue. Seems like they got a bit overwhelmed with cyclists at the weekend and there's clearly been some drivers getting through the closure under whatever pretext they've used.
I kinda suspect that the problem is that loads of drivers are using it because "it can't be that bad if cyclists can use it", and so they've closed it for everybody.
It was closed to cyclists during the week last week. The tweet was posted today, and I’d expect the road to be closed to everyone while they are working.
I’d also expect a strong anti-cyclist message from Derbyshire Police…
Reads as if there has been further damage to the road so it'll be closed 24/7 to all but access and maintenance traffic from now on.
Update from Derbyshire County Council.
It's closed to all.
Whereabouts exactly is the landslip? Is it still possible to cross at lockerbrook and hagg?
Yes, easy. The landslip is further on
There are still some idiots going through when told not to, so I suspect that's caused the complete closure. Weekdays, yes fully appreciate not using it when contractors are working. Some people have still been trying to use it.
love the way that facebook update from the council slips in this bit...
'We are also aware of road races involving vehicles taking place at night.'
like that in itself is not a massive freaking issue.
That police post is utterly ****ing pathetic. They are worried about ****s racing cars so they ban the cyclists.
That police post is utterly * pathetic. They are worried about * racing cars so they ban the cyclists.
Every single time Snake has been closed for landslides, roadworks etc, it's taken the boy racers a week or so to discover that they can just use part of the road as a racetrack.
We used to do night rides over it years ago when it first got closed for a couple of months and it was fine for a fortnight or so. Then it became a site for car meets - once or twice a week, not often enough to justify having a police presence to stop it and they'd be screaming up and down the hill for an hour or so then bugger off quick before the police could get there. It became far to dangerous to ride.
Even now with a staffed closure, all it would take is for a driver to say "oh I'm visiting..." or "I've got a delivery for..." and they'd probably be let through.
That seems like quite an anti-cyclist post from DCC.
That seems like quite an anti-cyclist post from DCC
DCC (and Derbyshire Police) have always been anti-cycling. They'd quite like it if cyclists could just drive out to Monsal Trail, Tissington Trail etc and pootle slowly up and down, buy a few overpriced coffees from the various cafes and then drive home again but they really hate it when they're Using The Roads.
Anyway, they're coming in for a load of piss taking on their social media after claiming that the road is closed for "safety reasons". People not unreasonably pointing out that if that's the case, you'd close all roads immediately.
DCC (and Derbyshire Police) have always been anti-cycling.
Yeah, I'm a local. Not entirely unfamiliar with it.
I was just fairly struck by "We're stopping walkers and cyclists from using Snake Pass. *Cyclists* have been standing on the area affected by the landside."
Anyway, they’re coming in for a load of piss taking on their social media after claiming that the road is closed for “safety reasons”. People not unreasonably pointing out that if that’s the case, you’d close all roads immediately.
It is pretty silly, everyone's obviously gone for Snake Pass because it's safer than usual. If they really cared about safety, they'd man the barriers and just block the cars, not everyone.
DCC (and Derbyshire Police) have always been anti-cycling.
I’m struggling to answer this one sensibly without getting bogged down in local detail.
There does seem to be an anti cycling agenda but its difficult to be certain measured against the background level of incompetence. You could blame budget cuts but the Highways department’s incompetence & pre-dates the cuts. They seem to be an entirely reactive organisation having given up preventative maintenance, except where there is a need to spend the remnants of the budget before April (The only explanation I can think of for Bamford Clough, Ashop Edge, Pindale etc).
In DCC Highways terms four weeks is a flexible measurement which based on experience can stretch to more than three years.
You only have to look back to Covid to see that Derbyshire Police have a fine record of identifying a problem and taking decisive but entirely inappropriate action, seemingly based on, and as well thought out as, the on-line comments on the Daily Mail website.
Well with my cycling hat (helmet) on I'm disappointed I've missed the window of opportunity. It's rare we get to ride without motor vehicles around us. However, putting on my (ex) civil engineering helmet I can easily see that the whole road will need to be taken over for the rebuilding. It's not a tiny collapse and won't be just a case of chucking in some hardcore and saying "that'll do". Or at least it shouldn't be if it's done properly.
However, putting on my (ex) civil engineering helmet I can easily see that the whole road will need to be taken over for the rebuilding.
Yeah, that's entirely reasonable - but currently it's closed for observation, they're not actively doing work on it.
https://twitter.com/harryhamishgray/status/1501532360759812098?s=21
trespass being organised, anyone going?
It's closed so that the dangerous bits can be monitored and then properly repaired. Not sure that's any grounds for a trespass?
You want to trespass about cycle access? Let's do something about the shit RoW situation here in England, or the lack of adequate infrastructure inland between towns rather than a piece of broken road.
Wrong ****ing hill to die on.
Rode the bottom 2 miles today - we rode around the gravel track along the res from Yorkshire Bridge to the bottom of The Beast and then took the track up [url= https://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?x=416460&y=387782&z=120&sv=416460,387782&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map&searchp=ids&dn=821&ax=416460&ay=387782&lm=0 ]HERE[/url] to join the road.
As we got to the road, a Highways van came up and I thought he was going to pull in and stop us but he just kept going. We rode down to Fairholmes and through the closure which was staffed but no-one said anything to us - maybe they weren't going to argue the toss as we were exiting the road, not trying to go up it.
Saw one other rider heading up the hill, not sure how he'd got through.
It’s closed so that the dangerous bits can be monitored and then properly repaired. Not sure that’s any grounds for a trespass?
It's not "closed". Access for residents (and visitors, deliveries, services to those residents) and presumably also the emergency services has been maintained. There is no risk assessment in the world that would find that if you can maintain minimal access for vehicles, you cannot maintain access for walkers and cyclists.
Wrong **** hill to die on.
Not if you want to show up DCC for being an incompetent bunch of anti-cycling arseholes, it's a very worthwhile hill to die on. It's partly the principle of it and partly the fact that there is no lawful reason for them to do what they've done. Barrier the landslide bit properly while they're observing it and waiting for the ground to settle (it's still moving, they can't do anything to fix it yet) and just let walkers and cyclists enjoy the peace and quiet.
The people using the road on Sunday - kids, families, folk on hybrids / touring bikes, horse riders - none of them ever get a chance to use that road when it's open to traffic as it's dangerous so for DCC to suddenly claim that it's *more* dangerous with bare minimum traffic on it is just insane, there is no sense or evidence behind that decision and that is what needs to be challenged.
You want to trespass about cycle access? Let’s do something about the shit RoW situation here in England, or the lack of adequate infrastructure inland between towns rather than a piece of broken road.
I don't disagree but it's not an either/or situation, you can do both.
trespass being organised, anyone going?
The irony of this is that if you just leave it alone for a week, everyone will have forgotten about it, including Derbyshire Police. But no, I won't be wasting valuable riding time meandering pointlessly up a closed road.
Meanwhile if you want to dodge the barriers at the Glossop end, all you have to do is ride up the bottom section of Doctor's Gate then hang a right and emerge at the first right-hander above Glossop. You'll be fine unless they've deployed snipers.
To be fair, most of Derbyshire RPU/the cast of the current series of Traffic Cops were at the rather splendid burger van in Draycott when I drove past earlier, so if anyone wants to have a crack at Snake Pass, I'd suggest lunchtime is a good option 👍
Are they patrolling New Rd in Somerset instead today? 😆
rather splendid burger van in Draycott
Where is that then? The one in the car park in what was the motorbike dealer?
If so, it must have changed hands, as Ive stopped there before and even the tea was awful.
Birds Bakery for me down the road in Borrowash, or Maries Cafe in the square at Breaston.
A coffee van at the top this last week would have made enough to retire on.
The one in the car park in what was the motorbike dealer?
Thats the one - tea and coffee are average, but terrific value food
I guess about 100 people rode it today - met up in Glossop and set off to the foot of the Pass, very varied group. Hybrids, tourers, kids on Tag-Along bikes, couple of e-bikes, some folding bikes. All very good-natured. The guys manning the road closure at the bottom were fine (they must have been expecting us, just waves and "stay to the left guys", no attempts to stop anyone or tell them not to ride it).
Anyway it all split up as everyone settled into their own pace. Big group of people already at the summit, including some walkers who'd clearly managed to get their cars through, parked up at the top and had been to visit the B29 crash site.
A few of us rode all the way down past the landslide area to Fairholmes - it's all barriered but you can get through it, there were a couple of Highways vans negotiated it while we were there so the idea that the road can't be accessed by bike is total rubbish.
Talking of rubbish - a small group of cyclists has been returning to do a litter pick, there's now about 30 bags full of rubbish in the layby down near Fairholmes but judging from the state of the verges, probably at least that much again to collect. Quite staggering how much shit gets thrown out of cars. Anyway - nice day out, good weather and a lovely atmosphere, everyone very friendly and positive.
Well done to you for attending.
Good that someone is making a stand of sorts.
I meandered over the Snake on a whim from the Glossop side yesterday. It was more or less desserted. I saw two riders on the Glossop side and another five or six down closer to Ladybower and that was it. No guards or boy racers in souped-up Corsas just one pick-up, probably a farmer, and a transit heading into an entrance on the Ladybower side.
To be fair it was quite windy, but there was nothing to stop anyone going up there and no dramatic street parties / festivals of cycling / family groups on roller skates etc.
I get that the whole thing has been handled badly by DCC - as ever - but I couldn't help thinking that the whole thing is a storm in an A(57)-cup and without the social media furore, no-one would give a stuff, which has always been the case in the past.
Anyway, certainly at weekends there's nothing that'll stop you riding a bike peacefully over the moors as far as I can see. Finally, there's something just odd about the bus-stop at the top.I wonder if you could bus-shuttle Doctor's Gate 🙂
Finally, there’s something just odd about the bus-stop at the top
It's a popular start/finish for Kinder and Bleaklow.
and without the social media furore, no-one would give a stuff, which has always been the case in the past.
A very fair point, it seems to be closed for maintenance after the winter most years and doesn't usually get much attention. This year seems to have seen an overreaction on all sides.
overreaction on all sides
You think people wanting to take the opportunity to cycle one of the most iconic ( yet normally unpleasant) passes in England in safety is an overreaction?
Quite staggering how much shit gets thrown out of cars.
Isn't it just. Pretty much every day I walk about half a mile along a country lane (for those who know it, south along the road from the layby by East Lodge entrance to Lyme Park). Every day the verges are full of crap thrown from cars. Some people are just d1cks.
You think people wanting to take the opportunity to cycle one of the most iconic ( yet normally unpleasant) passes in England in safety is an overreaction?
I think some if the responses to proposed limits to that opportunity were over the top and smacked of entitlement.
As were the reactions of some drivers.
And the reaction of, or communication by, DCC was its usual disaster.
Quite surprised at all the fuss too. I honestly never found Snake Pass that bad to ride as long it's early in the morning (though I've only ever done it at the weekend).
I get that it's a great opportunity for people who might never ride it otherwise but I'm sure for most on here if you can tackle it at 8/9am on a Saturday or Sunday it will be no bother at all. The descent into Ladybower afterwards, surrounded by the forest, is great.
Anyone know what the situation is during the week? I'm mulling over a ride from Sheffield to stalybridge on Friday. One option is to descend to Glossop down doctors gate - I'd have to ride up snake pass to get to it