Jacobs Ladder

Not surprised you were knackered!

http://www.theedgecycleworks.com/mtbroutes/hayfield-jacobs-ladder/

I and a mate rode the above loop yesterday and that first climb was a killer. Is this the jacobs ladder climb and the toughest?

The first proper descent after that (jacobs ladder descent???) was a bit of beast ,wouldn’t fancy that on a HT.

Is the above route one of the better ones? as i didn’t think much to the downs tbh. It was our first time in the peaks yesterday and will head up there again maybe do the above in reverse.

Yes – that’s Jacob’s Ladder.
It is good in reverse too, but I’m surprised you didn’t like the Roych Clough descent (12 to 13 on your map) or Jacob’s for that matter. I’m a fan of the sunken track at the end of Rushup Edge too, but I know many who don’t like it (just a rock fest with slabs).

It depends what you look for in a descent to be honest.
One of my favs is the one you did as a climb out of Edale (I got KOM on Saturday for that one!)

Plenty of choice around Edale/Hope/Ladybower.

Is the above route one of the better ones? as i didn’t think much to the downs tbh. It was our first time in the peaks yesterday and will head up there again maybe do the above in reverse.

That’s why I prefer the loop the other way (anti-clockwise) I just think the whole thing rides better that way and it gives you more options in terms of the descents – the various ones from Mam Tor down to Edale being the case in point, I personally think that climbing out of Edale that way is just torture for no real reward of a descent, it’s just a gentle traverse down to the road.

I personally think that climbing out of Edale that way is just torture for no real reward of a descent, it’s just a gentle traverse down to the road.

I guess you could argue that the height gained allows for Roych Clough.
Personally, that’s my favourite way out of Edale – just cleanable, but easily messed up and a real challenge.

Everyone likes different things, I suppose.

Yeah that was my thoughts – after all the climbs not much in rewards with the descents.

It was a fun day though and I enjoyed it – Everything else I’ve rode now seems tame in comparison.

Being our first time I’m not sure what the climbs and descents are. The Jacobs ladder descent rock garden with huge boulders after the Jacobs climb is that one if the tougher descents in the peaks?

Being our first time I’m not sure what the climbs and descents are. The Jacobs ladder descent rock garden with huge boulders after the Jacobs climb is that one if the tougher descents in the peaks?

Guess it depends a bit what sort of bike you’re on and what you’re used to in terms of descending. I’ve cleaned it on a CX bike once before (years ago) but it was a proper handful and actually not any fun at all.

Point a big travel enduro/DH bike down it and it’s actually pretty simple, it is just a boulder field and if the bike has enough travel it’ll just plough straight through it all.

TBH, most of the descents in the Peaks are like that to some degree; most of the bridleways seem to have been sanitised, eroded and re-sanitised over the years and a lot have ended up as jumbled rutted rockfests. Cavedale and The Beast are two other notable descents in that sort of area that are renowned for their technical nature.

I would say so, yes.
Other tough ones are Cavedale and The Beast. There are also some other very tough sections of descents around the place (some cheeky).

If you come up in good weather, it’s worth doing Cut Gate. If you’re very fit you could combine it with some of the good stuff around Ladybower (Derwent Edge, Hagg Farm, etc).

If they aren’t enough for you, you could always attempt Parkin Clough from Win Hill (think it’s cheeky).