Long Mynd – Carding Mill Valley Climb

Have never been able to clean this climb. Can just about clean the water bars at the top (but not always) but can never even get halfway up the rocky section after the stream before running out of traction and oxygen 🙂

Got a fat bike now so keen to give it another go in the next couple of weeks. Just want to know that it’s not impossible 🙂 Anyone here done it without dabbing?

Cleaned all individual sections but never all at the same time (apart from on my Ebike)
See it cleaned in one on a couple of occasions. One was a mate on a fatbike as it happens.

an never even get halfway up the rocky section after the stream before running out of traction and oxygen

I favour the center then out to the right as you get higher.

Halfway through the rocky bit is about it for me too. All the rest I probably have ridden in sections, but I doubt I’ve got the fitness to do it in a one-er even if I could get through the rocks after the stream.

Thanks for the replies.

Good to know that:-
a) It can be done.
b) It’s not just me that can’t do it 🙂

Will post back once I have had a crack on the fat bike.

Yeah that bit after the stream is a real knobber.

Not cleaned it myself.

I was based at Agilent in CS for a few months over a summer several years ago, we’d go over the Mynd several times a week, quite often up CMV, I only ever cleaned it once in that time. I went back a few years later and cleaned it three times in the same day.

I got about three quarters of the way up the hard bit the first time I ever tried. Last couple of times I buggered up the first waterbar bit. At this rate of progression I will be dabbing on the road outside the cafe by 2023. 🙂

I used to clean it circa 1991! The Lawley too. I’d clean them with my tongue now….

Usually loose traction on the 1st rocky bit. Smooth edged rocks and wet tyres don’t play nice.

After that though, its tough but can be done.

I’ve cleaned it a couple of times when I was younger and fitter, I’m sure there was a part buried PVC drainage pipe somewhere on it that was a bugger in the wet.

I cant do it and its busy with hikers. Never use it as an climb or descent.
My climbs of preference are up through the golf course, the Burway Road Climb and the path up from little Stretton – All much preferable climbs

I’ve ridden up the Long Mynd quite a bit, but Carding Mill Valley is the only main route I’ve not ridden up (although I have come down it). Even if you go midweek in the winter, it’s usually busy with walkers and in the summer or at weekends it’s a nightmare. Well that’s my excuse for lacking the skill or fitness to try it anyway, I may test myself one day! I usually park at Blazing Bikes in Marshbrook and go along the road and up the forest track to the back of the gliding club. I have also used all the others ndthornton mentions. In fact, weather permitting I think I may drag myself up there tomorrow 🙂

I’ve done it years ago on a double chainset, so prob 8 years or so ago. probably fail it or cba 4 times out of 5 recently but i did it last year on my flare max with 2.8 Magic Mary’s and remember thinking that was easier than it should have been. i might be fitter now though. Seem to recall me and scruff clearing it with a good skittering of snow a few years back and i think we also cleared it the day we went skidding on the wet grass golf greens…

I might have to have a go at this now 🙂

I’m sure there was a part buried PVC drainage pipe somewhere on it that was a bugger in the wet.

Think it was cast iron.
That was removed years ago.

Climbing up Carding Mill is too painful…  Cycling up all of Long Batch is hard enough, fitness-wise and technically – even when fit!

Climbing up from Ashes Hollow at night is **** impossible though!

Kudos to walleater for cleaning the Lawley (from South to North I presume).
That’s another one for the fat bike list although I think that’s more oxygen than traction.

Have only ever ridden up CMV first thing at the weekend or in the evening and there’s normally only one or two walkers.

Can’t wait to try it now 🙂

Are we talking about riding up past the tea rooms then turning right at the junction? Cudos to anyone that ride up that. I rode down most of the way in thick fog on Saturday on a rigid bike, the rocky bit at the bottom is beyond my skill set on any bike. All I have to practice on is clay covered fields in Herts, I’m always impressed with people that can ride rocky stuff.

Thesquaredog, no North to South. No idea which is the steepest any more! The last pitch to the top was an absolute killer even when I was really fit (30 years ago….). We used to do Lawley and Caradoc from Shrewsbury area in the morning (sure as hell didn’t clean Caradoc….). Then generally up CMV or Townbrook Hollow and over to Snailbeach and back to Shrewsbury in the afternoon.

Good morning Scruff and Snakebite 🙂

The Lawley looks good. Is it worth including that and Caer Caradoc on a Long Mynd loop next time I’m down that way? Which direction is best?

Good Evening Will.

good morning Will, afternoon Alex.

Am I getting myself confused here – or has it been resurfaced at some point?

I probably go up there once or twice a year.

I cannot think that there are any technically challenging bits other than the rock section after the stream(?)

Other than this it is just horribly steep?

I am not pretending to be a climbing god, by the way – I haven’t got the fitness or strength to ride the bit after the rocks in a one-er.

Unless something massively changed it was doable uphill. Just long and steep…

BTW, 8 years old pictures but wouldn’t mind a bit of a look by locals, so might get there again for a sentimental trip…

Is that one below, pardon poor quality and rather very narrow view, Stanbatch descent?

That seems to be the only one with distinct switchback that I can see on OS Map.

Cheers!
I.

No.2 on this map. Switchbacks all the way down. Not sure of the name.

https://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/carding-mill-valley-and-the-shropshire-hills/documents/mountain-bike-map-for-the-long-mynd.pdf

Aaaahhh… Missed that one.

Handless/Handless Farm descent then.

Thanks martinhutch

Cheers!
I.