Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but aren’t sheep heavily responsible for deterioration of the Peak District environment? Nothing can grow because they chew everything up before it has chance to get established so you get swathes of nothing but brown grass and a bit of heather and areas of very little diversity and very few trees to stabilise the earth.

@vickypea – It’s a working landscape not a picture postcard – there are grouse moors, sheep grazing and stock rearing, all of this creates the landscape, alongside the bloody huge holes dug into hills to get at the limestone.

It does get muddy, wet and rocky on the trail round here, if you prefer trail centres with manicured routes, berms and jumps, then go to a trail centre. Struggling to see the problem.

Roger- Excuse me, but I asked a polite question, and I didn’t expect someone to jump down my throat so rudely. I KNOW it’s a working landscape, I live there! Earlier in this thread, I said I love riding in the Peak District. Where did I say that I wanted manicured trails and berms? NOWHERE! As there were some comments about erosion in the Peak District, I was just contemplating on the damage done by sheep. Are you a sheep farmer or something?

@Vickypea – you are excused! 😀
I live here too – was not meaning to be jumping down your throat, sorry if it came across that way. Just pointing out that there are other factors as well as sheep that have a significant effect upon the landscape – burning back heather for grouse being just one.

The second point was more general – should have added a caveat but trying to do this on a phone – lesson learned.

And no, I am definitely not a sheep farmer, lots of friends who are, but not me.

Sorry again! I’ll buy you a mug of tea if I see you in a Peak cafe by way of apology.

I love riding in the Peaks, sadly I only get time to visit for 1 weekend a year, which makes it all the better for me as its like riding new trails every year. Fellow riders are really friendly unlike some trail centre warriors, scenery is stunning all in all a fantastic place to ride even for someone with as little skill as me 😀

Yes, it’s all rocky, straight, boring trails, with too many riders all littering the place.
Best ride somewhere else.

I must admit though, having ridden the Chiltens one weekend, I was slightly unnerved by the wet roots and very twisty single track and longed for my grippy gritstone.

+1 bunnyhop – the sight of jagged slimy limestone is almost comforting when I’ve been away too long

Hey Banks – when are you going to join us in a night ride?

Probably not the best worded original post on my behalf. I was trying to ask if it was representative or if there was better. I was pretty up front about not being some hardcore hero but that didn’t seem to stop a few wading in.

It seems there is better but for whatever reason (access/pressure issues?) it’s not advertised.

adsh, as a Peaks regular, I agree with you about the honeypot spots, however as with all mtbers, there are their secret local trails and bits which don’t get ridden much.
All riding is good no matter where, it’s all about getting out and about and having fun with mates.

@rogerthecat: apology accepted. 🙂
I was feeling a bit over-sensitive, having just had a run-in with an aggressive driver while I was driving home!

[/quote]adsh, as a Peaks regular, I agree with you about the honeypot spots, however as with all mtbers, there are their secret local trails and bits which don’t get ridden much.
All riding is good no matter where, it’s all about getting out and about and having fun with mates.

Agreed – at 9pm at Hollins I was thinking how much better it was than being in a hotel with all the other business loners

spent a few hours riding from castleton today, observations lots of rocks, which to be blunt peed me off, i enjoy climbing, but alot of the off road routes aren’t really rideable up. If i wanted to go for a walk i wouldn’t take a bike etc.

as an aside i know Jacobs has been cleared in the past but has anyone cleared it in the last few years? seems far worse than when last rode it, that was 20years ago..

Other details, the rock freaked me out a bit, used to Cotswold limestone wet and slimy, grippy rock isn’t normal!!!! and where were the slimy roots!

Don’t know if Jacobs can be climbed these days – it seems off the charts in difficulty. Think you’d need to be racing at a serious level to take it on, sustained power and technique required.

The first bit strikes me as the most difficult, it’s like riding up a boulder field. If you could clear that, and you were a badass, then you could maybe do the whole thing. The final climb is also brutal, but the surface is pretty solid. I could see a racer getting to grips with that.

The first bit strikes me as the most difficult, it’s like riding up a boulder field.

that is what i thought, managed to ride most of the climb from the corner to the gate and then onto the final paved bit, I just couldn’t see any route through the boulders on the first bit.

Bugger! I’m leading NATS around the 5-dales circuit tomorrow. Better call it off and recommend we do the green route at pines then!

🙄 😕

Evening all.

I’ve cleared Jacobs Ladder fairly recently. I find that you need plenty of momentum and a Horst Link suspension system in order to keep rolling over the rocks.

Classic STW thread! May I dare to proffer this (again) at this stage. Just saying like.

@bunnyhop when I stop working late on thursdays – othernight are good : )

The peaks are great, it’s the weather that can be poo.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJZHUUm42ec[/video]

Peddling down hill was a struggle that day!

I believe there is another poster on this thread who has cleaned Jacobs ladder recently and it wasn’t on a horst link bike

monogramman – I can’t see that video for some reason.

Doh! It was on private in my library.

Not much to see tho 😆

Normal service resumed in the Peak today – wind, rain, mud and not a shandyist to be seen.
Trails pretty poor tbh, a lot of rain these past few days I guess.

Garry Lager – we wimped out and are going to go out later if it ever stops blowing a gale and raining.

Nope, no jumps in the Peak – off to a trail centre with you

Stanage by davetheblade, on Flickr

Oh and if you don’t like straightlining loose rocks – try Hagg Farm descent. You get corners and everyfink mixed in with your loose rocks.

Done Jacobs & the Beast on a Kona Lava Dome in the past – all fun. And good luck straightlining the beast unless you are on a full on DH rig – it’s 3 minutes of grin inducing tech-fest from start to finish.

There’s plenty of singletrack too if you know where to look, as others have said. I get the best of both worlds living at the edge of the White Peak.

Damn those rocks 😉