Worth riding in the Peaks this weekend or is there too much snow?

Supposed to be doing a riding weekend from Edale Youth Hostel this Saturday and Sunday. Had plans to ride Jacob's Ladder, Rushup Edge etc – essentially all the classic stuff in that region. Is it going to be rideable or is it going to be a bike dragging walk in calf deep snow?

Any local information would be appreciated!

I was out round blackamoor this morning and the snow was a couple of inches deep but very very soft. I'd guess by the end of tomorrow it'll be gone.

Any more info or snow?

i'm supposed to be heading up tomorrow, looks a bit sketchy according to this web cam:
http://www.peakdistrictonline.co.uk/content.php?categoryId=2491

Should be a laugh!

Oooh booo hooo hoooo I wanna go out on my bikey but is awl snowy and mummy says I’ll catch a cold.

MTFU.

But seriously I’ve been watching that web cam all week as have been looking forward to this weekend of riding for AGES, and it looks like the weathers been like that for a few days solid now… I'll be the one wearing the hilarious thermal tights so if I don't freeze to death the embarrassment might do it…

Yeah thanks GrunkaLunka for your totally useful input! I ask the question because if you can't actually ride any of the good stuff we'll stay in Leeds and ride there instead. Smoker!

Yeah thanks GrunkaLunka for your totally useful input!

Happy to be of help!

Fingers crossed we get some more useful info like Steve's. We're holed up on Fri/Sat near Hope, but with hire car / hostel / having pursuaded a friend to buy a bike we are far too comitted not to go.

Just promise me that ITV won't use our inevitable frostbitten death as one of those UK snow chaos stories.

Haha, ok GL. We're keen too but having done a load of snow rides this past few months I'm getting a bit sick of them. If we stay in Leeds we can ride to Stainburn so its not all bad.

Retro, nice bag.

Oh and thanks Steve!!

If it's only a couple of inches at most on top of rock, then it'll probably be better riding than if you get it just after a big melt. Round us (just at the South end of the Peak District) it is a mix of a bit of snow, and really quite muddy other bits. Jacob's Ladder etc. are nice and rocky though, probably be good whatever the weather.

http://www.outside.co.uk/knowledge/webcam.html doesn't look too bad (apart from the weather being pretty minging), and that is in Grindleford, looking up at Stanage.

Joe

Rode rushup edge, jacobs circuit the weekend before last, and it still had loads of snow on it. Pretty much ruined all of the good downhills – i.e end of rushup edge, downhill bit on roych clough, jacobs ladder. We haven't had a huge melt since then, so I probably wouldn't bother with that route.

out northside of sheffield and 6deg and this am drizzzle has washed away what snow we had left my guess is that similar is going on albiet a bit slower – though drifts can hang around as can ice from well trodden sections

looks like you are committed so to avoid that laughter spot at the end of "look north" allow much much more time than normally would and take extra munchies (food that is not chemical)

Can't imagine all the snow that was on the Jacob's/Rushup loop will have gone anywhere in the last few weeks. 2 weeks ago there was still 4-5 foot drifts in places, and it's snowed more since they'll still be snow at Easter I recon!

Was still fun but the Jacobs descent was quite spolit by snow (particulary the bottom bit between the walls). You'd be better off over Ladybower way where it's a bit lower or just be prepared to have to walk sections.

Went up hope cross, edale, ladybower loop on Saturday and it was all rideable, still some snow about but nothing too bad – although it did drop a load on Sunday so it could be covered now

was up there on tues and round hope cross way it was all ridable but rushups and chapel gate were just not happening…knee deep snow in places, was a nice walk though 😀

it rained a lot today so loads of the snow has gone

how's it looking today guys?

HIJACK: I'm going to be staying in Rotherham this weekend and am planning on getting out riding on Saturday. Anyone fancy showing me some of the Peaks, please?

Please, please, please? 😀

Wharncliffe Side, out north of sheffield 2degs, stayed up at 5degs and rained all night usually washes snow away faster than a sunny day

but trending to sleet low down here so could be snowing again up on top!
its friday so i'm sure someone will actually be out riding?

What's the verdict on these descents for Sunday do we think:

Whinstone Lee Tor
Rushup Edge
Chapel Gate
The Beast
Potatoe Alley
Hagg Farm
The Screaming Mile

Cheers??

We're hopefully doing Whinstone / Beast / Suicide tomorrow, I shall post up and let you know what they were like. Couple of weeks ago it was mostly fine, although Derwent Edge and the top of the Whinstone Lee Tor descent was very boggy.

Though since the Snake Road is closed (http://www.bbc.co.uk/derby/travel/travel_roads_latest_feature.shtml) perhaps we're not. Poop.

Sorry for the triple post… Looks like Ladybower should be accesible from the Sheffield side certainly, so we should be on tomorrow – Sponging Machine, email in profile if you fancy a steady mince round.

Well i'll be these on sunday, think it will just be nice and wet!

Right – can you put some names to descents for me.

I know the beast and potato alley, hagg farm and the screaming mile.

Where is Suicide?? Any more for any more?

FYI, Snake Pass and Cat and Fiddle both closed today…

Marsden Area:

Absolutely peeing down last night and today, plus warmer temperatures. Spectacularly fast snow melt.

Mud and sodden ground are the issues now, not snow. Overnight temps tonight aren't forecast to be too low so there shouldn't be ice issues. Sunday is forecast colder and possibly snow during the day – there may be overnight icing from sat into sun.

Suicide Brake is Gore Heights, goes down to the Ladybower visitor centre from the top of Hagg Side. Really fast and gets rocky towards the bottom. Whinston is the one that comes out by the Ladybower Inn from Derwent Edge.

According to Ladybower VC the Snake Pass is open from from Sheffield to the Ladybower Inn but closed from the A6013 on, so parking up at the pub and having a giant chip butty sounds like a plan!

Suicide Brake is Gore Heights, goes down to the Ladybower visitor centre from the top of Hagg Side

and is cheeky? me thinks – not that the hordes will be out 8)

is it just me or is the so called screaming mile only a fraction over 1/2mile or have got the location wrong?

its snowing over woodhead and its still soaking wet up there

Disregard my last post…. quite a bit of snow was up on the top on my way home, but it is wet and slushy, will melt easily.

Pretty difficult conditions around mam tor! More hiking than biking 😉
Good fun tho

flyingmonkeycorps, YGM.

Any updates from today?

Mud fest round ladybower!

top of cave dale – judge for your self!!

Super muddy and super fun. I like The Peaks a lot. Might have to start visiting my in-laws more often. 😀

ace fun but hard work today, Hollins Cross, Mam Tor etc… lots of snow coming down high up but nice and soft.

[pedant alert] Peak please, no 'peaks' round here [/pedant alert]

Mmm, nice riding today. Rushup and Roych was the plan, with Jacobs, but there was too much snow (checked on the drive over), so did a loop around Hope on the lower stuff.

Snowing pretty heavily when we finished around 2pm.

Nob off with your Peak rubbish. It sounds stupid and wrong.

Rivelin today was the muddiest and slipperiest I've ever seen it. Proper slither fest but still good fun.