VIDEO: Calder Divide Trail 2023 – Faffing and Laughing

The Calder Divide Trail is a long distance circular route across 12 valleys, 6 moors and 1 floodplain in West Yorkshire. It is a multi-day adventure along the watershed of the River Calder.

There are 5 route options to cater for varying fitness and technical abilities.

• Route 1: Blue Gravel 161km / 2,725m

• Route 2: Red Gravel 205km / 3,265m

• Route 3: Blue MTB 165km / 2,800m

• Route 4: Black MTB 235km / 4,000m

• Route 5: Red Gravel or MTB 272km / 4,300m

I had originally planned on doing Route 5 on my hardtail, but when Vicky suggested we head out for a good time not a hard time, I swapped to Route 2 with her and Sylvie.

The route starts in Mytholmroyd which is local to us, so we rode the 10kms to the start and made sure to be out early enough to fit plenty of faffing in to our day. For most of the morning we were riding in a cloud, which was quite atmospheric, however it denied some spectacular views to those riders that had travelled from further away for the event.

Our adventure was a social pace with plenty of sightseeing, snack stops and chatting to other riders along the way. The weather tried to turn us away, but the company kept us going. When we arrived at the campsite the pizza van had run out of food, so we gathered all those that hadn’t eaten and headed to a local pub, The Farmers Boy in Shepley. Despite it being 13 minutes before the kitchen closed, the staff were incredibly accommodating and made sure we were all warm and fed before we left. A late bedtime, a late morning and plenty of coffee were to follow. We completed our journey through some of the most fantastic trails in the area, bumping into plenty of other riders along the way. Check out the video for the full adventure!

While you’re here…