Distance: 25 miles approx.
Climbing: 903m / 2980 feet
Time (dry): 5-6 hours
Time (wet): Don't bother
Times are dependant on how fit and technically proficient you all are,
how many punctures you collect and how long you stop at the Do Not cafe.
Given the extremely exposed nature of the prime section of this route, please don't
attempt it in poor weather unless you really seriously "Know What You Are
Doing". It really seriously could kill you.
A waterproof map (OS Outdoor Leisure sheet 1, Dark Peak) is a good idea
too.
Experience shows Aqua-3 maps, by Chartech of Hope, are the best in the field.
See www.aqua3.co.uk
or call 01433 621 779.
Oh, and if you can't handle big rocks, give this one a miss as you'll be walking a rather
long way...
OK, OK, I know what the disclaimer says about not being taken as proof of illegal activity, etc., but when a route is this good, and packs in so much quality from start to finish, you've just got to tell someone about it.
First up, fabulous weather is a serious plus, even if it does vastly increase the risk of meeting "fair weather ramblers", the type who are by far the most likely to be whinging gits when faced with the possibility that anyone else might be in some remote danger of having a little bit of fun.
Secondly, if you start the ride well before 8am, you're halfway round by the time most of the (non-working) population stirs, clocks the fine weather and thinks "Hey, lets go out and... nah, let's hit B&Q and have a serious D.I.Y. sesh."
So, let's roll away from Fairholmes shortly after 7.30 one fine summer's day, and find a bridleway up the near-vertical valley side. Actually, first let's forget to put the two water bottles in their cages, necessitating a return to the car park and a sprint to catch the rest of the group again, but after that, let's find a bridleway. By the top of the climb, back with the bunch, water is a very fine idea!
This start route is a very popular and well-ridden track so I wont go on about it here as it's only a means to an end. Over the summit, drop past Lockerbrook farm, then over the next summit and bear right, dropping to the A57 Snake road.
Once on the Snake, climb for a couple of miles to the Snake Inn. A hundred yards further up, a path drops into the valley from behind the Armco. Go for it. Follow this path up the valley, over a stile into the trees and eventually over another back into the open. This path is moderately technical and in places it clings, more or less, to the side of a steep slope. Mostly this is a grassy slope, sometimes scree, but there are several large drops should you get it wrong to the left. Luckily, there are usually a good number of large pointy rocks to break your fall and prevent you from damaging any nice soft heather.
Please note, in the first four attempts at this ride, this section claimed four victims, with injuries of increasing severity from minor bruising, through deep cuts, to a broken wrist. You have been warned. Perversely, these injuries seem to be inversely proportional to the size and speed of the fall - The broken wrist was sustained while walking a section, while the biggest fall resulted in no major injuries.
The path continues climbing, fairly well defined, all the way to the summit (oddly enough). Just before the summit, it is paved with large slabs of stone. At the top of the pass, Kinder looms large above and to your left, with a well-defined path leading straight to it. You can ride to the stile, but after that you're walking for a few minutes up a very steep stone path that does an excellent impression of a ladder, only slightly steeper. After the next stile, the gradient eases to rideable again and from here you can climb, taking in the views of Hayfield, Kinder reservoir, etc., to the plateau level.
And breathe...
Now comes the simple and most fun section. Just follow the edge! The route is very well defined, with plenty of rocky technical sections to keep you thinking. Step-ups, drop-offs, boulder fields, the works. Some sections need plenty of momentum to ride through, some sections demand the softly- softly approach as you pick a line between the rocks. Please don't stray too far right, it's a long way down.
Eventually the path bears left a little, heading towards the centre of the plateau as you reach the River Kinder. Depending on recent conditions, this may be empty (like, completely dry) or otherwise. When you drop into the river, you need to turn back and ride downstream for a short distance before climbing out the other side. If the clouds have come down, take this unbelievably carefully - you are riding straight towards Kinder Downfall, which is a rocky, serious drop of a waterfall. Before you get to the main fall however, there is a 5 foot vertical "warning drop" in the river bed. Strangely enough, you want to be out of the river bed shortly before this.
Stop a while here, snack on whatever you have and take in that view of Kinder reservoir. As a colleague put it on one occasion,
Don't be scared by the inquisitive sheep who seem to like the taste of handlebars and helmet straps.
Continue along the edge as before, eventually swinging up into a moonscape region. Think of the set of "Blake's 7" but with mounds of peat and you're about there. Head up to the trig point. Around here the path is somewhat undefined; there are simply big tracts of peat with sandy sections between them. You'll just have to do the best you can. A map is useful about now, but at the trig point, climb up the rocks until you get a decent view of your surroundings. You're looking for a defined path down to Jacob's Ladder.
No, I'm not taking the piss, you get a downhill to the top of Jacob's Ladder!
Saddles down for the 'Ladder, you get pride points for cleaning it. If you've done it before, you'll know what I mean. If you've never set wheel on it before, you are in for a real treat. You're back on a bridleway now (although I wouldn't ride my horse down it!), so you needn't take any crap from other people. There are sections that are so steep and rocky that your chances of stopping to let people past and then getting going again are practically zero. You just need to swallow your fear and go for it, really.
At the mid point, after the big curving gully, the bridleway breaks away, going right from the footpath and through a gate. Seriously, the footpath is just a silly idea that hurts a lot. Take the bridleway as it hairpins down the hill to another gate at the bottom by the bridge and ford. Cross the stream by whichever route takes your fancy and set off down the track. There's a few gates, but the bits between them are plenty of fun.
The track runs into tarmac at the farm (more gates) then drops to Barber Booth where it meets the Edale Road. Continue down the valley for about a mile to Edale, where you turn left just before the car park for the Do Not cafe, at Edale railway station.
Why is it called the Do Not? Take a look at the various assorted prohibition and restriction signs about the place and you'll get the idea. However, the tea, chips and cakes are quite passable and the service is reasonably grudging, so long as you don't want chips before noon or anything at all when it's a quiet sunny day, when the staff are likely to be sat outside "'Avin' a FAAGGG!". It's quite amusing really and trade is surprisingly good - possibly because as many people come in disbelief as for any other reason, but probably mainly because it's, er, the only cafe for several miles in any direction.
After your well-earned break, continue along the road for another mile or two to the bridleway that forks left to Jagger's Clough. Again, this is a well-used bridleway so I wont go into too much detail. Basically, it climbs a little, past some farm buildings (horse riding centre), through a stream then climbs a lot up a land-rover width track. From the summit there is a short plummet to a hairpin right, then down to a gate and a river crossing. After this, the track climbs very seriously on a loose surface - there's a point for cleaning this too.
This brings you out near Hope Cross, at a junction of four bridleways (bliss!). Saddles down again, then straight on and down into the trees. The wooded section is The Staircase. Clean this and you're really doing well, as it hairpins right, left, right and left again to the valley floor, dropping over damp rocks and tree debris all the way. Over the bridge at the bottom and climb back to the A57. Cross the road and carry on up, past the Hagg Farm centre and on up the rocky path into the trees. Once out of the trees the track continues climbing through 5 turns to a gate near the summit. You should recognise this location, you've been past once already today. Carry straight on and return to Fairholmes the way you set out first thing.