Edale to hayfield and back.

If you are a keen Mountain biker like me, this ride is for you!! Give yourself a full day as you will need it; this exciting and challenging ride is approximately an hour's drive from Manchester city centre. Once you enter Edale there is a little pay and display car park that is around £3 for the day. Head towards a town called Barber Booth, just off the Edale valley road.

Follow the valley past a farm, you will notice the road starts to get a bit rougher. Go over a stream that's just at the foot of Jacobs Ladder. I’m a fairly good XC rider and the thought of riding it made me put my feet on the floor.

There are two routes you can take up the Ladder. The traditional way is to go straight up some quite big steps that make even pushing your bike quite awkward. I suggest you stick it on your back and don't look down. Or you can go to the left of the stile that is fairly rideable although very demanding. This route goes around the Ladder and meets up around half way to the top.


Once you are at the half way point if you look behind, you will see a spectacular view, the track becomes very rough with big boulders everywhere. When you eventually get to the top you can take a path to the right, however we saw descent and took that option!! The path dips down and than back up again till you get the chance to let loose on the down hill. I would warn you that the path can be very challenging so be careful, however I went down it like a human missile.
At some point you will have to use your brakes when you get to the most inconvenient gate, then you will be on smooth road heading down a steep hill, you have the option to go up or straight on, both routes take you straight into Hayfield approx 3 miles or so, however straight on could lead to you being shouted at "get of my land you " so best to go up to prevent a bullet grazing your ass.

Once you get into Hayfield you have many options of grabbing a quick snack, the Royal is ok if you want some Carbs ( chips) the Bulls Head if you want to get stared and laughed at for your very sexy cycling shorts??? Anyway, I highly recommend you go over the bypass to the Kinder Lodge.

We were covered from top to toe in mud and they let us sit in the warmth by a log fire on a towel, a cup of tea and a cooked breakfast were most welcome, I wanted to stay and sleep.

Knowing that this would not be a possibility we saddled up. You need to go back over the bypass and turn right past The Bull and go up Highgate Lane, you will see a big clock on the outside of a shop, turn left but keep to the right and go up the lovely long hill that make your legs want to explode with lactic acid. Basically you are running parallel to the A624 all the way to Peep O'Day.

Eventually it will ease. Passing a bungalow on your right there is a 3 - way junction - you will see the bridle way that takes you straight up to Mount Famine.

You will pass just south of Mount Famine towards South Head, this track will take you to the top which comes up from Chinley and continues round the hillside. Once you start to descend it gets fairly rocky and exciting with plenty of beautiful views. There is a harsh demanding descent to a double stream river called the Roych Clough, then a rough ascent up the other side- after which things start to improve, but you still have some distance to cover till you get to the A625 at the foot of Rushup Edge.

Go approx 100 meters to a stile which indicates the start of Chapel Gate, this is known as an old pack horse route into Edale. The track is quite rough and difficult to the top of Rushup Edge. Take the left turn that takes you straight down into Edale to rejoin the road approx 400 meters above Barber Booth.

At the end of this ride you will feel somewhat knackered but yet totally satisfied in the ride itself.

Each month I will be adding a new route and giving my personal experience on the ride.