100/200 greatest climbs - Peak District

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Postmanhat

Senior Member
Location
Derby
Had it in the back of mind to try and do all of the Peak District climbs in the Simon Warren books before the end of the year. Time and a lack of car were limiting factors, but have a chore-free week off coming, so can let the train take some of the strain.

Have struggled up most of those within a reasonable cycling distance
Beeley Moor
Monsal Head
Larkstone Lane
Riber Road
Rowsley Bar
Slack Hill
Curbar Edge
Bank Road

Which leaves, I think..
Gun hill
Peaslows
Winnats Pass
Burbage Moor
Mam Tor
Axe Edge
Cat and Fiddle
Pym Chair
Holme Moss

Gun hill should be ok to ride to. The others I'll have to train it though. Does anyone have any knowledge/experience of routes involving two or more of these climbs? Ideally starting not too far from a station such as Macclesfield, Sheffield, Hope or Hathersage. Doesn't have to loop back to the station. Without the outgoing trip, should be able to ride back to Derby.

P.s. Anyone know if I missed any out? Turns out my Geography teacher was right :blush:
 
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Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
Cat and Fiddle, Axe Edge, Pyms Chair are all easy from Macclesfield station. In fact The Cat and Fiddle starts a few yards from there. Winnats and Mam Tor I would do from Hope.
 

kiriyama

Senior Member
Could probably fit Holme moss and winnats I to the same ride. Also mam tor is right next to winnats pass.... winnats pass is hideous! The bottom part is one of those deceptive roads that looks flat but isn't, and drains your energy before the real climb, beautiful though..
 

Chris1983

Senior Member
Mam tor and Winnatts could be done from Edale station

Ride from Edale up mam tor.

Then at the t junction turn left towards the top of Winnatts.
Go past the top of Winnatts towards Sparrowpit, and pick the A623,
Follow the A623 towards Eyam and then left through Bradwell and you could then even throw in the Bradwell Beast for good measure and then up Winnatts
down Mam Tor back to Edale.
 
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Postmanhat

Postmanhat

Senior Member
Location
Derby
Cat and Fiddle, Axe Edge, Pyms Chair are all easy from Macclesfield station. In fact The Cat and Fiddle starts a few yards from there. Winnats and Mam Tor I would do from Hope.

Thanks a lot! Might try Pym Chair as a 'warm-up', then return to Macclesfield for the other two and a 35 mile recovery ride back to Derby. Sounds straightforward enough :whistle:
 
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Postmanhat

Postmanhat

Senior Member
Location
Derby
Could probably fit Holme moss and winnats I to the same ride. Also mam tor is right next to winnats pass.... winnats pass is hideous! The bottom part is one of those deceptive roads that looks flat but isn't, and drains your energy before the real climb, beautiful though..

Cheers. A bloke at work tells horror stories of Winnats. The only climb round here he hasn't been able to get up. Do you know a closeish station to Holme Moss? Sheffield?
 
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Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
Pyms Chair is the hardest for me (At 6'3 I struggle on really steep stuff) but the shortest of the three climbs. Make sure you go up it the proper way past Jenkins Chapel (the are three ways upto Pyms Chair). The Cat and Fiddle is just a nice 7 mile tempo climb with a couple of respite downhill bits. It ends near Axe Edge so is logical to do in that order and takes you back towards Derby. Enjoy it, I regularly ride the Cat as I work in Macc and it is a good loop on a summers evening taking in Buxton and Long Hill on the way back to Wilmslow.
 

Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
Winnats is steep but subject to the right gearing isn't too bad. It is one I ticked off the list but have no intention of returning to.
 

kiriyama

Senior Member
Cheers. A bloke at work tells horror stories of Winnats. The only climb round here he hasn't been able to get up. Do you know a closeish station to Holme Moss? Sheffield?

It's a decent ride from Huddersfield up to Holme moss. (Follow the grand depart route) Then you could ride over to Glossop take a left and head over snake pass (another decent climb! quite a bit of traffic at times) then down to hope then up winnats or mam tor. Then go back down and ride the other one.
 

Chris1983

Senior Member
Cheers. A bloke at work tells horror stories of Winnats. The only climb round here he hasn't been able to get up. Do you know a closeish station to Holme Moss? Sheffield?

The secret to winnatts is taking the first bit very steady, the road is a deceptive climb up to the first cattle grid. Pace it so that you are not out of breath when you reach it. Taking this bit really steady will allow you to push on when the climbing really starts. Granny ring as soon as you turn left off the road from Castleton to start the climb if you have to.

I ride winnatts a lot and pace is key, if you can pace it so you still have a bit of capacity left to push on by the time you reach the first grit bin you'll make it to the top. After the second cattle grid it's all over and you can pick the pace up
 

Tail End Charlie

Well, write it down boy ......
Good advice about Winnats. In fact many hills are the same in that if you know what is coming you can pace yourself accordingly which can make it easier. Psychologically I find it helps to know what's in store, in fact I'd say the psychological side is a large part of hill climbing, there's been many a hill where I've walked simply because I just wasn't in the mood. I'm not saying this as a hill climbing whippet either, those who know me know I'm not built for hills.
 
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Postmanhat

Postmanhat

Senior Member
Location
Derby
Mam tor and Winnatts could be done from Edale station

Ride from Edale up mam tor.

Then at the t junction turn left towards the top of Winnatts.
Go past the top of Winnatts towards Sparrowpit, and pick the A623,
Follow the A623 towards Eyam and then left through Bradwell and you could then even throw in the Bradwell Beast for good measure and then up Winnatts
down Mam Tor back to Edale.

Cheers Chris! Will probably try a slight variation on this, taking in Peaslows after Mam Tor. Then a quick visit to the leg-fitters before attempting Winnats

That just leaves Burbage Moor and Holme Moss to hopefully be covered in one trip?
 
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Postmanhat

Postmanhat

Senior Member
Location
Derby
Ticked off Bank Road in Matlock today and have edited the first message. A real grind in the middle, but not too long. Definitely wouldn't have fancied my chances if there was another 100+ yards of the steep stuff. It's a residential street so not much to look at. Was just head down, a metre at a time about two-thirds up.

People a lot fitter than me combine this with the Riber climb, just down the road. I crossed the Chesterfield Road to a seat 50 yards away and looked at the castle instead. Matlock CC use both for their hill climb events. 9am for Bank Road and 2pm for Riber next Sunday the 18th.

All being well, will be off to Macclesfield on Tuesday for Pym Chair, Cat and fiddle and Axe Edge
 
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