Snake Pass closed to traffic....again!

[nickyboy]

Sounds like it’s the bit of road where there are always landslides? I guess they have to close it as there are no turn offs in that whole section.

Sounds right. Once you leave Glossop you have to do 10 miles before there is a junction (at the Ladybower reservoir). That's the main reason it closes so often with snow; you have to keep all 10 miles clear

 

[Crankarm]

Update:

Rode up the Snake this evening. They close the road at 7pm so it takes a while for all the traffic to clear through. By 7.20 it was empty. When I was descending back into Glossop there were about 20 cyclists heading up to the top.

I had a chat with the guys stopping traffic at the bottom of Snake Pass in Glossop. Apparently there is road resurfacing on the Sheffield side of the Snake Pass Inn. It doesn't sound rideable on the resurfacing bit but you can walk that section and then carry on

Resurfacing with dangerous stone chips or relaying the road proper with a new one?

 

[nickyboy]

Resurfacing with dangerous stone chips or relaying the road proper with a new one?

I think the latter as there is a deep "step" where they have removed the old road

In the stretch they are working on, landslip is a recurring problem, it's only a few years since it was last closed

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Ought to close permanently to motorised traffic. A great new cross Pennines cycle route.

 

[ColinJ]

Ought to close permanently to motorised traffic. A great new cross Pennines cycle route.

It doesn't really 'cross' the Pennine 'spine' ('backbone of England') though does it? More a case of going along it!

The timing of these closures doesn't really suit me this time. I'd end up riding home in the dark (or have to get up at silly o'clock and ride there in the dark).

 

[Globalti]

Resurfacing probably means repairing the landslips although let's hope it never gets as bad as the Mam Tor road:

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It doesn't really 'cross' the Pennine 'spine' ('backbone of England') though does it? More a case of going along it!

The timing of these closures doesn't really suit me this time. I'd end up riding home in the dark (or have to get up at silly o'clock and ride there in the dark).

Oh I think you'll find it crosses the Pennine watershed west to east or east to west depending on preference.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Resurfacing probably means repairing the landslips although let's hope it never gets as bad as the Mam Tor road:

View attachment 476962

Hope - good play on words given where that is located.

 

[ColinJ]

Oh I think you'll find it crosses the Pennine watershed west to east or east to west depending on preference.

I was thinking that it was more N<->S, but it isn't really W<->E either. More NW<->SE!

Hope - good play on words given where that is located.

I've had mixed success on the hills round there, but you know that old expression - 'You Win some, you Lose some'...

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I've had mixed success on the hills round there, but you know that old expression - 'You Win some, you Lose some'...

It would be Kinder to stop this right now

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Resurfacing probably means repairing the landslips although let's hope it never gets as bad as the Mam Tor road:

View attachment 476962

Is that the latest Sustrans route? Looks like an improvement.

 

[ColinJ]

It would be Kinder to stop this right now

It has nothing to do with Snake Pass, but I was wandering about on the top of Kinder Scout once and had just stopped to eat a sandwich when a cheeky bloody sheep came running up and tried to grab it from my hand. I held the sandwich up in the air and the sheep reared up to try and reach it... Obviously too many tourists up there feeding sarnies to the 'wildlife'!

 

[si_c]

Thinking about making this a night ride on Friday 2nd August - starting at Piccadilly and heading over Snake Pass, into Buxton then over the Cat and Fiddle through Alderley Edge and then back to Piccadilly. The route I have in mind is about 74mi (120km) and 4700ft (1400m) climbing. I'd reckon riding time to be between 5 1/2 and 6 hours. Although it could be extended a touch.

I'm half thinking that leaving around Midnight and getting back into Manchester early doors in time for breakfast would be best.

Would anyone be interested in joining?

 

[classic33]

Road closure due to end at 06:00 on the 2nd August.

 

[nickyboy]

Interestingly I rode all the way over the Snake and back on Saturday morning (so it was open to traffic)

Other than a set of temp lights getting towards the reservoirs that have been there ages there was no hindrance to progress. There was loads of Plant parked up at the summit but that's all and I can see where some resurfacing has taken place nearly down to the reservoirs. Not really sure what's going on but it was no problem cycling