I headed out at 10am up the motorway towards Manchester and arrived at the car park at around 12am just in time for lunch. After lunch I headed out on my bike along quite a fast road which soon turned off along a bridleway. The path continued up a short challenging climb followed by a climb up several hills and then along what seemed to be a stream (or the path had turned into a stream) with lots of large rocks. You had to plan your route through them quite carefully.
This path went on for quite some time and then came to quite a steep drop down to a stream by the reservoir. The drop was quite a challenge and I probably should have lowered my seat for it!
I decided to follow the route clockwise around the reservoir. This wasn't a very interesting path, it was very flat and not much of interest apart from some of the views. I eventually got around the reservoir and continued following the route up a steep path (the same patch I took at the start of the Ladybower loop I had done previously). This patch took me a long some quite rocky terrain, along by the reservoir, and then a nice fast technical descent back down to the pub at the end.
I then had the choice of either following the Ladybower loop that I had done previously or continuing along the current route. I opted to carry on as I wasn't feeling very energetic. The route took me up quite a fast and busy country road and then turned off to the left along a bridle way.
The bridle way took me up quite a steep, very rock and wet path. I had to push my bike most of the way up it but when I got nearly to the top and realised I'd been going the wrong way! I could at least turn around and enjoy the nice technical descent!
The path I should have been following then took me across the road I was going up earlier and up another steep hill when I came across a group of children and a man. It looked like some sort of orienteering trip. The man commented how he'd seen several people coming down the hill I was about to continue up on unicycles! I'd like to see them try and et up it on them!
I then continued up the never-ending hill and eventually got to the top (I was thinking as I was going that the descent at the end better be worth it!)
The path then took a slight down hill and then back up along a short incline. Then the fun started where it suddenly got faster and more rock down back down to the reservoir.
By this point I was quite tired, lacking in energy and very hungry which is unusual as I never normally feel like that on a ride! so I decided to take a detour to the Fairholmes visitor centre for a bacon bap and a coffee.
I then continued the route around the other side of the reservoir and eventually got back to the start of the cut gate path. I had to push my bike up the first section (luckily I found a less steep route to go up then the way I came down.
Then at the top of this steep section there were several more inclines. Whilst they weren't that steep, they were very wet and muddy. It was very slow going and hard work as you couldn't go more than a meter is some places without the back wheel slipping. This was definitely a section for the dry or possibly with mud tyres (I was using summer tyres!). It also didn't help that I was still lacking energy. By the end of it my bike was caked in mud.
There was a sense of relief as the mud and stream of water stopped and the rocky path began. The following descent made all of the previous hard work worth it however. It was a very fast decent that definitely put a smile on my face!
Unfortunately as I was nearing the end (coming back to the road) I got the inevitable flat tyre. The inner-tube had actually split along the rim. I think I would put this down the the fast rocky section at the end. I did actually try and pump it up again to see if it would last the short trip along the road back to the car but within a few seconds it was flat again.
I then got back to the car, got changed and then started the drive back home.
I didn't take as many photos this time but here are the ones I did take-
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| Peak District - Cut Gate 2010 |
Update:
I have just found one reason I was so tired and lacking in energy. It turns out the route I did was 28.5 miles long with 4000 feet of climb! I thought it was only 18 miles.
This is the route I did-
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=iavrtmmfsaxzkjlq
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