Sussex-MTB

You know what its like when you get an instruction to go to a conference that involves travel and an overnight stay – a few questions spring to mind: 

• How much free time?

• Where is the nearest ride spot?

• Can I take a bike with me?

• Can I avoid travelling with any colleagues in order to skive?

Well, this doesn’t happen to me much, but this time everything fell perfectly into place for me – a conference in Manchester, not starting until 6pm…. After a bit of ‘negotiating’ and ducking an’ diving, I found myself heading up the M6 with a hire car, colleague free, bike in the back and heading to the base of the Snake Pass in the High Peaks to meet my cousin who lives locally. 

On arrival, he told me that the plan was to ride up the road to the top of Snake Pass, turn off at the summit and follow the ‘Doctors Gate’ path back down the valley. So, after the usual Mtber faffing, we set off from Glossop and headed up. And up. The evidence to back up the notion that this is one of the most dangerous roads in Britain was everywhere! There were remnants of broken and crashed cars in the verges virtually all the way up and the crash barriers were deeply scarred from all the impacts. 

On a positive note though, very quickly the views opened out into spectacular hills, the occasion deposits of snow and waterfalls – happy days…

Then it got foggy. End of the views! Well mostly…

After half an hour of easy paced climbing we got to the summit and turned left off the road, almost straight into a foot of snow where the path should be. This was going to be fun…

It turned out that the snow didn’t last long and we quickly got the gate that marked the start of the descent proper. Despite the fog lingering, the views from here were seriously impressive. And then I clocked the first section of switchback rocky descent that was barely walkable, let alone ridable! Ahh, maybe I should’ve brought the Joker rather than the Truth…

Despite not being able to ride a lot of this section, it was a great laugh trying, and just being in such a beautiful and imposing place with a bike was a real treat.

Pretty soon, the path levelled a bit and became rideable, although it was still a real techy challenge, with large rocks, drop offs and deep, peaty, boggy sections waiting to catch us out.

A few sections we rode 2 or 3 times, pushing the limit of our technical abilities, and Dave surpassing his limits in very amusing fashion several times. 

As we headed on down the valley, we crossed a quaint bridge over the river and the path started to hug the river bank, often randomly heading up the side into rocky outcrops, and dropping down again just as suddenly which presented different challenges to the ride, with the added risk element of falling into the river…  Mind you, getting wet feet from the river would not have been an issue as my feet were soaked and filthy from getting stuck in those frequently deeper than expected boggy areas…

The path continued on down the valley as it widened and levelled out and the pace picked up. As we went through the final gate and the path became a farm track, I paused again to look back up the hill at the awe inspiring beauty (and the loony path that we’d just got 2 bikes down) and thanked by boss for sending me here… Well almost here).

We soon ended up back in the village and found the car, muddy, grinning (and speaking purely for myself) ready to do it all again! Instead, we headed for a local pub, got some proper good nosh in, chewed the cud about the ride, and all too soon headed our separate ways. 

Possibly the best ‘pre-work’ ride I’ve ever done, and only 20mins drive to Manchester…

Big Daddy