Hayfield - Edale

Not my picture by the way...
Sunday morning saw me out on one of the classic Peak district loops, the Hayfield-Edale. It’s based around a double crossing of the ridge of hills between the two villages, using the Roych Clough track and Jacob’s Ladder as the two crossing routes. You can add on bits either end to extend it if you like.

The big question is – which way do you do it, clockwise or anticlockwise? Every one has an opinion on this. My preferred route is anticlockwise, it being a bit more singlespeed friendly that way. Also, I don’t mind a bit of walking up Jacob’s because you follow it with the superb rubbley rockery down towards Hayfield. Of course, if you do it the other way, you get the descent down the Rushup trench which is also a bit of a corker.

Sunday was glorious, sunny and mild. Roll on global warming :o) I was riding well; mind, body and bike seemed to be getting along fine, in contrast to Thursday’s night ride round Ladybower. The swooping drop to the double Roych ford was perfect, drifting the gravel turns and hopping the water bars. I sat in the sun at the bottom munching fig rolls and wondering whether to have a bash at the first rock steppy part of the climb. I did try it and got just about nowhere, I rode the rest of the climb though, apart from the other steppy bit.

Rather than drop down Chapel Gate, I stayed high and took the singletrack around Mam Tor to Hollins Cross, then sharp left down to Edale. A group of riders at Hollins warned me about the tricky descent to come, so I let them go and then caught and passed them. Childish, but fun.

I had a chat with a couple of riders on the long drag up towards the start of Jacob’s. One told me that he had a singlespeed but wouldn’t dream of riding it in the Peak. He wouldn’t accept that it is so much easier than most people think. We all walked the steep bits together, and I managed to clean a few sections that sometimes defeat me, in particular the last little climb before the descent starts.

They left me behind on the boulder bumpy descent on their long travel FS bikes, and I resisted the urge to try and stay with them, deciding it would only end in pain and blood loss, mine that is.

We joined up for the boggy single track over the moor (best left alone until spring, unless it freezes up) and the fast grass descent to the reservoir. More hopping fun and swooping about.

I spun back home along the Sett Valley Trail and got back before lunch. Fab ride, lucky me.