Tour de Dark and White Peak

Back in 2020 I did my very first bike packing trip. I had found a route on Bikepacking.com called the Tour de Dark and White Peak Peek. https://bikepacking.com/routes/dark-white-peak-peek/

Given the circumstances, that year, I set off from home to cycle into the Peaks and do an unsupported ride with minimal human contact. I had my hardtail and some new bags.

I managed a couple of days, with a secluded wild camp near Ladybower, but found it much harder than anticipated and bailed out. It left me with an itch to go back and do the whole route. Being part of the Turn Cycling group (Niel runs a group chat on Discord which is a great for organising meet ups, insights and discovering new ways to spend money) I asked if anyone fancied doing the route on the first weekend of April. I got two takers, Niel and Cat Magill. I was a bit daunted by Cat accepting the invitation as she has done the Highland Trail 550 three times and The Silk Road Mountain Race last year!

We planned to meet up in the carpark at Hathersage where Niel would leave his van and Cat and I could get there easily by train as it is just round the corner from the station. Well it was easy for me coming from Shireoaks with my full suss adorned with Tailfin bags.

Cat had to get there from Edinburgh.

The plan worked!

We set off from Hathersage around 2pm to make the long climb up underneath Stanage Edge and then across and up the Long Causeway

Further on I managed to avoid the easy bypass to quite a technical section and then headed off down the wrong way enforcing a strenuous hike a bike back up to the other two, who I think were somewhat amused?

The riding was fun with some technical bits that had to be hiked and long gravelly downhills. Keeping up with Niel and Cat was stretching me but they patently had a lot of patience and given the weather none of us was complaining.

It did lead to an executive decision to cut off a loop on the route and head down to Newfold Farm in Edale where I had booked our camping for the night.

The campsite has all the amenities including a pub across the road where we had dinner. Just as we finished eating they announced the pub quiz. I haven’t participated in one for decades and of course didn’t need a pencil and paper as it was done using an app (which also makes it almost impossible to Google answers as there is little time to do so).

We really enjoyed it, especially as we made the podium, coming third!

The weather had been stunning all day and the sky cloudless.This did mean the temperature overnight dropped and I discovered a new fact. Sleeping mats have an R rating. It indicates how well the mat insulates you. Anything below 2 is best for summer use. I now know my mat is best for summer use. Of course the coach had the perfect set up. Meanwhile Cat bivvied!!

The second day was even better than the first. We looped back to do some of what we had missed out the day before and climbed the old road up to Mam Tor. The ridge along the back was full of walkers so we had to weave our way along it before descending back down towards Edale again.

Of course there was the ubiquitous hike a bike up over Cut Gate compensated for by the descent on the far side.

As we made our way over to Woodhead Pass we realised we were in for a ‘reet treat’. the pass was closed to cars and we had it all to ourselves on one long glorious descent down the Glossop side.

Once more creature comforts superseded perfectionism and we cut some of the route off to get to a campsite in Hayfield. there was pub just above it, on the road, but they told us they weren’t taking any walk in’s. There is, however, a superb Italian in Hayfield where the portions are designed for mountain bikers and the wine tastes sublime (well anything tastes sublime after the day’s riding we had had). Cat declared the day ‘rad’ and I put my emergency blanket under my sleeping mat which helped me sleep really well despite the temperature once more dropping (or was it the wine?).

We couldn’t believe out luck when day 3 dawned with more glorious sunshine.

There was long tarmac climb out of Hayfield before we got off road again and across the Peak Forest to Tideswell. There we met up with Jonny and had a second breakfast.

The Monsal Trail was packed with runners doing a half marathon and walkers. I also got shouted at for turning on my Exposure light in the tunnels as it, allegedly, blinded people…well at least they knew I was coming.

Up over Curbar and then across and round to Surprise Corner before making the fast descent back to the carpark and the station.

Cat and I took the train to Sheffield where she headed north and I discovered the next two trains back to Shireoaks had been cancelled. I would have to wait over two hours for a train. Or I could just cycle home, which is what I did.

What a weekend of great riding, great weather, great company and great fun.