9th August 2012: Tracks & Trails of the High Peak

The cast of thousands - well 14 of us - assembled at the car park at the start of the Monsal Trail at 10:00 and set off at 13 mph: true Easy Riders pace! for coffee.  Martin, Liz, Trevor, Jim, Andy, George, Dave Hill, Bryan, Tony, Dave & Liz P and Dave H with special guest Collette.

Photographs by Dave Hill

The route followed the trail and tunnels for the first 9 miles avoiding the unlit walkers and ghostly cyclists appearing out of the gloom. We soon reached Bakewell Station and shot off down the unusually named Station Road to the town centre.  A bit of dicing with the locals and we were heading uphill on Yeld Road towards Youlgreave (why is it that downhills are always shorter that uphills? I bet there is a mathematical formula for that).  On reaching Youlgreave we realised that 5 of the group were missing. We had stopped to look at the medieval village at Conksbury, which we didn't find; perhaps they were still there? A phone call sorted out the problem and we agreed to meet at the pub at lunchtime. Onwards and upwards, through Middleton by Youlgreave and Elton, past the two faced stone and finally to the pub at Winster.  We seemed to have been going continually uphill for the last hour - Clive would have been proud of us!

After a leisurely lunch in the beer garden at The Miners Standard. We all set off north towards the High Peak Trail.  After a toilet stop by the junction with the Tissington Trail at Parsley Hay, the route continued north to the end of the trail.  A short dogleg across the A515 and we were following the Midshires Way north back towards Taddington. The track became steadily rougher culminating in a true off-road downhill descent to Blackwell Hall. Then a quick thrash down the B road (max 37mph) to Millers Dale followed by a short and final uphill to the car park and the coffee wagon. Then 3 miles back along the trail to our starting point. Nearly 40 miles, tough in places and easy in others, but with brilliant weather all the way.  A spectacular day was had by all.

JD