# N.Yorkshire Moors - Route Advice



## G-Zero (23 Jun 2011)

Hi all,

In a few weeks time I'm camping at Hutton Le Hole, N.Yorks, with wife and kids and alongside the inlaws. I've prep'd a 23 mile route from OS to enable me to escape for a few hours with the camera  .

I've never biked in the area before and would appreciate any comments from members that frequent the area or are local to it.

I'm proposing.... *Hutton le Hole - Gillamoor - N. on Rudland Rigg to Bloworth Crossing - R. to Middle and Dale Heads - Farndale Moor - Blakely Ridge - back to H le H.

*OS shows the bulk of the off road route to be bridleway or track and I'd like to check that I'm not going to be on restricted paths or coming in to conflict in "No Cycle" areas.

Also, would the route benefit from doing it in reverse from above descriptive.

Thank you in anticipation,


G-Zero.


----------



## Paladin - York (24 Jun 2011)

Welcome to my stomping ground. 

What a super route, I'm cycling that area regularly as it's in my backyard, although I usually do it in the opposite direction. The trip up Rudland Rigg is quite stoney and the rills fill up quickly in rain. However, the views, if they are part of your plan, open out as you bike higher and are extensive. I usually descend that route at speed, habit I suppose, but I do take time to appreciate the isolation. There is a bit of a snag when you arrive at Bloworth Crossing because the route to the east, although still on an old railway trackbed, is still classed as a footpath and not a bridleway. I won't tell you in public what I do there. Another option, if you would prefer it, is to drop into Farndale down the track leading off to the east just before you reach Bloworth Crossing and then "climb" back on to Blakey Ridge from Church Houses! Either way, once back on the top, note "The Lion Inn" on Blakey Ridge, the only place for miles, but what a place to get snowed in at. The "Lion" may have saved many a life over the years.

I usually park my car at the car park in Hutton le Hole (with toilets) and cycle up the road towards Blakey Ridge and then descend Rudland Rigg but there's no special reason for that.

Good luck you should enjoy it - weather permitting


----------



## G-Zero (24 Jun 2011)

Paladin, 

Thanks for the reply and that's exactly the info I was after, especially your comments about the track E. from Bloworth Crossing being designated footpath. 

I have an escape route built in which takes me right from Rudland Rigg near West Gill Head and down into Church Houses, but my thoughts are that if I'm leaving the tops because of a genuine reason, I'll probably not fancy climbing back out the other side. I'll probably stay in the valley if forced that way and therefore will only reluctantly give up any gained height.

We'll be staying at Westfield Lodge campsite, which looking on OS, isn't too far from the car park you use.

I've also got a shorter route prep'd for reserve use if the weather is really bad, which goes out of H le H near the car park, N. to Rosedale Abbey, then S. towards Cropton, then Appleton le Moors and back to H le H.

Thanks again for the info.


----------



## Paladin - York (24 Jun 2011)

HI again,

Even your shorter route is a good one. If you do that one be prepared for the steep drop down from off the top into Rosedale, ie Rosedale Chimney Bank, you'll need good brake blocks.

Re, Bloworth Crossing. Judge the situation when you get there, you might be the only person in the world!

Regards.


----------



## hotrodder61 (13 Jul 2011)

Hi

We to are going to Westfield lodge in hutton le hole for our holiday, as we do every year. We thought that we would take our bikes this year, we read the routes that where suggested and they sound great but just wondered if there was any that where suitable for children, we have two, ages 12 and 6. Can anyone suggest a child friendly route.


----------



## Paladin - York (13 Jul 2011)

*hotrodder61

*The road from Westfield Lodge to Hutton & Keldholme can get busy at times but in the past I've taken my children along the road from Hutton to Lastingham, to the east, and around Gillamoor, Fadmoor & Kirkbymoorside to the west. A couple of weeks ago I met a guy, twice, cycling with his very young daughter and they'd set off from Kirkbymoorside and cycled along a shared path (?) westwards alongside the A170 for a short distance before taking the minor road (Starfit's Lane) north towards Fadmoor and returning to Kirkbymoorside by way of Hagg Road. There are quiet, but hillier routes to the north of the A170 but flatter ones to the south (as you probably know). I'm not sure about off road routes though that would be suitable. Hope this is helpful.


----------



## G-Zero (13 Jul 2011)

Hi Hotrodder61, 

Its my first stay in the area and I gratefully accepted Paladin's local knowledge and expertise, after I'd provisionally planned my routes on Memorymap.

Its this coming weekend that I'm visiting and I'll ask around for anything suitable for the kids while I'm there.

My youngest (9) daughter's bike is coming with us, but don't think she'll be using it much other than on site.

Fingers crossed for some decent weather early Saturday morning for my first ride and possibly a second on Sunday before we head home.


----------



## rodgy-dodge (13 Jul 2011)

we often ride the motorbike around that area its stunning. We're thinking of planning a weekend cycling next year for husbands birthday, need to find accomadation (B+B preferably)for about 14/16 of us for one night stop over which could be tricky.

Anyone done the routes at Dalby forest?


----------



## Paladin - York (13 Jul 2011)

*rodgy-dodge

*To get that number of people staying over in b&b I would suggest you contact the TIC in Pickering and/or Scarborough. Outside these places you may all end up scattered all over the place. A non b&b alternative we used once, for about ten of us, was the Keldy Forest Cabins which is very close to the Dalby Forest cycle routes. This small complex of well equipped "huts" was extremely warm & comfortable and that was over a new year holiday. You will need to take all your provisions of course.

The Dalby Forest Cycle routes are big time now so I assume that there will be plenty of literature with all the colour coded routes on. I've only come through there enroute & panniered up - so have little experience of the variety of routes available. Again, if you contact the TIC, request this information as well.


----------



## G-Zero (14 Jul 2011)

G-Zero said:


> Fingers crossed for some decent weather early Saturday morning for my first ride and possibly a second on Sunday before we head home.





  Family are looking to cancel the entire trip 'cos a bit of heavy rain is being forecast, with gale force winds on the hills.


----------



## Paladin - York (14 Jul 2011)

"GULP!"


----------



## Shadow (14 Jul 2011)

rodgy-dodge said:


> Anyone done the routes at Dalby forest?



Yes, a couple of years ago but only a combination of basic ones. Would love to go back some time to try the more difficult runs. But this would also require some education on my part as I only very occasionally go off-road, onto the South Downs Way, not exactly tricky.


----------



## jack the lad (14 Jul 2011)

Dalby Forest is a great place to cycle
There are well signed green, blue, red and black routes - graded like in ski-ing. 
Green is short-ish, flat-ish and smooth-ish, suitable for most riders and hybrid bikes. 
Blue is a bit longer, undulating and rougher and you would probably want a reasonable mountain bike with suspension forks to do it comfortably - but mainly it's on the fire roads and logging roads. 
Red is long, rough, steep and quite challenging, needs a good level of fitness, confidence and skill to get round safely. I think it is absolutely brilliant, have ridden it loads of times and only at the last attempt did I get all the way round without bottling out somewhere or injuring myself. It takes me most of the day to get round and I can't move for the next three days - but I'm old and fat!
Black is for nutters and people who can defy the laws of gravity!
Purple Mountain cafe does great cakes.
There is also a 'go-ape' circuit which the kids should love!


----------



## rodgy-dodge (14 Jul 2011)

Paladin - York said:


> *rodgy-dodge
> 
> *To get that number of people staying over in b&b I would suggest you contact the TIC in Pickering and/or Scarborough. Outside these places you may all end up scattered all over the place. A non b&b alternative we used once, for about ten of us, was the Keldy Forest Cabins which is very close to the Dalby Forest cycle routes. This small complex of well equipped "huts" was extremely warm & comfortable and that was over a new year holiday. You will need to take all your provisions of course.
> 
> The Dalby Forest Cycle routes are big time now so I assume that there will be plenty of literature with all the colour coded routes on. I've only come through there enroute & panniered up - so have little experience of the variety of routes available. Again, if you contact the TIC, request this information as well.


Thanks PY I've just had a qick peak at those the cabins - some of us don't mind roughing it but others are a bit too posh so the cabins might do just nicely especially if they have hot tubs  



Shadow said:


> Yes, a couple of years ago but only a combination of basic ones. Would love to go back some time to try the more difficult runs. But this would also require some education on my part as I only very occasionally go off-road, onto the South Downs Way, not exactly tricky.


I was wondering if they did coaching there!? could do with some instruction myself.




jack the lad said:


> Dalby Forest is a great place to cycle
> There are well signed green, blue, red and black routes - graded like in ski-ing.
> Green is short-ish, flat-ish and smooth-ish, suitable for most riders and hybrid bikes.
> Blue is a bit longer, undulating and rougher and you would probably want a reasonable mountain bike with suspension forks to do it comfortably - but mainly it's on the fire roads and logging roads.
> ...



We do lots of off roading in the lakes some are more advanced than others - I'll probably take to the more timid routes where as a few of our friends are just game for anything extream so the different levels would be good. might do a recky in a couple of weeks just to sample it.


----------



## Shadow (15 Jul 2011)

rodgy-dodge said:


> I was wondering if they did coaching there!? could do with some instruction myself.
> 
> We do lots of off roading in the lakes some are more advanced than others - I'll probably take to the more timid routes where as a few of our friends are just game for anything extream so the different levels would be good.



I believe it is possible - cheaper if in a group, but probably well worth it if you would like to try red routes or more difficult.

I went on a combination of blue and red. Blue extremely easy, could have managed on a hybrid. Red was quite challenging but immense fun!! Could not imagine black with my level of non-expertise.


----------



## Cubist (15 Jul 2011)

Dalby is simply awesome. Routes for all abilities, the Green are just nice short rides with options to extend on fire roads, the blues chuck in a bit of contour and speed, the red is all things to all riders, with different sections. It's 23 miles long, but is arranged so you can ride it in sections linked by blues and greens. 

There are black sections/loops off teh red, and you can ride the World Cup course, a proper black XC race route, if you're up for it.

Tuition? http://www.purplemountain.co.uk/dalby/tuition/


----------



## rodgy-dodge (15 Jul 2011)

Cubist said:


> Dalby is simply awesome. Routes for all abilities, the Green are just nice short rides with options to extend on fire roads, the blues chuck in a bit of contour and speed, the red is all things to all riders, with different sections. It's 23 miles long, but is arranged so you can ride it in sections linked by blues and greens.
> 
> There are black sections/loops off teh red, and you can ride the World Cup course, a proper black XC race route, if you're up for it.
> 
> Tuition? http://www.purplemou.../dalby/tuition/




Cheers for that link I've bookmarked it. Just so happens we're in the lakes on all those womens tuition days! but I'll certainly look into seeing if there's anything for september. I've just about got to the point of calling it a day as recently I just keep falling off and sick to death of all the bruises on my poor legs from being mangled in the bike


----------



## G-Zero (17 Jul 2011)

Well we got there ok, despite the lousy forecast and the_ ‘fairweatherists’_ amongst us, and what a lovely part of Yorkshire, Hutton le Hole is. Some excellent views opened up as we drove down from Castleton early Friday evening, giving an idea of what was to come in the morning, and what a cracking little site Westfield Lodge is !!

Although I’ve been getting some decent miles in, I struggled a bit on the proper Yorkshire hills, especially the 6.30am climb out of Hutton up to Gillasmoor, when the legs just didn’t want to know. To be fair, that may have had more to do with the pint or three of Black Sheep with our meal down at “The Crown” the night before.

Fortunately the legs came back to me once I was off road and climbing Rudland Rigg, but no sooner had I started to get into it, when the viz went and waterproof jacket came out. It didn’t take long before the rain was horizontal on the tops with the wind picking up. By the time I got over Farndale Moor and back on the road near “The Lion”, I was cursing myself for not having the foresight to have put a backlight on my pack. It was absolutely lashing down and the entire road surface had turned to a river, to the point that it stopped being worth trying to avoid the deepest bits…. And my lips were sore from the force of the rain battering them.

I’m still drying my kit out, but looking on the bright side…. it’s a long time since I’ve been off road and not had to wash the bike down afterwards. 

I couldn’t however inspire myself enough to climb back in to my wet gear for a run out this morning before returning home, so I guess I’m going to have to go back and have another go…. Again and again and again  and I might get in to Dalby Forest too


----------



## G-Zero (17 Jul 2011)

G-Zero said:


> Hi Hotrodder61,
> 
> ......... and I'll ask around for anything suitable for the kids while I'm there.




Think the weather must have kept everyone indoors - I didn't manage to get any info at all


----------



## Paladin - York (17 Jul 2011)

Excellent!

ps ...kept everyone indoors? Don't tell me there are some fairweather cyclists after all.


----------



## G-Zero (18 Jul 2011)

Still practising loading pics - Just loaded a couple from the weekend in to 'Gallery' 


https://www.cyclechat.net/


Struggling to make them any bigger though ?


----------



## Paladin - York (19 Jul 2011)

Pics aren't my strong point either so I'm watching your posts & threads.


----------

