I (the ed's little helper) will leave the write up to my boss the ed as he knows where we all went.....if you're lucky he might tell you about being told off for going through a grumpy old chaps garden.....
This ride is a quality ride and and well worth doing, we were lucky to have the weather on our side.
over to you Boss!!! Cheers Dazza (you are doing a good job honestly!)...........Not a bad turn out this week, seven of us with Craig & his son George joining us. George turning up with his brand new bike a Trek ex-fuel8 which had a few of us green with envy. This wasn't the only new bike, Paul turned up with his new build on a Massy frame (good job done Paul) we may get Paul to write a piece for the site all about building the bike. The following route as been taken/borrowed from a very informative website www.mtbthedales.org.uk.
Turn right out of the car-park and look for the wooden finger-post sign after 150m directing you left and along the Pennine Way. It’s uphill from here for about 4km to the highest point on the ride on Foxup Moor. This track has predominantly a firm stone base but with plenty of loose stuff on top in places. Gates at regular intervals give an opportunity for a short rest or to take in the scenery. The first 3½ km is a series of short rises and false horizons so be prepared to keep going. A short section of about 30m towards the top of the stony climb will test your technical climbing skills before the track flattens out and ends at a gate leading out onto Horton Moor. The Pennine way footpath goes off to the right for those walkers heading up onto Pen-Y-Ghent itself, but the ride goes into a single-track section through the moorland reeds. Straight in front is Hull Pot about 250m away, which is worth a look. It’s the spectacular entrance to a pothole and has Hull Pot Beck cascading into it.
Please note that the well-trodden track by the beck is actually the wrong route – the route you need is over the wall to the right. The track is now out onto moorland, which can be difficult to ride with lots of soft ground and reed beds to negotiate. It brings you sweeping north-east with the base of Pen-Y-Ghent close to your right, if not you’re on the wrong track! Careful navigation is needed through here with few points of reference around.
The track starts to improve as you reach a gate leading off onto single-track with a sandstone base and is much better to ride. By now you’ve reached the start of Foxup Moor on Pen-Y-Ghent side leading to Plover Hill. Here you have spectacular views to your left over green moorland with (on a good day) Ingleborough in the distance behind you. Keep on single-track to the highest point on the ride on Foxup Moor under Plover Hill. A few stream crossings will have tested your technical skills with alternative stone bridges for those not up to the task. And there’s more to come! The route is undulating over moorland for a while before reaching a metal gate. This is the start of the downhill to Foxup and the next 4.5km will test the technical skills of any rider. Soft moorland, mud, and rushes lie ahead along with deep ruts, tricky stream crossings and slippery rocks protruding through the surface. Enjoy but take care. The views around are worth taking in if you can keep the sweat out of your eyes. As the bridleway ends the permissive path that runs for the 1.5km towards Foxup starts and leads to a very steep tricky descent towards the hamlet in the valley below. Under-wheel conditions will play a big part in the decision taken whether to ride or walk at this point. The steepest section heads down towards a gate as you pick up the bridleway again. Having gone through the gate an option presents itself depending on the weather, the time you allowed for the ride and how tired you feel.
Short-cut - Turning right up hill for a short distance to High Bergh will lead to an easier route along the contours of the hillside to Hesleden Bergh where it meets the metalled road. A pleasant and easy ride from here on the opposite side of the steep valley to the main route will meet the main route track near Dawson Close. Dropping steeply into Foxup Farm turn right onto the ‘C’ road to Halton Gill. Around 4km on road with a downhill bias gives a chance to stretch the legs for a little while before turning back on the route back to Horton on the south side of Pen-Y-Ghent.
CAUTION!!! Make sure you don't miss the bridleway to your right before entering Litton because there is another bridleway with a signpost that points you down into somebody's garden and although we were studying our map he wasn't really the friendliest chap I have met. (I wish I’d been on a horse I’d have ploughed his lawn & if you're reading get your grass cut your letting the friendly people of Litton down) This must be the shortest bridleway in the world (where’s Norris & Ross McWhirter when you need them).
Go right at a junction at New over the river Skirfare before reaching Litton - unless you want to visit the pub! Immediately over the bridge turn right up a gated track and start to climb up the steepest section on the whole route. A 2km climb levels out onto a good track that runs along the edge of the valley where Pen-Y-Ghent Gill leads into Hesleden Beck. A small stream leading off Cow Close produces a spectacular rift in the hillside that the track skirts the top of. An undulating route takes you off the hillside to join the metalled road near Dawsons Close. Bridge Turn left and ride for 2km on the quiet road with a great view of Pen-Y-Ghent to your right until you come to a cattle-grid just after a parking area with an ‘honesty box’ on the left.
Turn right and drop down on the hard-packed stone track to Dale Head (for a short while you are riding on the Pennine Way again). Keep right at the farm and through the gate on a solid-based track, similar to riding up a stream bed in wet weather. Turn left at a track junction by Churn Milk Hole, another of the innumerable potholes in this area. At this point, straight in front is the sharp end of Pen-Y-Ghent and the footpath leading to it. The stony track takes you to the start of the 4½km downhill section to Helwith Bridge. The first 3½km is difficult riding due to the track being both heavily rutted and covered with very slippery mud in damp conditions. Selecting a good line to ride for any distance is difficult and great care needs to be taken particularly if there are walkers or trials motorbikes on the route. The final 1km gives a chance to let the brakes off on a wide hard packed stony surface. Be careful on the last 100m, which is loose and drops steeply to the busy main road.
Turn right onto the road for the final 3km stretch.
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