Peak district 200

[HopeValleyPaul]

The peak 200 and I have history, I tried it a few years back when I was just starting to learn about this whole ITT malarky. It didn't end well, the old route looped around so that at about the halfway point you pass very close to the start. Quitting was too easy then. This time was going to be different.

I needed to do a good long training ride for the YD300 in a few weeks time and this was the perfect route, in perfect conditions, tweaked for 2016 to take in new bridleways and loosing the psychological challenge of the easy halfway scratch. Still on a high from the Jennride two weeks ago which was probably the best weekend on a bike I have ever had (go ride it its amazing) off I went.

The closest this route goes to my house is Sickleholme petrol station in Bamford so without a lot of thought that is where I started. Pretty much every long ride I do these days the first hour is awful, I leave feeling nervous about everything, kit, food, water, my lack of ability/experience and normally feeling guilty about leaving my wife and kids to do something selfish (this last one normally passes very quickly).
This particular time an unexpectedly noisy drivetrain was testing me and I had foolishly decided to to try a full 2lt camelpak for water in my rucksack rather than two half litre bottles on the bike.

Stopped at the top of the first climb for a quick bag reshuffle camelpak in frame bag, food in rucksack, a quick drive train tinkering and a firm talking too. All was now good. Straight into my favourite piece of Peak District singletrack in perfect condition down to Offerton Hall. It's not long, steep or technical but it's one I know well as it is usually the last bit of singletrack I ride before I roll back down the hill home to Hathersage. Onwards on a grand tour of all that is good in the Hope, Edale and Upper Derwent valleys. All the tracks were bone dry even the usual mud slide into Bradwell, then up and over Cutgate to a part of the peak which I don't know too well.

Last time I was here I was physically ruined, psychologically broken by the straightforward road climb on Windle edge, out of my depth and annoyed because the longdendale trail hadn't been the nice gentle freewheeling downhill I was expecting all the way into Hadfield. This time, I felt great straight through to Charlesworth for the first planned resupply stop at the village store. Belly full of food then off I went flying down the hill. 500m down the road, can't find sunglasses, pull over quick search still can't find them. Bollocks. Back up the hill not on bench out side shop nip into the shop, girl behind the counter hasn't seen them but she did point out the pair of sunglasses securely placed on top of my helmet.....whoops.

Back on the road regaining a bit of elevation then back out onto the moors and some fantastic single track down to Birch Vale, 80km in now and starting to get tired. Little cafe in Birch vale was closed and it's starting to dawn on me that I may have significantly misjudged my timings for food stops, all I can do is plod on.
The climb out of Birch Vale is a good example of my least favourite kind of climb, straight, a relatively constant gradient, end always in sight. I've become a fan of climbing at night time where you can't see how far you have got left to go you just keep pedalling until its over. The climb up was worth it though, great tracks on top of the moors all the way to the Pennine Bridleway. Past the no car cafe (closed) and down to Peak Forest on lovely quite back roads.

Time to eat at the pub in Peak Forest, no lite bites were ordered here. Whilst eating, looking at the map, I'm at half distance, its about 8:30pm maintaining about 10k/hour and feeling pretty good but I've little chance of acquiring food anywhere else on the way round without a significant detour off route. I've got a few bags of M&Ms, couple of gels a sausage roll, 2 chunks of fruity granola and a couple of recovery powders.

With a belly full of food I crack on with some relatively easy miles with a few short sharp climbs. It was a joy to be on the Monsal Trail on my own, usually its a slalom course of dog walkers, kids and ramblers, this evening it was all mine. Just as I hit the high peak trail the sun disappears and its ten easy km giving me time to prepare for the horrors of Gratton dale. From previous reports I was expecting a 2km long trudge through knee deep mud. This approached much more quickly than I had expected as I was chased down Long Dale by a heard of very twitchy young cows overly excited by the flashing lights and spot trackers of the weird wheeled thing passing through their field in the middle of the night.

Gratton Dale was incredibly overgrown but absolutely bone dry, I don't know what all the fuss was about, surely it must be like this all year round? Back on the roads more easy ground getting covered at a good speed but the time spent pushing up the hills slowly becoming more significant, starting to get tired, really tired, encouraged by getting close to Chatsworth and back onto ground I know well.

Having covered 150km in about 16 hours as I get to manners woods, I'm happy, its half the distance of the YD300 in an acceptable time (for me) but I've not eaten enough and I'm getting slower. I know that there is a big climb coming up in Baslow, get up it, get a few hours kip and I can start tomorrow by traversing the edges. Its a plan.

The push up takes me ages, motivated by recovery powders at the top and handfuls of food on the way up the summit was achieved. It was then that I realise the bottle I was carrying in the side of my rucksack is gone.........bollocks........ in the bottle are my recovery powders and water purification stuff. About 60km left to go with not a lot of food. Bivi kit out and off to bed, I can deal with it after some sleep.

A nice wakeup call from the midges after about 3 hours sleep. A very quick pack up and back on the bike at about 4:30. Cubar and Froggatt edges were beautiful in the dawn sun just me the animals and the random couple doing yoga in the sun who were as surprised to see me as I was them.
From this point on I was pretty much ruined, every uphill was a push and every downhill had as little effort put into it as possible. At almost every junction now I had the option of turning left to roll down the hill to my house or turn right and carry on. Out of everything I did on this ride I am most pleased that I kept on going. Most of these decisions were achieved after a very short power nap, power naps are ace. I am going to try and introduce them into other areas of my life.

Climbing up Stanage causeway having consumed the last of my food prior to a third power nap I started to find a bit of pace again only a few more climbs to go , Ronksley Hall, Rod Side, Whinstone Lee Tor and the Beast (saving the best until last), they all pass, slowly and steadily, but they pass.

Up hope brink to the top of the final descent within half an hour I'll be home. I get back to Bamford after 27 hours and 9 minutes, with no food and no water, just shy of 21 hours moving time. I was very very happy with this.

It wasn't fast it wasn't pretty but it was a finish and I was chuffed with that. I had enjoyed it, I was sore but not broken, conditions were perfect and the route was fantastic, as good as if not better than the Jennride. I'd made mistakes, I had planned the ride badly, massively misjudging my nutrition needs. I calculated that I had only consumed about 140calories/hr. I had discovered that the side pocket of a rucksack is a bad place for a water bottle and that I need to poke a massive hole in the side of my camelbak.

Bring on the group start in July.

[whitestone]

Good one. Looking forward to the group start

[ianfitz]

Good to read that Paul. Glad you enjoyed.

It's taken a bit of thinking but it seems we have a good route on the doorstep.

Interested to know what you think about any improvements that could be made.

[HopeValleyPaul]

I wouldn't change anything Ian. Can think of a few nice bits to add to it if you ever think a 300km route is needed!

[ianfitz]

I wouldn't change anything Ian. Can think of a few nice bits to add to it if you ever think a 300km route is needed!

I may be a step ahead there...