Dales - track to Meugher

[ericrobo]

I used to ride a lot in the Dales, and since doing a ride about 3 weeks ago, I've been every week sometimes twice a week.

My map of the Dales is plastered with rides and it breaks down into sections eg
between Ribblesdale and Wharfedale - lots of good riding, great sheep mowed surfaces, not a lot of gates etc.

But the section east of Wharfedale to Nidderdale doesn't offer many possibilities.

Yesterday's ride was from Street Gate (SG) - great riding to Arncliffe Cote, the back road to Arncliffe (no traffic, in fact 1 horse box truck where he apologised because I got off to let him past ! Brilliant !0
... then the big climb to the top of Old Cote Moor (it's mainly rideable but not in one go for me, not with temperatures acc to Great God Garmin of 26degrees), a bit scrappy (i.e. pushing) near the top

then drop down to Starbotton - wet at first but rideable then lower down better to get off over slippy rocks

From Starbotton a massive climb to Cam Head**** - great riding surface, rideable with rests (and rice pudding when my heart and brain was playing a fast tempo symphony)

My original plan was to go all the way along to meet the road at Whernside then the BW (which is crap going east to west but more rideable the other way, mainly down) then Scar House Res and climb up to In Moor (looking down on Lofthouse)
then cut across on a gravel track as far as the track to Aygill Pike... after that difficult ground for nearly 2.8 miles and about 630 m ascent miles to Sandy Gate at 550 metres asl.
I've done that section the other way, and mostly rideable though a bit technical and hard.

Here's the reason for this post:
Does anyone know what the track marked on the OS map is like - it goes near Blayshaw Gill for a while, and finishes just south of Meugher.
(from there it's only 1.1 miles and hardly any ascent to Sandy Gate)

Cam Head****
I must be getting some sense in my old age, I decided to abandon the original plan and drop down to Kettlewell for a pint, then the back road to Conistone/Kilnsey then Mastiles Lane (it's in great condition nowadays since vehicles were stopped from using it) back to SG

Only 23 miles but nearly 3900 feet (1180 m)

[Lawmanmx]

Oreet Eric bin wondering where you've been hiding

[ericrobo]

Hiya T
Yep, doin alreet ta !

Re-discovered the Dales, rode there a lot in the past.
Meugher is pronounced "moofer" - old Norse for small hill, and the track is a good track apparently after some fell-walking research.

It's right what I say though: there needs to be some track to get from Nidderdale to Wharfedale

There again this week probably... Still waiting for a reply from Dales mtb 'locals' - are there none ?
(Eg - if you want info re West Pennine Moors, I'm your man)

[Lawmanmx]

Glad to know yer still doing it Eric im busy till after the weekend at least, but im keen to come with you on one of yer Dales runs soon pal

[whitestone]

As A Dales local(ish) I'm currently located a bit further away waiting for a flight back from Iceland

The Nidderdale side of Sandy Gate is apparently rideable. Not sure which estate has the land but it's not a BW. The estate on the Wharfedale side have put up no cycling signs on the land rover track between Mossdale and Yarnbury so at a guess it's a little sensitive.

Yet another example of our wonderful joined up rights of way

[ericrobo]

Hiya Whitestone

When you say the Nidderdale side of Sandy Gate is 'apparently rideable' are you referring to the track I mentioned or the footpath ?

I've gone west to east several times and the BW upto Sandy Gate becomes a FP over the fence ! It is mostly rideable going that way, tricky and technical requiring effort and skill.. going the other way would be a different matter.

Sensitive I know but over that sort of ground there won't be many bikes going, only the dedicated few

Would be nice if there was an off-road option Nidderdale to Wharfedale...