Hayfield to Hope

Route Information

Stats: 24 miles and 3,750 feet of ascent

OS Map:

Character

This route provides an unforgettable sweep of High Peak goodness, with rolling tracks, great climbs and descents on awesome rocky trails; one to test the best climbers.

Refreshments

The area is full of great places to stay over and to eat. Hope at halfway is a useful spot for either a cafe or the pub!
Start point: The obvious place is the pay and display at the end of the Sett Valley Trail (or you could do some of this as a warm-up).


Route

1. Cross the A624 with all appropriate care and enter the complex warren of streets beyond.

2. Leave Hayfield by passing the wall clock on your right and heaving up Highgate Road.

3. Turn left where shown (A) and take a long track up the side of Mount Famine. This takes you down into Roych Clough and steeply back out. Eventually, you reach tarmac at 091825.

4. Cross the road and drop on tarmac past Rushop Hall.

5. Turn left on the Winnats road and follow that before forking right where shown (B)

6. Keep to this line on a good track until you see quarrying and the long, fast descent of Dirtlow Rake on your left.

7. Go down the road a short distance then drop down sharp right (C) followed by sharp left, into Pindale. Descend this with immense technical interest.

8. Career down into Hope and climb out the other side on the Edale Road. Leave this on the right at a dog-leg over a bridge, to enter Fullwood Stile Lane.

9. Climb up the side of Win Hill, finishing on draggy sand worthy of a beach.

10. At the bridleway crossroads just after Hope Cross, drop off left into Jagger’s Clough. Follow this down to the road.

11. Head up the valley, passing Barber Booth and Upper Booth, following signs for Pennine Way.

12. Take the long, left-leaning rake of Jacob’s Ladder, a tough challenge to climb un-dabbed.

13. Breathe slow; that’s all the climbing done. Swoop down rutted moor into Coldwell Clough. Take the left fork to drop down via the campsite and the Valley Road.

click below for gpx file