By the time we’d stopped for a quick cup of Costa coffee at Scotch Corner services the drive to the Yorkshire Dales took us just over an hour. It was a fairly crisp October Saturday morning, all in all a pretty good day to tackle an off road nineteen mile circular route that was to take a party of five on mountain bikes from Gunnerside weaving around to Arkengarthdale Moor and onto Britain’s highest pub, The Tan Hill Inn, then cycle down the Pennine Bridleway towards Muker and back to Gunnerside.

We parked the cars at the start of the bridleway at Dykes Head just to west of Gunnerside, set up the bikes and put on extra layers of clothing including wind stopper cycling jackets and full finger cycling gloves. We set off on the steady climb up the bridal / grouse path which took us up the west side of Gunnerside Beck then bared left at Botchers Gill which took us down Gunnerside Gill to some disused peat storage buildings at a fork in the beck.

From the disused building the route then took us up a sharp incline then onto a narrow path to a crossing by the waterfall, followed by a largely unride-able broken section of path towards the Blakethwaite Lead Mines. Before we reached the mines there was a hairpin bend that took us along a path that was soon to disappear, our only rational option then was to carry the bikes up the steep embankment that led to the grouse path above.

After we dusted the dirt from our baggy cycle shorts we followed the grouse path south then bared east through the disused mine spoils. We came to the crossroads where we took a left cycling north onto Doctors Gill and onto the moors. The ride across Friarfold Moor was mainly grassy and very soft going, in parts it was like riding over a soft mattress. Over Punchard Moor there was a mix of single track and mud it was here we bumped into another party of bikers coming the other way. They seemed to have fairly good knowledge of the area and warned us of some of the likely problems such as boggy ground and gave us some navigational advice.

Sometimes the best advice gets ignored especially when your bike is rolling downhill. Just as the guys predicted the bridle path disappeared as we neared the disused buildings at Punchard Coal Level. We ended up following what we thought was the route through a bog then up a rough steep footpath, resorting to carrying the bikes and getting our feet very wet.

The journey over West Moor and Arkengathdale Moor wasn’t too bad the trail conditions varied but was ride-able. Our original plan was to make it to the half way point Tan Hill Inn before we stopped for lunch, however time wasn’t on our side so about eight miles into the ride we stopped on a sheltered bend that overlooked Arkengarthdale Moor. We were starting feel cold, fatigued and demoralised, we hadn’t expected an easy ride but the soft condition of the moorland will tire even the sturdiest of legs.

Fortunately I had a flask of hot Heinz tomato soup which I shared with the deflated crew, OK they didn’t get much but it was enough to raise spirits before we tackled Mirk Fell, the final stage to Tan Hill. The stretch of the journey over Mirk Fell was just boggy and the bridle path clearly marked in the OS map was non-existent. After much carrying and pushing we reached the short stretch of road that led to The Britain’s highest pub and a couple of well earned pints of Black Sheep.

From the Tan Hill Inn the journey back to Gunnerside took us on the Pennine Way and over Tan Hill and Stonesdale Moor towards Keld, about 4 miles that is virtually all downhill. I had done this downhill section of the ride earlier in the year when the ground was harder and faster, but this time exhaustion was really kicking in, the softer ground and slight inclines felt like real ball aches. Nevertheless it’s a great section with some stunning views, to me; it’s what cross county cycling is all about.

Just past the farm at East Stonesdale we veered left uphill on the bridleway following the River Swale then down towards Crack Pot Hall. The trail from here takes you through Swaledale on dirt track and tarmac and a final climb back to the cars at Dykes Head.

The ride had been very tough, defiantly one only to be tackled in dry summer months, even then, I doubt there will a ride-able route over Mirk Fell. The sections with broken paths should also be avoided, unless you enjoy carrying your bike.

You can download the route on pdf by clicking here