Blog Post

Day 1 - 100-mile Challenge

Mick C • 2 April 2021

14 miles of the Monsal trail

The Easter break soon came around and before we knew it it was day 1 of the kids 100-mile biking challenge. The first route was the Monsal trail starting at Hassop Station.

The plan was to do about 15 miles. Starting at Hassop you can head to the Blackwell Mill end which is about 7 miles, turn around and come back for another 7 miles. Then we normally assess the situation to see if we can then head to the Bakewell end for another 1.5 miles out and 1.5 miles back totalling 17 miles for the day. Both my son and daughter have done the full 17 miles but often we do the 14 miles and that is sufficient.

I packed up the van, three bikes, three helmets, three pairs of gloves and my bike shoes for the route. A track pump and chain oil to keep in the van. Then the trail pack consisting of food, water, jackets, trail pump, tools, spare inner tube, face mask, money, camera phone and go-pro to capture the challenge. We set off around 8:45am so we'd get to the car park before the Bank Holiday rush.

We arrived to an empty car park, picked a spot near the gate onto the trail and decided how much parking to pay for. The charge starts at £1.50 for 1 hour and increase by a pound per hour until you hit the full day for £5.50. We opted for 4 hours at £4.50, meaning we had to be back around 13:30.

I unpacked the van, checked the bikes and got my pack on my back. We took the first challenge photo, so I can make a photo journal over the days to come, and we hit the trail. It was a cool day but sunny, excellent conditions for biking. We were all a little excited to start and I checked back to make sure we didn't burn out in the first few miles. After all it’s a marathon not a sprint.

The Old railway line has now been turned into smooth hard packed surface and the whole root is flat with only a few parts that trend up or downhill very slightly. In fact it’s so slight that you wouldn’t notice. I'd say going out has a mild trend uphill with the return a mild trend downhill, which makes the whole route ideal for families and kids.

The first couple of miles are very similar, flat trail looking over fields with trees dotted along the way. After about two miles we reached the highlight of the route, the start of the railway tunnels. There are six tunnels to go through in total. Four tunnels around 400 metres long and two shorter tunnels towards Blackwell Mill. The first we reached is one of the longest on route, if not the longest, named headstone tunnel. The kids love going through them, as do I. The approach is between a set of rock faces, and the entrance soon appears. The tunnels are lit but it takes a couple of wheel turns in the tunnel before you get your vision adjusted. The most noticeable thing is the temperature drop and the damp walls. It was already cool outside but when we went through the tunnel it drops a good few degrees. It wasn't busy which is great as we had a free run. Sometimes you can be constantly checking your speed to get around people or avoid other bikes. After exiting the tunnel there is a bridge with a cracking view of Monsal head. We made our first stop for water and a quick snack.

After the break it wasn’t long before we reached the second tunnel, Cressbrook tunnel, where we could see to the left of the trail a group of rock climbers ascending the rock face. From leaving the tunnel it wasn’t long before we'd entered the third tunnel, Litton tunnel. That was three down, three to go and about 4 miles done.

We passed Litton Mill down in the valley to the right of us and after another mile it was the kids 2nd favourite bit of the trail, a stop at Millers Dale, 5 miles in, where there is a little coffee shop for a well earned ice cream for the kids and coffee for me. We had a 15 minute break before jumping on for the final 2 miles to the end of the trail. This section seems a little narrower than other sections on the trail especially when entering and exiting the final three tunnels. The first two are the shorter tunnels, chee tor 1 and 2, and the final slightly longer tunnel of Rusher cutting tunnel. The kids know when the final tunnel is done we are near the end of the trail. But before the tunnels we passed the limestone kiln which is worth a look at. We planned to stop here on the way back for a break.

Before we knew it we could see the end of the trail. We have a tradition of riding right up to the gate and touching it before turning round to head back. We carried on the tradition, took a couple of photos and started the journey back.

I always find the ride back seems quicker even though it is generally busy. It must be the slight downhill trend. It wasn't long before we were back at the start of the three smaller tunnels. I sensed trouble as we entered the first tunnel. My back wheel was making a strange noise as if the tyre was sticking. We entered the tunnel with the kids in front and then the back of bike went all squidgy. I knew what it was, a flat tyre! I couldn’t stop in the tunnel and the kids were getting further away, so I cracked on pedalling out of my seat and putting as much weight on the front wheel as I could. I caught the kids and after we exited the tunnel we stopped. I had self healing inner tubes so a quick pump to inflate it abit and a spin of the wheel should've fixed it. I waited a minute and it wasn't going down, so we set off. We hit the second tunnel and it happened again, the noise and the squidgy back end. Obviously, the self healing tubes had already self healed on a previous ride. There was only one thing for it, change the inner tube. Thank goodness I bring my spares on the kids ride. I whipped the tyre off and revealed a few sealed punctures and a hole. I checked the tyre for thorns, and then popped the new tube in. It wasn't long before we were back on the trail, actually a welcomed break for the kids.

We went through the third tunnel with no issues and quickly we were at the limestone kiln. We stopped and the kids went up the steps to explore. On the way back they stopped and inquisitiveley asked ‘what is that?’...it was only a lizard. I didn't even know lizards were found in the Peak District, I’m sure it must've been an escaped pet., but there it was a tiny lizard trying to get some sun on its body. What a find.

We left it to catch some rays and back on the bikes. It was a lot busier on the trail now so we were having to slow to get round people and then speed back up, and then there was the sore backside syndrome starting to bother the kids. One thing I do love about my kids is that they have a little moan but realise the bigger picture, to get home they still have to bike, sore butt or not, so they tend to push through. That is great resilience I know will serve them well in years to come.

We soon passed through the longer tunnels and the walkers to the wider trail heading back to Hassop. We reached the final old station platform. The raised platform at the side of the trail which the kids love to ride up and over to return to the trail about 50 metres later. The moans about sore backsides were get more frequent and I certainly had the sense that trying to do the full 17 miles was a bad idea. You finally know you are close when the sides of the trail turn back to fields and two road bridges pass overhead. Hassop Station was now full of people and the car park rammed with cars. I'm so glad we made it early. After a few high fives I packed the van up and we were on our way home. Tired and full achievement.

14 miles Complete and Day 1 came to an end. Monsal trail is a great family biking day out. When the café is fully open there is nothing better than getting back from the trail and having a lovely lunch.