The ride starts from Marple Girl Guides Hut where you'll be welcomed with a cup of tea or coffee.
There is no parking at the Guide Hut. However, there are paid car parks in the town centre and plenty of free on street parking, with convenient parking for the finish around recreation ground.
Reid Anderson climbs Gun Hill
The ride takes in some of the best bits of the Peak District. We climb past Windgather rocks to Pym Chair, then descend 'The Street' to pass through the gorgeous Goyt Valley and over Axe Edge. After Alstonefield there is a great drop into the Manifold Valley to Wetton Mill, but that is followed by the toughest climb of the day to Butterton. We encounter a Mermaid at 450m and more than 50 miles from the sea on our way to Tittesworth Visitor Centre and the control at the top of Gun Hill.
This is stage 5 of the Marple Grimpeur summer series. If you complete all 5 rides in the same season, you can even get the
badge!
Veritas Me Dirigit
(let the truth guide me)
is the motto at the Ship Inn in Wincle, which you ought to pass if you follow the supplied GPX file and routesheet.
It's a strenuous ride, so you might welcome the cafe stops at Longnor, at Wetton Mill and Tittesworth Visitor Centre, although none of these is a control so stops here are entirely optional.
The finish is at
Marple Services and Forces Club
.
Please note that we can't handle entries on the line, as we are starting from a car park, but it's really easy to enter the event, either online or through the post
here
.
There is nowhere to leave panniers, so what you bring goes with you on the ride.
