Turn left out of the gate and follow the track for to its end at a gate. Turn left and climb for 500 metres and turn right onto a track and climb ever steeper to a crossroads. Turn right and follow the rising track and then a narrow fenced descending track before joining a walled road climbing to a farm and then descending into Brookbottom. Continue along up the road for 200 metres and take the track on the left which climbs getting rougher and steeper until it joins a very wide farm track which leads to a crossroads. Turn left up the lane and after it levels out and the tarmac ends look for the rough track on the right and descend it. On meeting the road turn right and then very shortly make a sharp left onto a pleasant descending track and eventually meet a lane. Turn right and descend the hill to the bottom and at the junction bear left and climb the lane to its end at a gate. The steep little track after the gate leads up to another gate and a large track. Turn right and follow this through Wethercotes Farm to reach a road. Turn left and drop steeply for 400m then turn sharp right opposite a row of cottages. This track leads shortly to a sharp left bend, but go straight on through the gate and down to a road at the bottom. Turn left and follow the road up to a junction at Birch Vale.

Turn right and in 200m bear left, climbing up Over Hill Road. After passing Piece Farm the track levels and a marked bridleway leads off left in a further 250m. Climb gently at first, then between two walls and across a field. After the large gate the going gets very steep and brings you to a junction of tracks. Turn left and follow the track across a stream and then between two stone walls to a point where the wall open out. Follow the track near the right hand wall and climb up to a high point where the track again is enclosed between two walls and shortly after, a gate. Descending now increasingly awkwardly, through two more gates you arrive at Hills Farm (walk through garden) and then the steep farm track takes you down to the road at Chinley Head.

Turn left and shortly reach a T-junction at Brecktor House where you can go right and meet the main A623 road. Turn left and then immediately left along the lane. At the very sharp lefthand bend take a track right followed very soon by a track left along Shuttle Rake. On meeting the road turn right and ride into Little Hucklow, turning left through the village and straight across the B6049 onto a broken track which climbs easily up to Great Hucklow. Pass through the village and take the road left signposted Bretton and Gliding Club, then climb tiringly up to the junction and turning left signposted Abney and Gliding Club. Pass the Gliding Club and roll along pleasantly into Abney. Turn left at Abney and follow the narrow lane to its end and turn right as you come on to the moorland. Follow the track past a radio mast before plunging down to Shatton and arriving at the A6187 Hope Valley road.

Section 5 - Hope Valley to Fairholmes

Go left and then right and climb up and through Thornhill and then down along the side of the river Derwent until the road turns right across the river. At this point pass through the gate and carry on up the steep track next to the river and reach the top of the Ladybower dam. Cross the dam to reach the A6103. Turn left and follow the road to the traffic lights. Turn right towards Sheffield but just after the pub turn left onto the bridleway that parallels the road climbing up to Cutthroat Bridge where the bridleway goes left taking you down across the moorland to eventually bring you out on the track along the edge of Ladybower reservoir. Turn right and follow the track and then the road down below the Derwent Dam to reach Fairholmes Visitor Centre.

Take the road up from the mini roundabout with the dam/reservoir on you right. Follow the road and after a mile take the signed bridleway on the left climbing very steeply at first and eventually passing Lockerbrook Farm on your left. At the top of the climb after the farm two track lead off left. Take the rocky one that drops to a gate. Follow the zig-zags down and through another gate then technically down to a narrow road. Drop down and cross over the A57 (Snake Pass Road) then drop down the rocky wet track, cross the river and follow the track left. At the top of a short, sharp, loose, climb turn right onto a murderous walk/climb and thankfully reach a gate after which the going is easy and pleasant and brings you to the junction of tracks below Crookstone Barn. Go straight across dropping into and climbing out of Jaggers Clough. The long diagonal descent then is pleasant and brings you to Clough Farm, passing it on the right onto a narrow bridleway lined with bushes. On reaching the road turn right and follow this right down Edale to Barber Booth.

Turn right, signed Upper Booth, and follow this lane and then track right up Jacobs Ladder to reach Edale Cross. Drop down the very rocky trail until just before a gate across the track where a signed bridleway goes through a gate in the wall on the right. This faint track across the moorland climbs at first but then levels out and takes you around to a gate in a wall. After the gate the track heads for the corner of a wall and turns left down next to it, then between two walls to a small gate. Down and across the hillside takes you to a better track and then a gate at a small road. Straight across down the extremely steep track brings you to a footbridge and then a narrow road by the gates to the Kinder reservoir dam.

Next to the main gate is a small gate followed by a ludicrously steep but rideable cobbled track. Where this track levels out the bridleway doubles back left and climbs steeply again passing through a broken wall and then less steeply to the summit near a white hut. Take the track right heading over a metal footbridge and follow this track across moorland and eventually over another footbridge and reach the A624. Turn left and then take the lane right and then the next lane right, climbing steeply up to Matleymoor Farm. Just after the farm bear right onto a sandy track and pass through two gates. Immediately after the second gate squeeze through the stile (yes it’s a bridleway) and follow the faint track across the field and through another stile onto the lane. Turn right and drop down to a T-junction. Turn left and through the gate. Follow the road and then the track off right before Far Cown Edge Farm climbing up to Cown Edge.

Section 9 - Cown Edge to Roman Lakes

Down the other side through three (sometimes four) gates brings you to a lane. Turn right and drop down to T-junction and make a left up the lane. After the next descent the road climbs and then levels out, take the next rough track down on the left (opposite Ernocroft Lane). At the end of the track at Mill Brow turn left along the lane until after around 700m the road turns very sharply left. Turn right along a bridleway in front of a cottage to a gate and across a field to another gate. Climb the short driveway and keeping right at the top go through the driveway of Mellor Hall to large gate. The small gate on the right opens by a hidden catch at the top. Carry on down the road and past Mellor church. A steep descent follows and just at the bottom a small broken road leads off left and joins a road next to the Devonshire Arms. Cross straight over onto Gibb Lane and follow this, bearing right and down through the golf course on the tarmac road. Straight on down turns quickly to a rocky track and leads down to Lakes Road. Turn left and arrive at Roman Lakes.

(If you started at Fairholmes, continue from Section 1 for the rest of the route)