# Welcome to Pure Peak Grit 2025!!

I (Laura Massey-Pugh) have been helping run the event as Race Director since 2024, but the event itself first ran in 2019. This inaugural edition was the brainchild of Alaina Beacall who led 10 intrepid ladies to take on the challenge.

The initial route was over 600km long and with over 13,500m of vertical ascent, and aimed to tackle every challenging climb in the Peak District without riding the same road (in the same direction) more than once. The fantastically convoluted map that emerged was a piece of routing genius by Alaina.

![Pure Peak Grit 2025 Map](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5Kmo4aR4Yk5c7Fm94F9RF0/95b3e854ecb60dc9e90de7b8bfdc6fcb/Pure_Peak_Grit_2025.1.jpeg)

Today’s route stays as close as possible to the original, but with changes to the start and finish locations and the inevitable road closures of the Peak District there has been some variations. All the same climbs are there, just not in the same order!

20 riders will be setting off at 8am on Saturday 28th June, a special mention to finishers returning in less than 48 hours. There is no time limit, but we will be closing the event HQ at 3pm on Monday. Riders completing the whole route after this time will still be added to the “Wall of Fame”.

One of the main challenges with the route is the number of intersections where the track overlaps or passes… keen DotWatchers may spot those skipping a loop or going the wrong way and missing out on their finish!

The other change for this year’s event is a central HQ. The event is self supported outside of this (i.e. no support on the road), but instead of a “Halfway Hall” we have opted to base ourselves at the award winning Barn Farm Campsite in Birchover. This will allow riders to focus on the enjoyment of the hill of the Peak, rather than worry about finding affordable accommodation in tourist hotspots or bivvying in the unique climates. They also get the pleasure of knowing it’s always another climb to return to HQ!

This HQ is visited twice during the ride, giving 3 x 200 km loops which I shall give a brief overview of…

## Section 1

This starts with a gentle roll through the iconic Chatsworth Park and past Chatsworth House before the first named climb at Sheldon. This is a “new” named climb for this year… not that it wasn’t on the route before, we just didn’t mention it. There’s a few like that..

Just enough time for the lactic acid to shift before the Beast of Bradwell, popular with those that love a false summit and a sense of defeat in their legs.

Instead of 500 km in the legs riders get treated to the epic Winnat’s Pass at 50km before a pointless loop to Peaslows. This climb has some great views back towards Chapel en le Frith, but we’d recommend you don’t stop on the hill.

Heading North to Glossop and the famed Snake Pass, which also had one of best descents of the ride… until they added traffic lights. Circling back up the Hope Valley, riders need to dodge the influencers at Mam Tor before heading to the quieter lanes and the less familiar, but no less challenging, Sir William Hill. Curbar Gap is another Peak District classic, but riders may be less familiar with “Climbing up” and Longstone Edge; hopefully nice scenic surprises!

There won’t be the crowds cheering them on up Monsal Hill Climb, but they can certainly pretend they are going for the podium if they wish.

The Amber Valley is the heart of the Peak District, forming a boundary between the gritstone Dark Peak and the limestone of the White Peak. It also provides the brutally steep climbs of Rowsley Bar, Bank Road and Riber Wall; all within tantalizing reach of the HQ, but distressingly the wrong side of the valley to eliminate that final climb.

## Section 2

Riders may have many questions why they are going straight back down the particularly rural Oldfield Road they have just climbed to get to the HQ, but none of these will be answered. It’s straight up and out of the Amber Valley again through the switchbacks of Sydnope Hill and onto the moors.

Edging closer to the towers of Sheffield, you may spot weekend walkers and MAMILs venturing past the city limits on Froggatt and the Dale before heading into the more small village Bradfield which seems to cling to the steep hillside, providing some great gradients.

Half of Blindside Lane had fallen down the gully last time we checked but we have everything crossed that riders will get the chance to experience this long and steady drag before things get sharper again out to Deliverance.

Stocksbridge will be the first sign of civilisation for a while, but riders best not forget whatever they eat/buy will have to be carried straight up Pea Royd Lane!

Skirting the Northern edge of the Peak to include Jackson Bridge riders take an extended loop back around to get to the stunning Holme Moss, whose distinctive mast will taunt them for many a mile. Long Hill then lives up to its name by being… long… before checking off Axe Edge, Crowdecote and The Rake and heading up to HQ for the second time.

## Section 3

A deceptive start for riders where they aren’t going dramatically up or down leads out to TOB Morridge and the West where Gun Hill and Fourways will warm them up nicely for the kicker at the end of Flash Back Lane and the UK’s Highest Village. An otherwise completely unnecessary loop takes them up Hollinsclough Rake before deviating to Lesser Lane for more backroad fun.

Windgather includes our cobbled section, which has been met with cheers of glee from previous riders who like a challenge, before they make a disturbingly distant loop to the North West to tick off Deadman’s and Blaze Hill.

Saving some of the best to last the Cat and Fiddle is one of our most exposed and longest climbs before they dive back down South to check off the Ashbourne four of Douse Lane, Parson’s Lane, Larkstone Lane and Ilam Moor which may result in feelings of the ride and hills never actually ending.

If they have made it to Longcliffe, the last named climb on the route, they have pretty much smashed it and there are only a few “lumps” and of course the climb back to HQ to go!

With returning riders Andrew Harrison (who had some much fun, he just had to come back and do the bits he missed), and Steven Massey (who had some kind of sob story about a low speed horizontal moment and not being able to use a route sheet…) The rest of our field of 20 riders are certainly a strong bunch of Everesting World Record Holders, multiple hilly European ultra- finishers and uber-experienced audaxers… but it still remains to be seen… who can __#hackthehillage__!

Website: [www.purepeakgrit.cc](https://www.purepeakgrit.cc/2025-edition)


Pure Peak Grit 2025 Event Preview

Christopher Murkin

Dubbed as the hilliest long distance cycling event in the UK, Pure Peak Grit returns for 2025. Linking together every famous and categorised road climb by bike, the hardest way up, in the Peak District National Park.

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