The Netherlands aren’t the first place that springs to mind when you’re talking about mountain biking. But there’s a lovely little story from the lowlands that seems frustratingly apt after a week of writing emails and making phone calls.

A Little Dutch Boy is walking home from school when he notices a small puddle in front of him. When he gets to the puddle he hears the sound of flowing water, a trickle hitting the ground around him.

Now, as a child of lands lower than sea level, our tiny Dutch hero was alert to the threat of flowing water and was suitably alarmed to see a leak springing from the earth sea dam towering above him.

And he acted on impulse to block the leak. The boy held his thumb firmly in the hole until morning, when people passing were able to relieve him and raise the alarm.

The little boy’s tenacity saved the city of Haarlem from being flooded. He’s regarded as a hero, up there with Robin Hood in the level of tales told to school children.

So what? Well this week Derbyshire County Council decided to start resurfacing Pindale, a byway out the back of Castleton leading up on to the hills around the Hope Valley. The vague plans had been shared with user groups via the Local Access Forum. Peak District MTB repeatedly asked for more details, in calls which were ignored or overlooked – either way they were certainly not responded to.

And so the next we knew, reports came in of the recycled MOT surface going down on Pindale; sharp, broken porcelain, wire, building rubble and other rubbish. A foundation layer of waste, ready for a top dressing of the locally-source limestone the original plans described.

Lipstick on a pig.

Peak District MTB mobilised a ‘fierce’ campaign about the works – I know, as I’m on the committee and was at the centre of it – and with pressure from the riding community, other interested groups and even the local MP, we succeeded in getting the work paused, the rubbish is currently being removed and DCC have stated that they will properly consult with stakeholders before starting again. You might read about it in the papers this weekend.

We eagerly await their invite.

Is Pindale just that small leak in the dam above Haarlem; PDMTB the little boy taking that first vital action to hold back a flood of similar, terrible jobs? I’m really stretching this analogy, admittedly, but now other more established and arguably more influential groups are involved, DCC finds itself under more scrutiny.

And so we await clarity – real clarity and detail – on their next steps.

Cavedale is mystifyingly, worryingly on their list for ‘improvements’. Talk of limestone aggregate on the track. It’s almost as if the lessons of Chapel Gate and Rushup are simply forgotten – but if you want some limestone gravel for your garden, just check the square in Castleton in a couple of years time. Or Peak Cavern, ‘cos that water that’s run down Cavedale for millennia has to go somewhere.
DCC once again seem hellbent on taking this course of action. It’s almost as if the contracts have been signed and it’s an inconvenience to them to back out and do things with proper consultation.

And hellbent seems an appropriate turn of phrase.

In their press release, which was either a demonstration of literary ignorance or subtle trolling on a depressingly unprofessional scale, DCC talked of the surfacing on Pindale being done with ‘good intentions’.

And looking at the state of the work they did up there; it certainly looks like that’s what they’ve paved this road to hell with.

“Then put your little hand in mine…..”

Bill Murray could be forgiven for repeatedly smashing the alarm clock radio to pieces back in 1993*, as he found himself stuck in a loop waiting for some key thing to change in his day and for life to snap back to normal. And you could probably forgive the folks at Peak District MTB for the same when the plans for ‘maintenance’ to a number of bridleways in the park were sent over earlier this month.

Derbyshire County Council has earmarked a number of local trails for work – starting imminently. The trails on the list include  some of the favourites in the mountain biking world; Cavedale is one prominent example.

And there are some things in there which make for quite alarming reading. “3m wide” path. The dreaded “aggregate”. “Kerbstones”. It’s been very short notice for people to respond to the plans and initial reaction on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere has been one of rolled eyes, resigned sighs and shaking heads. Are DCC just doing the same old same old?

But are these something different? Rushup Edge was a byway. Cavedale is a bridleway. Different rules apply. Whether DCC will think that way is unknown.  Whether they will apply a dollop of common sense; likewise.

Also, Rushup brought one important change; a bloodied nose for ignoring a community and a revision to plans.

A lot has changed since Rushup-gate. Stronger relationships exist. Our influence is greater. But is it enough? These plans are close to the limits I feel. But details are very scant on what the actual plans and designs are. Peak District MTB are pushing to see them – they must exist because how can a contractor start work without them?

Peak District MTB do a brilliant job putting forward the MTB viewpoint in the Local Access Forum – the cross-user group which advises DCC on access. They have done the same here in site visits and countless emails. Join them, follow their social media. Share your thoughts with them.

So take a look at what we can see so far. Do we need to muster energy for another battle? Maybe Punxsutawny Phil can predict a brighter outlook this time around.

*if you haven’t seen Groundhog Day, it’s worth a watch. Available on all good streaming services or ITV4 at 11.00pm every Thursday

While you’re here

KoftheP is non-profit and volunteer run by one person in what little spare time I have.  But it has a few costs. To pay for the site you can help by buying some KoftheP gear. There’s loads available – hoodies, t-shirts, bags. Just head over to the shop to get your Christmas goodies and help keep KoftheP going

You said you wanted some KoftheP clothing, so here you go – my latest range of Keeper of the Peak branded gear for you (and your kids!)

Keeper of the Peak clothing store

As you know, KoftheP is just little old me, tapping away, retweeting and pushing to make things better for mountain bikers in the Peak District. I’m really proud of what this little community has become and what this little community does for others and I hope you are too.

By being a follower you’re helping change the image of mountain bikers in the national park and beyond. I won’t make much profit on these – but it’s not about that.

And as I’m so proud of you all, right now I’m wearing a BRAND NEW NAVY KEEPER OF THE PEAK HOODIE AND T-SHIRT!! And when people ask what KoftheP is, I can tell them about this brilliant little community of like-minded riders. The few quid I’ll make will go to running the website and all reinvested into improving mountain biking in the Peak.

Anyway, enough of me praising you lot. Take a look at the stuff! Just a small range at the mo – hoodies, some t-shirts and even some kids stuff. All available now, and all delivered dead quick. And they’re great quality too! Sustainably produced and great quality, what will you order?

  https://keeperofthepeak.teemill.com/

The darkness on the moors late at night is like ink. Distant orange glows may softly illuminate the horizon, but within the hills and deep dark valleys, away from the towns with their lights and sounds, the stillness and murk takes over.

And it is quiet. It may be interrupted by the call of a grouse from time to time, but the remote, high moorland late at night is a quiet, still, isolated place to be.

Which is why in early 1997 the explosion heard by thousands of people from up on the remote, silent Howden Moors was totally, completely unexpected.

And it wasn’t just locals fearing that something had happened – across the area emergency calls were made; a low flying aircraft had gone down on the moors… smoke was seen rising in the hills.. Something was ablaze in the heather…

Soon emergency services were racing to the dark hills joined by the volunteers from mountain rescue. Local hospitals were put on high alert. They searched through the night and found…nothing.

No wreckage. No fire. No aircraft.

Nothing.

Yet people had seen something.

Stories vary. A light aircraft crashing. An aircraft going down. An aircraft pursued by jets. An unidentified object pursued by military jets across the moorland.

But none of those stories has any evidence to support them. All are nothing. All are ghosts.

Yet people still believe they saw something. Was it a cover up? Or was it something else above the moors around Cut Gate? Today, nearly a quarter of a century on, there are still no answers. The MOD knows something happened up there…the locals know something happened up there….but nobody knows what….

So when you’re riding Cut Gate late night and you catch something passing over you out of the corner of your eye, maybe ask the question… “what was that?”…because maybe, just maybe, you caught a glimpse of one of the ghost planes of the Peak District.

Happy Halloween.

The temptation when you’re riding in this part of the world is to convince yourself that every ditch, divot, mound and ridge is historically significant, a remnant of a long lost empire, and that I’m tracing the footsteps of a former Roman centurion or legionary who once looked upon this very landscape admiringly 1900 years ago as I do now.

But it’s clearly more likely that I’m sitting looking at a long forgotten manure pile which has grassed over – the only way to be sure being to dig down and find out; but there’s no way I’m doing that on this quick leg stretch this evening.

I’m staying a mile or so south of Hadrian’s Wall, and brought the big bike anticipating some evening exploration – taking in some proper tracks and big history that you can touch while you pretend to be stationed on the Wall long before You-Know-Nothing-Jon-Snow donned his bearskin and northern accent.

But I’m in what appears to be a bridleway desert, with the closest track to the wall coming to abrupt halt a few hundred yards along its length.

Maybe they put it there so riders could take a photo of Kevin Costner’s tree before pootling back to the car.

So tonight’s ride takes me on the quiet lanes and byways further south, overlooking the pretty, meandering valley carved out by the confusingly named River South Tyne.

The owner of the farm at which we’re staying kindly recommended the route with the caution that it’s “a bit rough and up and downy”, but on discovering the rough stuff was a slighty bumpy farm track I gave up on the promise of any tech and settled in to spin the legs and enjoy the views.

It’s only in taking time to enjoy a ride do you notice things. It might be wildlife (tonight: a hare, friendly chaffinches, skylarks), but in taking the time, you have the opportunity to get lost in it. And not just in the time getting away from you as you while a few moments away taking in the view; you can get lost in the snapshot of time held in the landscape itself.

The obvious things leap out; the deep trench cut by the Romans as a defensive measure behind the wall – the Vallum – is obvious as you travel here, and of course the wall itself appears with sudden grandeur as you turn a corner or pass a copse of trees.

Less instant to the naked eye is the evidence of medieval farming in the undulating ridge and furrows showing clearly with the setting sun. Later, buildings such as Norman churches and chapels evoke the signature of much later occupation of these isles.

But it’s something more personal that takes me back in time. And it’s something which evokes a pleasant memory. The dial is set to more recent times and the memory goes to the late 80s. A skylark’s chattering call transports me back to a footpath close to my grandparents’ house near Rotherham where me and my brother are trotting ahead of my grandad as we walk to the nearby reservoir. Forever, the skylark call will take me back to that moment, and while the ditches, divots, mounds and walls are impressive, having a ride like tonight’s where I’ve had the opportunity to get lost in time in the late 1980s – albeit briefly – is far, far more evocative of a past age. And no information panel will ever explain just how much that means.

While you’re here…

You might have noticed that some parts are a little hard to come by just recently. Clearly the impact of the pandemic is trickling down to the industry – but not all parts of the industry are on hold right now. As lockdown lifts, there’s a significant part of the mountain biking economy desperate to have your custom – and it’s one of the best investments you can make to improve your riding.

Mountain bike coaching can make a huge difference to your riding and is regularly cited as one of the best improvements you can make. But over the last year, social distancing has meant that coaches haven’t been able to do their job and so now they are keen to help you improve your skills, no matter what kind of riding you do.

Talking to a friend who coaches, they’re ready and waiting for your booking – so look into it. It really does make a difference. I had a session with Alliance MTB and at the end of the day I was a different rider. I still apply the skills I learnt that day to my riding now and definitely feel the difference.

But it might not be trail skills; it could be navigation, jumping, basics, endurance…you name it, there’s a coach out there to help you.

So don’t hesitate – get a bunch of mates together and book a session. It’s brilliant fun and you’ll be a better rider.

If you’re a coach, please jump on this thread and let me know! If you send your name, contact details and brief bio to kotp@live.co.uk I’ll put a page on the website to help you get back up to speed.

An interesting series of questions were posed on the old KoftheP twitter feed yesterday around the growth in rider numbers resulting from the various lockdowns, limited travel and “stay at home” messaging.

You’d have to have your head in the sand to have not noticed that there are way more people out and about than there have been in previous years. It’s difficult to define the exact reasons without surveying them, but putting 2 and 2 together and looking at the shopping centres, gyms, pubs, footy grounds and other places being closed due to coronavirus, and the outdoors teeming with people, I’d put a bet on the answer being 4 and many of those ‘displaced’, locked down and locked out individuals turning to the paths and tracks to pass the time. Good for them. I personally love seeing people discover the outdoors, and as long as – currently – it’s within the rules and sensible, fair play to them.

But the question posed is are there any positives to take from the increase in new riders out there? Is there more trail conflict? An impact on trail etiquette?

Certainly interesting questions and thanks @maddogmtb for asking them.

It does feel like there has been a major shift in the numbers of people getting out. National Parks which, for years have been trying to increase their visitor numbers, have found themselves overwhelmed when that is exactly what has happened. More people are riding, walking and running out on the paths and there are occasions where this is invariably going to lead to some conflict. I daren’t say there’s been more – I simply don’t have the data to back that up – but  there has been a distinct, seemingly correlating increase in the noise around asking for more access, which feels somewhat symptomatic of more riders feeling the limits of both lockdown and access law.

And that, in itself, is a benefit. The more people ride, the more people will understand the fragile relationships and limited access for mountain bikers in the Peak. In advocacy, groups like Peak District MTB are making great strides in engaging with landowners who, under Covid, have found far greater demand for access on their property and so they are looking to the MTB community – where organised – to advise, help and guide. In some places, even partner as the landowners seek to embrace the ‘new’ riders in the Peak.

And with that engagement comes a need to educate and guide; which can only be a good thing. I’ve seen calls to rewrite the countryside code recently and there are ongoing discussions about a biking code of conduct. Again, all good things which have been accelerated through high visitor numbers on the back of COVID.

I’m not going to get into the e-bike debate because it’s never about the bike. The bike is an inanimate object. It’s all about the rider and their behaviour – and with better provision and associated guidance, marketing and education; that rider – ebike or not – will inherently gain a greater understanding of those fragile relationships. And advocacy groups should be and are getting more confident in calling it out. 

I’ve talked about a tipping point before, that moment where opinions shifts and things will start being somewhat easier when it comes to making a case for mountain bikers in the Peak. Before when I talked about it, I was referring to the result of many hours of emails, phone calls and slog from those self-same advocacy groups grinding out the arguments and posing the questions. Now, with the seemingly huge increase in people wanting to get out on their bikes, landowners are beginning to come to the advocacy groups for support.

As vaccination takes effect and things begin to calm down, the shops and gyms will reopen and the demand will drop off a bit – but there will be new riders out there and everyone has to understand that there will be increased demand. Be Nice, Say Hi comes through strong. Open dialogues, a bit of patience and collaboration would be very welcome.

You see, I wouldn’t do what I do were it not for the fact that I am optimistic about our relationship with the outdoors and the people and places in the national park. Temporary frictions in time give way to dialogue, better future relationships and developments.

I’ve got to believe that, and I truly do.

There’s an eerie quiet you feel when you pause in the valley at SK 2068 7419. The hills around you – by day rolling grassy pastures – by night are cast into foreboding shadow and dark recesses full of sleepy hollows hiding things from sight.

If you stop and rest awhile at the junction where travellers have crossed this remote country for years, it’s hard to shake off the feeling that, from those dark, moonlit cast shadows, you’re being watched.

Many a hardy traveller has spoken of that same discomforting feeling at the spot, and many more have picked up the pace just a little to get out of the valley and off the hills into the cosy safety of nearby Stoney Middleton.

But not every traveller through the years has been so fortunate. For up in the hills and hiding in the shadows, those travellers were being watched…and perhaps still are today.

Crossed from west to east, north to south, this eerie spot was a busy highway and a favoured spot for Black Harry, who robbed unsuspecting traders on these very paths.

After years of terror in the hills, Harry was eventually caught at nearby Wardlow Cop and – in keeping with the punishment of the day – was hanged, drawn and quartered and displayed in a gibbet at Wardlow Mires, his decaying and rotting body picked at by the ravens and crows as a warning to others.

But Harry’s reign of terror didn’t end there.

Over the years since, terrified travellers have told tales of a shadowy rider on the paths around Black Harry Gate… a becloaked and mysterious man on horseback who appears as if from nowhere and is gone into the shadows just as silently…

So if you do stop at that spot for a rest, take heed. And that sound over your shoulder, the strange feeling you’re being watched from the shadows, the unshakeable fear that you’re being followed up out of the dark valley….don’t look back, for Black Harry may just have found his next victim…

• Want to find out more about the folklore of the area? Take a look at the brilliant work of Stoney Middleton heritage. Fascinating local stories.