Track: Jacob's Ladder (Edale) - Mountain Biking in the Peak District

Track: Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob's Ladder is a bridleway near Edale in the Peak District, UK. This page is intended to provide information for mountain biking on the track.

Rating: Technical / Speed / Fun: | |
Height Descent / Distance: 170m / 1.1km

Surface: Gritstone/Dirt. Very rocky, loose, embedded, and bedrock. Very technical and exhausting. Mainly 1m wide track.

Location: SK 087 862 - Monkeyspoon OS Tracks Map - Google Aerial Map
Starting from the ridge at Edale Cross the track descends east, finishing at a small bridge followed a long flat straight section to Upper Booth.

Description:

After a short flat section, which has some small rocks on it the track quickly, drops away. This next section is steep and is paved with many angular rocks and drainage gullies so line choice is key. I would recommend walking this section before you ride it if you have not seen it before. The paved surface continues for over 200m before ending suddenly with a drainage gully. After the relative, smooth surface of the paved slope, the ground becomes much rougher with many rocks and stones loose on the surface. This only lasts 50m before the bridleway flattens out. This area is often wetter than the rest of the track. After another 50m or so, the gradient increases and the track becomes rougher with many large angular bits of bedrock sticking out. A smoother line can be taken up on the left bank but this does spoil the fun and does not help with erosion. Again, the gradient increases as the track approaches the splitting of the bridleway and path split just over midway down. Take the right hand line through the gate. The next straight is less rocky than the bridleway above, but watch out for narrow lines that you could catch your pedal on. After 100m, the track becomes rockier with a mixture of loose and bedrock. With some small drops and gullies. These bring you down to a sharp 90-degree left hand turn, which exists between two stone posts. And is subsequently flanked by a dry stonewall on either side. The ground is cover is a mixture of loose rock and stones. After another 100m or so, there is a slight left hand turn and a final rocky straight down to the meeting of the bridleway and path.