Intro to Bikepacking in the Peak District
Cycle through the best terrain the Peak District has to offer, from gravel tracks to country lanes and stargaze from a giant tepee
Trip Ref #10053
Intro to Bikepacking in the Peak District
Cycle through the best terrain the Peak District has to offer, from gravel tracks to country lanes and stargaze from a giant tepee
DURATION
1 night
LOCATION
United Kingdom
ANNUAL LEAVE
0 days off work
SEASON
Apr-Oct
GROUP SIZE
Up to 16 people
MEETING POINT
Sheffield, UK
ACCOMMODATION
Classic
Tipi
DIFFICULTY
Moderate
You'll need previous cycling experience and to be comfortable with some long climbs and fun descents.
Learn about bikepacking - including what kit you need and how to load your bike - and practice riding on gravel tracks
Settle down for a night in a giant tepee as you stargaze in the Dark Peak area
Visit local cafes and pubs, enjoy fire-cooked food and a tasty nightcap - buckets full of fun in just one weekend
Day 1
Roll through The Peaks
Cycling
60km · 1100m up · 1200m down
Collect your bike and bikepacking bags in Sheffield city centre and head straight into the heart of the Peak District. Ride out to the overnight camp along a wiggly, 60km route that takes in gravel tracks and quiet lanes. Expect at least one stop at a cafe for a coffee and cake refuel and at a rural pub to sample some of the local ale.
Explore the moorlands, reservoirs, quarries, farms, villages and famous climbs of this gorgeous part of the country and then find a spot inside the giant tepee. Settle down by the fire, tuck into delicious home-cooked food and enjoy the Dark Peak area, famous for the quality of its stargazing.
Day 2
Hope Valley
Cycling
60km · 900m up · 800m down
After breakfast, head through Castleton and down the famous Mam Nick road to Edale. As you descend from Windy Knoll, you'll pass the ancient hill fort of Mam Tor before stopping for another cafe lunch. Make your way back to Sheffield via The Peak's best roads and bridleways, ending near the train station in the late afternoon in time for a celebratory pint!
Included
Guides
Expert cycling guide and bike mechanic
Accommodation
1 night in a giant tepee
Meals
1 camp dinner and 1 breakfast
Equipment
Gravel bike and bikepacking bags provided
Not Included
Travel to and from the start point
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Some meals as described
Visas where required
Day 1
Tipi · Mixed dorm
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2
Departure day
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
The food provided will be home cooked and vegetarian. Think hearty stew for dinner and a cooked breakfast before you leave on Sunday morning. Cycling snacks are also provided, so there's no risk of getting hungry on this trip. Vegans can be catered for, just let your host know upon booking.
What is the accommodation like?
Tepee
You'll spend the night in a giant tepee in an area famous for its stargazing. Each tepee sleeps 5 people maximum, with plenty of space to spare and are part of a working farm that also has a shower block and toilet. There's also a wonderful farm shop that's well worth checking out!
Upgrades
Please let your host know if you would like to book a private tent for the night. See Optional Extras for prices.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Central Sheffield - near the train station
09:30 on Day 1
Ends
Central Sheffield - near the train station
16:00 on Day 2
Transfers
No transfers are needed as you’ll ride out of Sheffield and ride back in at the end.
Travel options
There are regular trains to Sheffield from across the UK. Your host will confirm the exact meeting point before your adventure begins.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What's available to hire?
- Private tent
- Sleeping bag & mat (See Optional Extras for costs)
What do I need to bring?
Sleeping
- Sleeping bag and mat (if not hiring) *Please ensure that these are small and lightweight so packable into a bikepacking saddle bag. *
Clothes
- Cycling clothes
- Cycling shoes (if used)
- Cycling helmet
- Off the bike clothes – warm layers for campfire cooking and relaxing
- Something warm to sleep in
- Waterproof jacket
- Warm gloves
Other
- Head torch
- Washbag and toiletry items
- Towel (optional)
Single Tent at Overnight Camp
Payable Before Departure
Single Tent at Overnight Camp
…
Sleeping Bag & Mat Hire
Payable Before Departure
Sleeping Bag & Mat Hire
… Per Person
Beatyfull views - the perfect trip to build confidence if you are interested in taking up bake packing. I learnt a lot and feel like I can now go out and organise my own trip
This was genuinely one of the best weekends I've had in months if not years. The route was beautiful, the guides were patient and knowledgeable, the equipment was high-quality. The provisions at the overnight camp exceeded all expectations (one of the guides pulled out a chemex!!!). So impressed, can't wait to book onto my next trip with them.
Beautiful route, I managed (just)but there is a lot of climbing involved. Overall good challenge. Luke was a great guide and host, highlight of the day was food in the camp he prepared.
An excellent, well-paced introduction to bikepacking. The highlights for us were the stunning scenery and the local guides. Luke and Pete were knowledgeable, supportive, and able to adapt the route to the group's interests and abilities. We'd very happily book with them again.
You’re going to suffer. But you're going to like it.
An awesome and simple trip! Never been to anywhere on my own before and decided to join a group of strangers to ride through the Peak District! Was not disappointed at all! The trip surpassed all expectations although it was very difficult to complete the trip without walking multiple times! I’m fit but not serious gravel incline for 30 minute on a thin tyred bike fit! If you can cycle competently and are confident going for hours at a time then you will love this trip, the people were really nice and the group leaders (2) were very supportive and very knowledgeable in both the area and bike packing! Would recommend to everyone! Got very tired but was totally worth it! 10/10
Fab weekend gravelbiking with a small group, great introduction to the sport and the lakes, well choreographed and led weekend, highly recommend.
The trio exceeded our expectations and has left the whole group itching to book a similar ride. The success was entirely down to the guides, who were incredibly welcoming and encouraging. Their set up, kit and approachability made the experience. All kit seemed very well serviced and the guys running the event were able to make micro adjustments throughout the ride. Before arriving, we were anxious about fitness, but the route was well planned with lots of food stops, and walking up steep hill sections was encouraged if needed. Would highly recommend
Great weekend in the peaks with some good country lanes, exciting gravel trails and nice climbs! Stef and Dave were very knowledgeable, friendly and professional. A great intro to riding with a loaded bike and a welcome change from the road bike!
Yes
We've crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of this trip, and plant enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 19kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal for 2023 to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. For every person booked with us since 2016 we’re planting enough trees to suck at least 2x more carbon out the atmosphere than is emitted by their trips. All native trees, as part of amazing projects that are re-foresting degraded land, tackling the biodiversity crisis and supporting local communities at the same time. We go further than that too, also funding re-wilding projects worldwide to help protect important keystone species from extinction. See the reforestation and re-wilding schemes we support. See our carbon action plan.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
This weekend is an ideal introduction to gravel riding and bikepacking. Previous cycling experience is required but no previous off-road cycling is neccessary. You should be comfortable with the distances and elevation and there are also some long climbs and descents. The pace is approx.15km an hour. We ride as a group, with plenty of breaks, so that no one gets left behind. We will likely be on our bikes/outside for most of the day.
The route is roughly 60% paved lanes and 40% gravel/un-surfaced roads. There are also a couple of optional single-track sections for anyone wanting to give them a go.
The majority of roads used on this tour are very quiet, but there are some short un-avoidable sections that are busier. At the busy sections we will split into smaller groups to allow vehicles to pass with ease.
The bikes provided are gravel bikes; these are Surly Straggler adventure bikes or a similar model. These are highly versatile, with disc brakes and drop handlebars that provide the comfort of a road bike with the stability of an off-road one.
You are welcome to bring your own bike, but if you do please make sure it’s suitable for the tour. You will need a bike with a minimum tyre width of 38mm to handle the gravel sections. Please note that this tour is not suitable for road bikes.
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
This trip is designed so that you can turn up with a rucksack and re-pack what you need for the 2 days into bikepacking bags. You can leave your empty rucksacks/bags/anything else in Sheffield where they will be safely stored ready for collection at the end.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.
Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.
Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.
Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.
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