MTB: Clapham tunnels and bridges
This mountain bike route really does have a bit of everything that is best about Dales mountain biking – walled lanes, stone tracks, grassy tracks, rock slabs, fords and old clapper bridges. To add to it all from the top of the route you have one of the best views in the Dales looking out over the limestone pavement of Thieves Moss to Pen-y-ghent.Route Info
A classic introduction to mountain biking in the Yorkshire Dales with a bit of everything. The small village of Clapham is the starting spot with a shop, cafes and pub – there is also a nature trail which leads to Ingleborough show cave. The National Park car park and toilets is the best place to start and you leave the road almost immediately on to a rough stone track. There is an unusual start which goes through some tunnels, then up a climb and easy riding along Thwaite Lane with stunning views.
Down to Austwick and an entertaining ford or clapper bridge and more small stone tracks lead through to Feizor with its well known café. Another stone track takes you past Oxenber and Wharfe Woods with a fantastic display of spring flowers. Down the other side and along the road to the hamlet of Wharfe. More narrow tracks, another ford or clapper bridge and then you head up a long grassy climb to reach Long Lane. The descent starts off grassy and then becomes a stone track before you go through the tunnels in the other direction.
Please note that you’ll need to follow your browser instructions for downloading of GPX files:
- Google Chrome: Right click on the icon, and choose save link as…
- Firefox: Right click on the icon, and choose save link as…
- Safari: Right click on the icon, and choose Download linked file as . . .
- A Microsoft browser: Right click on the icon, and choose save target as…
- For mobile devices, you can use an app such as Trails – GPS tracker for hiking, biking and running to import the GPX files directly into the app.
Once the GPX file has been saved on your computer, use the software provided by your GPS device maker or Expert GPS to load it onto your device.
-
Alternative starts:
Downloads
If available, the 'GPX' (or GPS Exchange format) files for each route are text files that can be read by GPS devices as a series of waypoints along each route.
