Ronde Van Calderdale

Off-Road Ronde van Calderdale: 14 Cobbled Climbs, 4 Bonus Brutalities and a Lot of Suffering

Distance: 58 miles
Elevation: 8,500 feet
Ride Time: 11 hours
Climbs: 14 Official Ronde van Calderdale Climbs + 4 Bonus Cobbled Climbs
Riders: San Kapil, Saul and crew

Some rides look great on paper. Others look slightly ridiculous. Our Off-Road Ronde van Calderdale definitely fell into the second category.

The plan was simple enough: tackle all 14 official Ronde van Calderdale cobbled climbs, link them together with some of Calderdale’s best mountain bike trails, then throw in a few extra cobbled monsters for good measure. What could possibly go wrong?

At 9:15am, after coffee and croissants in the sunshine at Outhouse in Salter Hebble, Saul and I rolled out with one other rider, ready for what was shaping up to be a very long day in the saddle.

The first two climbs, Woodhouse Lane and Wakefield Gate, eased us into the challenge. The legs were fresh, the sun was shining, and spirits were high as we headed towards Wainstalls and the first proper taste of dirt.

Before long we were threading through Scar Wood and dropping down some surprisingly technical trails near Skircoat Green. The off-road sections weren’t just there to connect the climbs – they became some of the highlights of the day. Dry conditions meant the trails were running fast, and every descent felt like a reward earned from the next inevitable climb.

Exley Bank came and went without too much drama. Then came Trooper Lane.

If you’ve ridden Trooper, you’ll know. Long, steep, switchbacked and covered in endless cobbles, it’s one of Calderdale’s iconic cycling climbs for a reason. It was the first time all day that lungs started burning and legs began asking awkward questions.

Thankfully, Calderdale always gives something back.

The flowing trails through Elland Park Wood were absolutely prime. Bone dry, fast and fun, they reminded us why we ride mountain bikes in the first place. Gravity finally got a turn after all the climbing.

Gog Lane was our first “bonus” climb of the day. Not part of the official Ronde route, but too good to ignore. Earlier in the week I’d struggled for traction during a recce ride, but Saturday’s sunshine had transformed the cobbles into a grippy ribbon leading skywards.

From there we linked together some of my favourite local trails around Hollins Hey Road and Turley Cote Lane. It’s been great seeing Turley Cote slowly reclaim some of its natural character after years of trail sanitisation. The rougher surface, encroaching vegetation and developing alternative lines make it feel like a proper mountain bike trail again.

Steel Lane near Krumlin was next on the hit list. A unique climb with a strip of cobbles running straight up the middle of the road, flanked by tarmac on either side. Naturally, we stuck to the cobbles.

After a loop around Scammonden, an ice lolly stop felt less like a luxury and more like a necessity. Temperatures were climbing and so, unfortunately, were the gradients.

By lunchtime we reached Bolster Moor. The café was packed, so we raided the farm shop and sat outside refuelling. At this point a nap sounded far more appealing than another cobbled climb, but there was still a long way to go.

Cliff Ash, Dodlee Lane and a succession of trails through Longwood, Lindley and Brighouse gradually chipped away at the route. Hours were beginning to stack up in the legs and even the shorter climbs were starting to bite.

Then came Magna Via.

One of our bonus additions and arguably one of the best climbs of the day. Ancient, rocky, steep and technical, Magna Via is mountain biking at its finest. The mix of cobbles, dirt and awkward obstacles demanded total concentration. Cleaning the climb without putting a foot down felt like a genuine achievement.

By the time we reached Shibden Valley, the fatigue was becoming real.

Staups Lane was manageable. Hough was another matter entirely. Long, steep and relentless, it required every bit of determination left in the tank. A couple cheering us on from the roadside probably didn’t realise how much their encouragement helped.

A lemonade stop at the top was fully justified.

The descent down Whiskers Lane delivered exactly the sort of chaos you’d expect – loose rocks, flying rubble and that slightly unnerving sound of stones ricocheting off expensive bike frames.

Then came Shibden Wall.

Lee Lane is one of Calderdale’s legendary climbs and, after several hours of riding, it felt every bit as hard as its reputation suggests. Crawling upwards in the easiest gears available, I couldn’t help thinking about the professional riders who somehow made it look easy during the Tour de Yorkshire.

The answer, I concluded, is that they’re not normal humans.

The final few hours became a blur of trails, cobbles and increasingly tired legs. Gibb Lane, Edgeholm Lane and Old Lane all demanded attention, each one serving up gradients that would be memorable on a fresh day, never mind after 58 miles and 8,500 feet of climbing.

One unexpected highlight came courtesy of a burst water main near Luddenden, which provided a welcome opportunity to cool off and wash away a day’s worth of dust, sweat and grime.

By now there were only two climbs left.

Cow Lane was tough but manageable.

Then came the finale.

Jowler Bank.

Rather than taking the easier road option, we chose Holme House Lane – steeper, rougher and considerably more cobbled. It seemed the appropriate way to finish.

Halfway up, my legs finally called time. A combination of gradient, fatigue and the repeated traction ridges brought my momentum to a halt. One foot down. Challenge over.

I wasn’t even particularly annoyed.

After everything we’d ridden, one dab felt like a fair trade.

And with that, it was done.

Fourteen official Ronde van Calderdale climbs. Four bonus cobbled ascents. Fifty-eight miles. Eight and a half thousand feet of climbing. Eleven hours on the bike.

The original plan had included a final loop towards Oxenhope Moor, but daylight was running short and common sense finally prevailed. We pointed the bikes back towards Copley and called it a day.

The Off-Road Ronde van Calderdale turned out to be one of the toughest rides I’ve done in Calderdale, but also one of the most rewarding. Combining the area’s famous cobbled climbs with its incredible network of trails transforms an already brilliant route into something genuinely special.

Will we refine it and make it even harder next time?

Probably.

After all, can any true Calderdale cobblefest really be considered complete without climbing the Buttress in Hebden Bridge?