56 Insider Guide: Peak District Punisher

A relentless ride that will reward the hardiest with stunning views

CW Difficulty rating: 8/10 This year’s event: Sept 11

This is one of those rides you will feel every mile. The assaults against the gradients are constant. The steep sides of the limestone Peaks push the tarmac skywards with no apologies and this will slowly chip away at your mettle and resolve. The Peak District Punisher is a cruel mistress.

When you spend the day doing battle on majestic climb after majestic climb, it can be difficult to coherently pick out the days main enemies. But there are a few that are

clearly stamped in our minds. One of these is the longest ascent of the day, the five-mile climb from Whaley Bridge. You’ll be wise to find a steady pace and spin your way to the top as at 30 miles in you could already be pushing towards the red, especially if you’ve gone hell for leather on the previous timed section of Winnats Pass. There, at only 20 miles you’ll be standing on the pedals, in bottom gear and everything will hurt as you power over gradients that smash the 20 per cent barrier. This spectacular cleft in the rock, with a road at its base, will be closed to traffic on event day so you can really test your season’s form. With no traffic it’ll also be easier to avoid those walking, which unfortunately is an inevitable hazard. Watch the descent — there’s a sharp left turn half way down that’s easy to overshoot.

This sportive takes no prisoners and, as we’re sure you’ve already guessed, is brutal from its early chapters. After just six miles from the start you tackle one of the day’s biggest climbs — Sir William Hill Road. The descent is equally steep but also quite technical, so you will have limited opportunities to make up any time if you’re a slow climber. Make sure your brakes are in good order — you’re going to need them.

This sportive sticks to the roads on the southern part of the Peak District known as the White Peak because it is largely formed from limestone. The dales that roll out across England’s first national park can be shallow and easy-going, but when they are dissected by those limestone plateaus it makes it steep in places. It feels as though the Peak District Punisher has found out each and every one of those spots.

As you skirt the western edge of the Peak, near Buxton, you’ll be ascending to the once popular but now closed biker haunt of the Cat & Fiddle pub. If you do feel the need to stop for a selfie with those amazing views, this could be the perfect spot — the view stretches for miles in every direction.

Among all this brutal punishment we fondly remember one welcome flat part across the top of the moor towards Longnor. It follows the section that pulls you past the stunning waters of Tittesworth Reservoir where you may catch the locals out enjoying a day’s sailing. Take a minute at the top, turn around and breath in the spectacular vista.

Once you’ve had the opportunity to flush a bit of lactate from the climbing muscles, you’ll face the day’s final sentence. It comes as you exit Crowdecote, and will inflict the final beating on slopes averaging 13 per cent — with a hairpin halfway up.

You’ll need true valour, a gritty determination and legs of steel if you’re going to survive this sort of punishment.