This mountain bike route of 21 miles starts in Hebden Bridge. It climbs west out of the town on a circular route around Heptonstall Moor. The rocky trails are not particularly technical but there are some long, testing climbs and fast descents. This includes a 3.5 miles descent back to Hebden Bridge to finish the ride.

1. Start from the car park in the centre of town, just over the bridge from St George's Square, near the A6033 (GR992274). Leave the car park at the opposite end to the toilets and turn left to go across the bridge towards St George's Square. At the square where the road turns left, turn right. If it's after 10am dismount for a short push through the pedestrian zone. If it’s before 10am you can ride this section. Go straight on all the way to the end at the traffic lights and junction (GR992272). Turn right and follow the main road through town. At the end of the shops go up a short climb to the traffic lights at the top. Go straight on across the junction and descend to a left hand bend then, in the middle of the corner, take the road on the right to ride past the church (GR985273).

2. After the church climb the steep lane to a junction on a left hand hairpin bend. Go straight on and climb the wide track through the trees, up the left hand side of the valley. After a while the track comes to a forked junction (GR978281). Take the left hand track to continue climbing up a steeper incline covered in loose rocks. The track eventually flattens off and passes a building on the right just before coming to a junction with a lane. Go straight on up the tarmac, past a row of houses on the left, to a junction with the road at the top (GR963281).

3. Turn right and follow the road through the dip at Jack Bridge then climb to the next village. At the junction at the top of the climb signed for the Pennine Bridleway, turn hard left along the lane that leads up the right hand side of the valley (GR968287). Stay on the tarmac and ride straight ahead past all the tracks on either side. Where the lane eventually transforms into a wide, broken track continue straight ahead, ignoring any tracks on the left. Eventually the track bears right and climbs to a gated junction (GR947301). Take the track on the right, following the sign for the Pennine Bridleway and climb through a few steep rocky bends to the top of the ridge. Descend from the ridge through a couple of rocky bends before the track straightens out and comes to a gate 2/3rds of the way down. Continue straight on through the gate to the next gate at the bottom of the descent (GR947313).

4. After the gate turn left and follow the track past the house then turn right and ride across the Lower Gorple Reservoir dam. At the junction on the far side of the dam turn right and descend the concrete double track. Follow the track left then at the bottom go across the bridge and climb a short way to a gate, then on to a junction with a lane (GR947323). Turn left and climb straight the lane. Go past the junction with the gated lane on the right and on to the Widdop Reservoir. Go past a car park on the left, just before the reservoir, to a gate on the left (GR937329).

5. Go left through the gate and ride along the cobbled track across the dam. On the far side turn right and follow the grit stone track along the left hand side of the reservoir. The track soon begins to climb, getting steeper as it goes. Follow the trail through a number of bends. Bear left at the junction on a left hand hairpin for the steepest section of the climb (GR926324). The track then turns right and climbs through some very loose rocks before flattening off at the top of the hill. Follow the track as it bears right and descends over a short section of bedrock before traversing the hillside to a gate (GR915320).

6. After the gate descend the track to a water bar, which is good for some air, just before a small bridge on a left hand bend. Go up a short climb then follow the trail right for a long rocky decent that has a few more water bars, fun ones you can jump. The descent flattens off and comes to a gate at a junction where the trail ahead can be seen climbing through a left hand bend (GR898324). Take the track on the left, just before the gate, for a short muddy and rocky descent. After a small bridge follow the wide track along the left hand side of the Hurstwood Reservoir. At the junction by the gate, at the far end of the reservoir, climb the track on the left past the pylon. At the junction at the top of the climb follow the main trail as it bears right and descends to a junction at the Cant Clough Reservoir (GR894310).

7. Go right through the gate then left to ride over the dam. Go through the dip on the far side to a gate. After the gate follow the main trail off to the right. This goes through a few bends before descending to a bridge and a junction (GR891302). Turn left and follow the trail to a rocky water splash. After the water climb the rocky trail along the wall on the right. Turn right over the stream crossing using either the bridge or the ford. Continue climbing through a number of bends to the next junction. Take the singletrack on the left that climbs to a car park by the Coal Clough wind farm (GR894288).

8. Go through the car park and turn left onto the main road. The road climbs for a little while then flattens off before turning left to a long right hand bend around a bowl in the hillside. At the next junction, with a lane on the right follow the main road left (GR915276). The road then descends gently to the village of Hawks Stones. At the far side, climb of the village and go past a pub on the left. Go over the crest of the hill and descend past a junction with a lane on the right to a junction on the left a short distance later (GR935273).

9. Turn left and climb a wide rocky track between high grassy banks. After the short climb follow the track straight on down a gentle descent. Continue straight on for a while to a four-way junction at the start of the drystone wall ahead on the left (GR939286). Turn right to climb the steep rocky track between the high banks. At the top is the start of the 3.5 mile descent back to Hebden Bridge. After the crest follow the wide, rocky track straight on to a junction at some buildings on the right. Bear left and continue descending down the wide, tarmac track.  At the next big junction go straight to a gated junction a short distance later (GR953278). Go straight on through the gate to follow the hardpack track. Continue straight on to where the track ends at a junction and turn right, then descend to a gated junction with a road at a road at the village Blackshaw Head (GR959276).

10. Turn left on the road then almost immediately right, down a short broken lane between the drystone walls. At the junction at the other end turn left and descend the road. Go past the first row of cottages on the left, with a footpath signed on the left. At the second group of houses turn left, opposite the house on the right, up the signed bridleway (GR964275). Climb out the back of the houses on the track that leads to the top of the ridge. Be careful on the following steep and loose descent, it’s very fast and there are a big water bars at the bottom. At the bottom follow the tarmac to the left of the houses to the junction just after (GR965281).

11. Turn right and descend the previously climbed track, along the right hand side of the valley. After a steady start the track steepens for a long, fast rocky blast. Please be careful though as this track is popular with horse riders and dog walkers. Go straight on at the junction 2/3rds of the way down and follow the track to where it ends at the junction with a lane on the hairpin bend. Go straight on and descend the lane past the church to the junction with the main road (GR985273). Turn left and climb to the junction with the traffic lights at top. Go straight on and descend into the centre of Hebden Bridge. Just before the main road bears right over the stream take the small road on the left (GR991272). Follow the lane along the left hand side of the stream, then bear left then right, past the steep cobbled lane that climbs steeply to the left, and return to the car park to complete the the ride.