SNAKE PASS

GLOSSOP

The Snake Pass would certainly be one of Britain’s greatest cycling climbs if it weren’t for the traffic. Its six kilometres of perfectly pitched tarmac, winding through beautiful moorland, is simply ruined by the volume and proximity of the ever-flowing vehicles. For this reason I refused to include it in either of my first two books on Britain’s greatest cycling climbs, but I’ve decided to admit it for entry to this volume because when quiet, it’s just so rewarding to ride. Rising out of Glossop you soon hit the lower 14% slopes where the transition from gentle climbing to the more substantial gradient isn’t as sharp as it at first appears. The tough start lasts only to the first right-hand bend and from then on the climb is set on an ideal gradient that literally ‘snakes’ up across the barren landscape. The slope is all but uniform until you approach the expansive plateau at the summit where it eases to finish in the fantastic solitude of the High Peak.