MTB Derbyshire: Ambergate, Crich & Cromford

Sub title - "How to lose the plot with navigaton devices!" Interesting ride this one (as opposed to the usual rammel). I often neglect this area, silly really as I know it has some truly beautiful countryside and in the Black Rocks area some great riding that having now seen it offers genuine scary levels of challenge.

A few days before I fired up Komoot and tried to plan a route around the area. The opportunity to ride was a bit rushed though. It was a stunning evening after a naff prevous week and a naff forecast for the rest of the week ahead. So I headed off quite late but it's mid summer so you can ride late. Really nice start and great stuff around Crich off the Cromford canal. Upon entering the woods above Ambergate things went a little off kilter. I cannot blame Komoot completely as when planning you always need to retrace it carefully to make sure there are no "weird" spots where the route automatically adjusts. Also I don't know the area so I would have changed some parts in hindsight, also it struggles when in woods and there are several paths in close proximity (GPS is only accurate to a certain point). However the relentless barrage of "take a U-turn" or "tour is being adjusted" did eventually make me lose it a little.

In the end, as the light began to fade and with only a mile or so to go in the woods above the Cromford canal I saw a trail, "oh look a fun looking short cut". Wow it made the steep stuff at Alton a few week ago look tame, true respect for any rider taking those on with style. So a bit of bailing occured and maybe some expletives as I reached the bottom only to discover - no way out! Push up from hell to regain the route with Komoot chirping the "encouragement". To top it all off I swallowed a massive fly (I don't know why) on the final run to the car........#BIKELIFE. So a proper mixed bag, I may be back!!!