The early morning sky was clear.  The air in the Calder valley was a crisp 4 degrees.  With the forecast for Saturday and Sunday better than anyone could have hoped for all the early signs were promising. 

The first bikepacker arrived at Mytholmroyd Community Centre just after 6am and by 8am the car park was nearly full.  The team of volunteers took brilliant care of everyone’s needs.  Ben and Ian directed traffic.  Melanie and Victoria plied riders with tea and toast.  Fiona and Steve took the registration details.  Helen took care of the camper’s luggage. Rosie was on the starting line recording departure times.  Amanda cheered everyone off and Ricky took photos.

The network of trails out on the Calder Divide were in pristine condition.  The cobbles, gravel and stone slabs were dry.  The oak and ash that line the valley slopes were green.  By midday the weather was warm and the sky a deep blue.  It was bikepacking at its best.

By late Sunday all 120 riders were accounted for.  Let’s put to one side the issue of the 6 riders who left the trail and didn’t report back to Event HQ.  The real story is the joy and happiness so many riders felt at completing their bikepacking ride.  The 60 or so campers at Shepley had a warm welcome from Rob the site warden whilst Helen and Amanda took care of the luggage, the campers and the bikes. 

Back in Mytholmroyd the first rider crossed the finish line at 10.15pm after he had completed the 150 mile route.  An epic achievement so congratulations to John Allan.  Throughout the night riders arrived at Event HQ tired but elated.  None more so than Kirsty Gunstone who achieved her personal target of completing the 150 mile route in under 24 hours with two minutes to spare.  Crazy stuff! 

After a lull in the early hours of Sunday morning, a steady stream of riders crossed the finish line from around 6am all the way through to the 7pm deadline.  Every one of these riders received a green CDT badge, a certificate and of course a can of Vocation plus the much appreciated pie n peas.  Raffle winners received their prizes with a young rider from Halifax winning the prize draw of the 8 litre Restrap saddle bag.

The biggest prize of all was hearing riders swap stories of their adventures.  We heard about the best places to wild camp up on the moors, which riders were leading at the front at different stages and which riders had tumbles and mechanical issues.  I’m happy to report that no one was seriously injured and many riders took the sensible decision to change from the 150 mile to the 120 mile route.  They promised to return next year and have a go at the ‘full’ route so we’ll hold them to that.

So thank you for your many heartfelt messages of appreciation and the weekend of adventure.  The Calder Divide Trail Challenge is most definitely on the map and here to stay.  See you on the starting line in September 2023.

Adrian Wright

Event Director

Calder Divide Trail  

Gold badge holders

The following 16 riders were awarded the ‘gold’ badge for completing the 152 mile route in under 24 hours.

John Allen - 15 hrs 5 mins

David Johnson - 16 hrs 12 mins

Martin Kitchen - 16 hrs 31 mins

Lee Endres - 16 hrs 59 mins

Adam Crook - 17 hrs 50 mins

Andrew Hodgson - 18 hrs 44 mins

Peter Saville - 18 hrs 49 mins

Ben Stead - 19 hrs 1 mins

Andy Westwell - 19 hrs 1 mins

Jon Adshead - 19 hrs 59 mins

Nick Jones - 19 hours 59 mins

Daniel Sudbury - 20 hours 2 mins

Robert Holdsworth - 20 hrs 49 mins

Paul McGurk - 23 hrs 20 mins

Richard Hunt - 23 hrs 22 mins

Kirsty Gunstone - 23 hrs 58 mins

Green Badge holders

Adam Walton 120 miles 32 hrs 49 mins

Aleem Raza 120 miles 30 hrs 18 mins

Alex Bend 120 miles 31 hrs 4 mins

Allen Boardman 120 miles 32 hrs 53 mins

Amy Ford 152 miles 28 hrs 58 mins

Anthony Preston 120 miles 12 hrs 40 mins

Andrew Harrison 120 miles 27 hrs 57 mins

Andy Tromans 152 miles 31 hrs 54 mins

Bill Feeney 120 miles 31 hrs 26 mins

Brad Tyssen 92 miles 32 hrs 36 mins

Cassie Oddy 152 miles 35 hrs 46 mins

Chris Marsh 92 miles 34 hrs 20 mins

Chris Mason 120 miles 27 hrs 56 mins

Chris Pope 120 miles 33 hrs 3 mins

Chris Read 120 miles 20 hrs 34 min

Christopher Heys 92 miles 24 hrs 01 mins

Craig Seeley 92 miles 30 hrs 20 mins

Daniel Goodey 120 miles 16 hrs 6 mins

Darren Bland 120 miles 29 hrs 49 mins

Darren Hull 92 miles 29 hrs 40 mins

Dave Parkin 92 miles 30 hrs 25 mins

Dave Woodward 92 miles 30 hrs 25 mins

David Riley 152 miles 29 hrs 53 mins

Dean Fulstow 152 miles 33 hrs 0 mins

Deb Whittaker 120 miles 34 hrs 8 mins

Elli Mauser 120 miles 34 hrs 8 mins

Eric Meadwell 92 miles 31 hrs 56 mins

Gareth Broom 92 miles 32 hrs 47 mins

Geoff Symms 92 miles 32 hrs 18 mins

Graeme Speedbury 120 miles 29 hrs 39 mins

Gill Crane 120 miles 33 hrs 17 mins

Graham Booth 92 miles 29 hrs 40 mins

Grant Walker 92 miles 31 hrs 50 mins

Gregory Cartwright 152 miles 34 hrs 32 mins

Heather Regan 92 miles 33 hrs 13 mins

Ian Broughton 152 miles 35 hrs 37 mins

Jack Meek 120 miles 33 hrs 38 mins

Jake Feasey 152 miles 32 hrs 56 mins

Jared O'Farrell 152 miles 35 hrs 17 mins

Jason Ashworth 120 miles 32 hrs 0 mins

Jason Fowler 152 miles 33 hrs 36 mins

Jeff Rosenmeier 120 miles 33 hrs 49 mins

John Sedgwick 152 miles 24 hrs 32 mins

Johny Rastoaca 120 miles 32 hrs 49 mins

Kate Berry 90 miles 33 hrs 49 mins

Keith Atkinson 152 miles 36 hrs 12 mins

Kevin Taylorson 92 miles 29 hrs 45 mins

Kieran O'Prey 92 miles 30 hrs 49 mins

Lars Henning 152 miles 32 hrs 37 mins

Laura Murray 92 miles 34 hrs 20 mins

Lee Cattermole 92 miles 32 hrs 48 mins

Lee Speight 152 miles 34 hrs 33 mins

Liz Tromans 152 miles 32 hrs 20 mins

Louis Robertshaw 152 miles 35 hrs 32 mins

Luke Joy-Smith 120 miles 32 hrs 3 mins

Mark Rooney 120 miles 30 hrs 25 mins

Martin Barrick 92 miles 29 hrs 40 mins

Matt Birkett 92 miles 30 hrs 25 mins

Matt Hill 92 miles 32 58 mins

Nathan Coatesworth 152 miles 35 hrs 32 mins

Neil Hawkins 92 miles 30 hrs 20 mins

Neil Heywood 120 miles 30 hrs 25 mins

Nicholas Gaukrodger 92 miles 32 hrs 46 mins

Nick Barker 152 miles 31 hrs 40 mins

Nick Simms 92 miles 32 hrs 17 mins

Nico Mitchell 92 miles 16 hrs 19 mins

Nigel Morris 152 miles 31 hrs 28 mins

Paul Cheetham 92 miles 30 hrs 25 mins

Paul Jenkinson 152 miles 33 hrs 27 mins

Paul O'Brien 92 miles 16 hrs 19 mins

Paul Rainbow 120 miles 33 hrs 27 mins

Paul Sedman 92 miles 32 hrs 47 mins

Paula Haworth 152 miles 35 hrs 46 mins

Pete Ollerenshaw 92 miles 12 hrs 31 mins

Philip Blundell 152 miles 24 hrs 26 mins

Rebecca Hall 152 miles 25 hrs 30 mins

Rebecca Sykes 92 miles 25 hrs 30 mins

Richard Skidmore 92 miles 33 hrs 49 mins

Robyn Furtado 120 miles 34 hrs 45 mins

Roger Haworth 152 miles 35 hrs 46 mins

Ross Mcstrafick 152 miles 35 hrs 37 mins

Rudilynn Coetzee 120 miles 33 hrs 4 mins

Ryan Collins 92 miles 30 hrs 0 mins

Sam Arthur 120 miles 33 hrs 19 mins

Scott Morgan 152 miles 31 hrs 29 mins

Shaun Aldcroft 152 miles 31 hrs 7 mins

Simon Booth 120 miles 32 hrs 1 min

Simon Hacking 92 miles 16 hrs 19 mins

Simon Hogan 92 miles 29 hrs 40 mins

Steve Symms 92 miles 32 hrs 7 mins

Theo Hiley 152 miles 35 hrs 52 mins

Tim Taylor 92 miles 30 hrs 30 mins

Tom Buckley 120 miles 33 hrs 3 mins

Wayne Tyssen 92 miles 32 hrs 36 mins

William Sullivan 152 miles 31 hrs 10 mins