Easier stretches include:
- High Peak Trail to A6/Blackwell – dismantled railway and quiet road or green lane
- Sett Valley Trail at Hayfield – dismantled railway
- Greenfield to Diggle – dismantled railway and quiet road
More difficult sections include:
- Blackwell to Meadow – steep gradient and relatively narrow winding path, with a 30m long, 1m wide footbridge, with an alternative horse-friendly river crossing.
- Sheffield road (Rushop Edge) to Hayfield where the route is exposed with a variety of surfaces including stone pitching, aggregate, grass gravel and earth. There are some steep gradients and the first part of this stretch is open to vehicles leading to damage to the path surface that is currently being repaired.
- Castleshaw Reservoir to Hollingworth Lake – not really too difficult, but worthy of note because it is quite exposed. Low Gate Lane (heading west from Castleshaw Reservoir) is steep and there is loose stone present. Otherwise a mix of track surfaces including grass gravel and stone.
Interim Routes around Glossop
The cyclists and walkers interim routes are not of a National Trail standard but provide a through route. Much of the cyclists route follows the Pennine Cycleway (NCN68) after an initial stretch on bridleway across the intriguingly named Robin Hood’s picking Rods! Horse riders using the Longendale Trail to continue north should enjoy this pleasant section of the Trans Pennine Trail.