Cut Gate project in Peak District needs your vote!

Considered one of the best singletrack mountain bike routes in the UK, Cut Gate runs through the heart of the Peak District and is used by thousands of bikers every year. Although the trail is predominantly enjoyed by bike, it also makes a great walking route and is even used by horse-riders. An otherwise hardy route between Langsett and Howden Reservoirs, it has short sections of muddy bog in areas prone to flooding, which have become colloquially known as the ‘Bog of Doom’! The boggy sections are impassable and dangerous in wet conditions, causing riders to divert round the sides, sometimes hundreds of metres from the original route of the path. This spreads and deepens erosion at an alarming rate.The plan is to improve the whole of the route with a big focus on the most waterlogged areas. The work will improve the drainage in the area of the ford crossings, resurface the wettest sections with the tried-and-tested technique of stone-flags, join these sections with improved path sections and repair the badly eroded downhill sections using pitched stone techniques. This will re-establish a single path line and allow the surrounding moorland vegetation to recover.Without this proposed work, these boggy sections will go through continual cycles of worsening ground conditions during periods of wet weather.  Where the main path line proves impassable, trail users will continue to detour leading to further damage and erosion. Vote or donate directly To start this project funding is needed. You can either support directly or vote for this project before the 22nd of October. The good news is that after a selection procedure, the Cut Gate project made it to the shortlist of Mountain projects eligible for funding with the EOCA. Twice a year,  the European Outdoor Conservation Association receives applications from conservation organisations with projects that need addtional funding. If you want to learn more about the Cut Gate project before voting, please take a look at this video that clearly explains the relevance and importance of the project. For voting, please use this direct link  to the EOCA website. [[{“fid”:”1179″,”view_mode”:”media_responsive”,”fields”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false},”link_text”:null,”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“1”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false}},”attributes”:{“height”:451,”width”:680,”class”:”media-element file-media-responsive”,”data-delta”:”1″}}]]