good question Britnick. Looking at it on the strava map, to me it looks like the same distance, but that you'd climb higher and steeper if you went up the steps to the top.
Quote Originally Posted by BritNick View Post
Keeping high and right and descending to jump the culvert cuts a corner and is faster. It's become a lot more popular over the years as people realise the advantage, so there's more of a path now. 17 - 18 years ago there was barely a trod to follow at the top before turning left to descend.

I wonder if anyone climbs all the way to the top and misses out Rocky Valley altogether? Would that be longer?