ICOM: Peak District Fear & Footpaths

A long weekend of windswept ridges, haunted caverns, and dignified drizzle. Base: Castleton. Expect real walking, moderate peril, and pubs that distrust salad.

Bleak Mild Terror Proper Hikes
Fear Index
68% – claustrophobic boats, moorland fog, historical melancholy. Just how we like it.
2
Big Hikes
1
Cavern Boat
∞
Drizzle

Hero image: Winnats Pass (via Wikimedia Commons).

Friday — Arrival & Initiation

Roll into Castleton. Check into a draughty coaching inn. After supper, a head‑torch wander up to the gates of Peveril Castle. Stand absolutely still. Let the wind do the talking.

  • Base village: Castleton (pubs, caves, ridges).
  • Night stroll: Peveril Castle lanes and viewpoints.
Peveril Castle above Castleton
Peveril Castle © Wikimedia Commons (source).
Mam Tor and the Great Ridge
Mam Tor & the Great Ridge © Dave Pape (source).

Saturday — Great Ridge & the Boat in the Dark

12‑mile loop: Mam Tor → Hollins Cross → Lose Hill → Hope → Cave Dale. Stone flags, sky‑lines, and a sense of noble futility. Lunch on a cold wall. Then down through Winnats Pass and into the underworld.

  • Ridge classics with full valley views.
  • Photo stop in the jaws of Winnats Pass.
  • Evening: Speedwell Cavern boat—low ceiling, echoing water, controlled dread.
Winnats Pass limestone gorge
Winnats Pass © George Griffin/Geograph (source).
Entrance to Speedwell Cavern
Speedwell Cavern © CC BY‑SA (source).
Mam Tor flagstones at sunrise
Mam Tor © Val Vannet/Geograph (source).

Sunday — Kinder Scout & Derwent Dam

From Edale up Grindsbrook Clough onto the Kinder Scout plateau, across peat hags and gritstone weirdness, then back via Jacob’s Ladder. Post‑walk pies. Afternoon pilgrimage to the brooding Derwent Dam of Dambusters fame.

  • 8–10 miles; navigation eyes on if the clag drops.
  • History moment: 1932 Mass Trespass land.
  • Derwent Dam: austere masonry + echoes of Lancasters.
Kinder Scout moorland plateau
Kinder Scout Plateau © Douglal (source).
Derwent Dam wall
Derwent Dam © David Dixon/Geograph (source).
Rock formations on Stanage Edge
Stanage Edge © Andy Beecroft/Geograph (source).

Monday — Stanage Edge Farewell

Wind‑battered gritstone to clear the head and justify the last pub lunch. Inspect the climbers, discuss the drizzle, vow to return.

Optional Extra Bleakness
  • Night navigation micro‑challenge on Kinder (if weather & kit allow).
  • Detour to the “Broken Road” below Mam Tor for post‑apocalyptic vibes.

Practicalities

Gear
  • Waterproofs, warm layers, head torch.
  • OS OL1 or offline maps; power bank.
  • Boots happy in peat and flagstones.
Safety
  • Check cave opening times & weather.
  • Fog on Kinder is real; stay together.
  • Let someone know the plan.
Base & Pubs

Castleton/Edale/Hathersage triangle. Several pubs suspicious of salad but generous with pies.

All images loaded at runtime from Wikimedia Commons with attribution links.