User:Near Chesterfield Derbyshire/sandbox

The Peak District four peak challenge
Wow what a walk - This 25.6 mile hiking challenge takes on four of the highest peaks in the Peak District. Kinder Scout, Mam Tor, Lose Hill and Win Hill.

The challenge is to walk it in under 12 hours and you can find more here.

Background
Hi, my name is Adrian Close, author, scuba diver, outdoor pursuit’s fanatic and the occasional corpse for the Edale mountain rescue team – interested, read on.

I recently conquered the Yorkshire three peak challenge in just under 11 hours. I took the challenge on firstly because it’s there and secondly to find out if it was a challenge my young niece Bethan and daughter Anaïs and her friends could undertake.

It was an excellent full day’s hike which is one of those that once started there’s no real opportunity to cut it short (unless you get a taxi like some of the hikers did). So it’s probably a little much for an eight year old and a thirteen year old.

So not to stifle youngsters who are looking for a challenge I got to thinking. Is there anywhere I could organise a 3 or 4 peak challenge for both adults and youngsters to have a go at. Then I thought if the challenge was in a figure of 8, hikers could choose a full day’s walk or split it in two with a fun overnight campout.

So this is what I came up with. I think it’s perfect with everything a recreational hiker could possibly need, whatever their age. There is a choice of camp sites, plenty of parking, a small shop for supplies, a couple of pubs, a hotel, a small train station, stunning scenery and the all-important public toilets.

Whether you’re doing it in one day or two days. Whether you’re attempting the challenge for charity or just because it’s there, have fun and enjoy.

The history of the peaks
Now, when I’m out walking I like to know what’s around me. I like to know why Mam Tor is called Mam Tor and what the significance, if any – to me, was the Mass Kinder trespass in 1932.

When I did the Yorkshire three Peaks I didn’t have a guide book or a clue what was around me, I just had my map and compass. To me the big bridge I walked past was the Harry Potter Bridge where they filmed the flying car scene and does Pen-y-ghent stand for never ending hill? So my guide book I’ve highlighted all the history stuff in grey; so if you’re not interested you can skip over that bit and if you are - good for you.

The contrast which is the Peak District; with its meandering and peaceful country lanes of the White Peaks; to single dirt tracks and strenuous uphill slogs in the Dark Peaks - You never know what to expect. The terrain is as unpredictable as the weather, and it’s often the weather that makes the terrain so unpredictable. Rain, fog, sleet, snow and glorious sunshine often in the same afternoon - am I sellin it?

The Peak District doesn’t have many peaks or mountains. It does have plenty of hills and valleys, gorges and lakes, wild moorland and gritstone escarpments, but no peaks. So where did the name come from? I’m going with the most popular reason and that’s that it came from the ancient Saxon tribe that lived in the area called the Pecsaetans – makes sense to me.