12k Run High Peak: Scenic Adventure to Alport Castles

Route Overview & Local Insights

This 12.2km loop offers a quintessential Peak District running experience, blending steady reservoir-side stretches with a challenging ascent into the wilder High Peak terrain. Starting on the tarmac paths alongside Derwent Reservoir, you'll have a chance to find your rhythm before the course shifts gears with a steep, technical off-road climb. As you reach the Alport Castles landslip, the trail opens up into an exposed moorland section above 500m elevation—where the views are as breathtaking as the climb. The route concludes with a rewarding, fast descent through sheltered woodland back toward Ladybower, making it a perfect moderate-to-difficult test for trail runners looking to conquer 254m of vertical gain on varied surfaces.

Runners will be traversing a landscape steeped in geological and wartime history. Alport Castles is actually the largest natural landslide in the UK, creating a dramatic, fortress-like silhouette of gritstone that gives the area its name. As you run past the reservoirs below, you are treading the same ground used by the famous 617 Squadron "Dambusters" for their low-altitude flight rehearsals during WWII. While the lower sections offer some protection, the moorland plateau is notoriously fickle; locals know that the weather atop the High Peak can shift from clear skies to thick mist in minutes—so always pack a shell and respect the "SL" (Small/Local) fell-running classification of this stunning route.