Peak District Challenge - 100km Gold Ultra

Day 1

Gold Ultra route starts at 9.00pm on Friday evening, 20 September 2019, so their 24 hour finishing target is 9.00pm on Saturday 21 September 2019. The Gold Ultra route is the ultimate Peak District Challenge and should be attempted by teams of fit and experienced hillwalkers/fell runners who want to see the best that the Peak District has to offer. You'll visit high points and viewpoints on your way between checkpoints, and there is a lot of climbing involved. You'll leave Hathersage at 9 pm on the night of Friday 20 September 2019. Night navigation experience is essential. Your Challenge begins with a walk up on to the Dark Peak moors. You will cross Stanage edge, site of Robin Hood’s cave, and Foulstone Moor to reach Back Tor. Next, it's a descent to Ladybower Valley and an easy flat section around Ladybower reservoirs where the Dambusters trained for their bombing missions in WWII. As dawn breaks, you will climb to the geological oddity of Alport Castle, before descending to a section of well-made tracks round to popular Castleton. Turning back north, you’ll ascend to Hollins cross and continue to the head of the Vale of Edale and the next climb to Jacobs Ladder and stunning views over Hayfield. You are given a short break in navigational difficulty as tracks and lanes lead to Peak Forest in the White Peak and the valley nature reserve at Hay Dale. Your map will come out again as a mixture of paths and tracks lead between a string of pretty villages in the undulating limestone landscape, finally leading to Calver on the river Derwent. The final section of the challenge takes you past popular climbing venues on the eastern gritstone edges above Curbar, Froggatt, and Burbage. Your challenge draws to a close with dusky views over the river Derwent and a final climb over Owler Tor before the final grassy slope down home to Hathersage.