The Peak District Family Tours

This is a fantastic introduction to abseiling for the whole family, ages 5yr+. Climb through the railings to the 90ft drop below to begin your adrenaline fuelled descent.

The highest points in the Peak District are the only places in England where you can still find Mountain Hares. Most people will never see them when walking in the hills but I have a 100% record of seeing them and getting some great photos on these trips. It goes without saying that it's worth taking along a camera with a long lens or zoom and binoculars if you have them. If you don't, not to worry as I'll send you a set of digital photo's taken on the day.

The walk starts from the Snake Pass road, between Glossop and Sheffield. After a gradual climb of around 200m (600ft), we reach a flattening from where we leave the Pennine Way path. I will now navigate you across the complex moorland terrain to some of the best locations to see Mountain Hares in their natural habitat. There will also be the chance of seeing short-eared owls, golden plover, red grouse, kestrels, and other wildlife on these trips as well as learning about the ecology and restoration of these amazing bog and moorland habitats.
We will spend time here observing the hares before heading to the site of the B29 Superfortress "Over Exposed" plane crash. This is an incredible and moving location, and the most impressive in the region.

The walk is mostly on a mixture of good tracks and smaller footpaths which can be rough in places and includes a few gradual hills. Some of the paths is paved and tends to be a little slippy when wet. At any time of year, there are likely to be some muddy sections, especially once we start to head away from the Pennine Way across the moors. The terrain here becomes rougher with no paths in some sections.

This experience is also available as a private bespoke event for you/your group on a date you select and with a number of different walks to the hare locations. We also operate a Mountain Hare Photography Experience which is again booked as a private bespoke event on a date you select and focussed on spending a day photographing the mountain hares.

We set off from Bowden Bridge car park, the starting point for the famous 1932 Mass Trespass. We head up an easy track to Kinder Reservoir which provides some great views. The track gives way to a smaller path now which can be rough and somewhat muddy in places as we start to head up the main climb towards Kinder Scout.

After a climb of around 300m (1000ft), we reach a flattening from where we make a short detour to the site of a 1942 plane crash (both crew members walked away). The plane was a brand new USAF B24 Liberator which had departed from Burtonwood near Warrington. The wings and remains of engines and other parts can still be seen.

We head back now and climb another 100m (300ft) onto the plateau of Kinder and follow the edge towards the spectacular Kinder Downfall, still following the original 1932 Trespass route. After the downfall, we continue on to the strangely named Kinder Low which is actually the highest of Kinder's three trig points at 633m (2077ft). It's not quite at the very summit, which is a rather indistinct point 3m higher and about 800m away on the boggy plateau. I can guide you to it if you want to be at the very top!
It's now time to start heading back down which we do via a nice path over Kinderlow End. Before we drop down we'll pass a "Bowl Barrow", which is an early Bronze Age (~2000BC) burial mound. We continue down through the fields and back to Bowden Bridge.
The walk is mostly on a mixture of good tracks and smaller footpaths which can be rough in places and includes 1 fairly long hill. The hill up to Kinder is a steady climb of about 400m (1300ft)

Just before that climb, there is a short steep stone path which tends to be a little slippy when wet. At any time of year, there are likely to be some muddy sections, especially once we start to head up towards Kinder with it's peat bogs. As we climb up onto Kinder the path becomes rougher and a little rocky in places. Either side of Kinder Downfall a little more care is needed on these rocks. There is a fairly long descent back down but the route I have chosen provides one of the more gradual descents.

The walk starts from the small village of Rowsley, located where the River Wye meets the River Derwent. Rowsley is home to the fascinating Caudwell's Mill which still runs most days.

We pass by the back of the mill, and head through fields below the beech wood-topped Peak Tor which was home to an early Celtic settlement and still has the remains of a dry moat. We soon head up fairly steeply towards some lovely woods and then onto Stanton Moor.

The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and the sandstone moor is home to many interesting features for us to visit including the famous bronze age Nine Ladies Stone Circle, the Reform or "Earl Grey" Tower, and the Cork Stone. We then head down to the small village of Birchover, which we wind our way around, before returning via another route through Stanton Moor before heading back down to Rowsley.

The walk is mostly on good tracks and footpaths with one fairly steep hill up to Stanton Moor from Rowsley, a climb of about 200 m (600 ft). At any time of year, there could be some muddy sections.

Probably one of the most interesting routes on Kinder Scout. Starting from Edale we walk through the lovely village of Edale and across fields before heading fairly steeply up towards Grindslow Knoll. From here the route we take is a stunning walk past many of Kinder's key features including the Wool Pack rocks and Pym Chair until we reach one of Kinder Scout's 3 trig points at Kinder Low.

We then continue on to the famous Kinder Downfall which changes its appearance depending on the weather from a lovely sunny lunch spot by a trickling stream to an almost perpetual waterfall on windy days when the water blows upwards as in the photo!

Next we walk into the notoriously complex "groughs and hags" that cover the plateau. This is an area of deep winding channels through the peat, the sides of which are often several metres high making navigation extremely difficult. The terrain will obviously be rough as we cross this area for approximately 2km and involve the crossing of several of these channels and working our way around some areas of bog. Having reached the main path once again we follow the southern edge back to Edale.

The walk starts out with a short but steady climb of about 100m (300ft) up to the top of the famous Mam Tor (or Shivering Mountain) at a height of 517m. From here we'll experience what has been described by a previous chair of the National Trust as "one of the top ten views in England".

We then follow along the Great Ridge towards Hollins Cross, which provides a great place to view the remains of the old Sheffield to Chapel en le Frith road which was lost to the landslips in 1979. We continue along the ridge to Lose Hill for another great viewpoint.

Leaving the ridge we drop down and follow another beautiful path back towards Mam Tor. We drop down further through a beautiful wood (with bluebells in spring) to join the route of the old road providing spectacular views of Mam Tor.

After returning to the cars there is the option to walk a little further for views of the amazing Winnats Pass.

The walk is mostly on good tracks and smaller footpaths and includes 3 fairly short but steep hills, each a climb of about 100m (300ft). At any time of year there could be some muddy sections. There is a fairly long descent towards the bottom of Mam Tor which is a little steep in places and can be a little slippery when wet so footwear with good grip is required.

This great guided walk starts from Fairholmes car park at the top end of Ladybower Reservoir near Bamford, Derbyshire. Before we head to the hills we will take time to visit the famous Derwent Reservoir dam where the “Dambusters” of the Royal Air Force 617 Squadron practiced 75 years ago this spring.

From the dam we head along the shore of Derwent Reservoir before the 300m/1500ft climb up onto the glorious Derwent Edge. The climb up is mostly gradual and on a clear day provides great views of the surrounding region.

Once on the ridge we pass the "Lost Lad" cairn and then follow a good paved path through the peat and heather landscape with a good chance for spotting some of the local wildlife. The views continue all the way along the ridge as we pass the various rocky tors and beautifully shaped rocks such as Back Tor, the Cakes of Bread, Dove Stone, and the Salt Cellar to name but a few.

From the end of the ridge we wind our way gradually back down to Ladybower Reservoir and our return to Fairholmes passing the site of the old submerged village of Derwent.

A stunning walk with amazing views, from the popular outdoors village of Hathersage.

The walk starts off fairly gently through the valley and woods before climbing up to the famous gritstone edge of Stanage. We walk along Stanage Edge, with a chance to visit Robin Hood's Cave, and "Keira Knightley Rock" for some great Instagram locations before then continuing on to Burbage with its ancient hill fort. The walk then heads back to Hathersage through moorland, fields and woods.

This walk takes you up a lovely but little visited ridge onto the second highest mountain in the Peak District, Bleaklow. We set off from Old Glossop along the route of an old roman road. Soon we leave the main path and gradually climb up an easy track until which reach Dog Rock providing some fantastic views.

The path becomes much smaller and almost indistinct now as we head across the notoriously difficult to navigate Bleaklow. Having an experienced guide with you means there’s no need to worry! As we continue over Bleaklow the route will be a little rougher in places. There will be great opportunities here to teach you a little about this special and important ecosystem on this the second highest mountain in the Peaks and the location of some of its wildest countryside. If you have an interest in navigation your guide will happily share some skills and you could even try navigating the group across a section of the notoriously complex Bleaklow moor!

After a total climb of around 350m (1200ft) we reach the “kissing stones”, a good spot for some lunch. From here we head over to the site of the B29 Superfortress plane crash (sadly all 13 crew members died). The plane was on a short journey from Lincolnshire to Burtonwood near Warrington when it hit the top of the hill in low cloud. This crash site is an extensive area of wreckage from the USAF Boeing B-29 Superfortress nick-named “Over Exposed” which crashed on November 3rd 1948. This plane is famous for having filmed the first two Bikini Atoll atom bomb tests in July 1946 and it's involvement in relieving the West Berlin Blockade in 1948.

To finish the walk we will take a route passing the crash site of a Lancaster Bomber Mk.X. This crash site and memorial to a Canadian Lancaster Bomber is about a mile away from the B-29 crash site. From here we will continue down the ridge with great views back down to Old Glossop.

The walk is mostly on a mixture of good tracks and smaller footpaths which can be rough in places and includes 1 fairly long hill. The hill up to Bleaklow is a steady climb of about 350m (1200ft). At any time of year there are likely to be some muddy sections, especially once we start to head up towards Bleaklow with it's peat bogs and we will be leaving the paths for about 1km across rougher ground as we head to the crash site. There is a fairly long gradual descent back down to Glossop.

This is a particularly varied walk with the added bonus of a fantastic array of wild flowers and orchids in spring and early summer. The walk leaves the village of Ashford in the Water and climbs up and across fields to Monsal Head providing amazing views of the Wye valley. We then descend to the river before following along it's side through Monsal Dale.

We continue into Deep Dale where there is an abundance of flowers including the early purple orchid, wild thyme, cowslips and many more in spring and early summer.

We progress up Deep Dale to Magpie Mine, where we explore the best preserved 19th Century lead mine in the UK, with it’s Cornish engine house, chimneys and even an old horse gin. The Peak District Mines Historical Society have done a great job in preserving what is now Derbyshire's top industrial heritage site. There will be further opportunities to see spring flowers on the return walk to Ashford in the Water, some of which have adapted to living in areas with a high lead concentration, such as the Leadwort and yellow mountain pansies.

Take to the water in one of our canoeing and kayaking sessions, designed to suit everybody from beginners to those wishing to master the open canoe. We offer 1-3 Star Canoe Awards as well as the Foundation and Safety Rescue Course. We cater for any group size including school groups, cadets, corporate groups and more.

With various locations across Yorkshire and the Peak District, you’ll find true serenity in peaceful waters and discover blissful lakes nestled off the beaten path.

Stand up paddle boarding, or SUP, is one of the fastest-growing UK waters ports out there. Ideal for small and large groups, our dedicated instructors will have you up on the boards and sauntering across serene reservoirs and lakes on your first session, even if you’ve never tried it before.

With various locations across Yorkshire, the Peak District and Cumbria, stand up paddle boarding is great fun. It requires technical skills like balance and coordination and improves mindfulness and appreciation for the great outdoors.

• Work in teams to plan, build and race a raft against your rivals using nothing but barrels, poles, rope and your own creativity.

• Designing, constructing and racing a raft requires a great deal of teamwork and communication. You’ll learn specialist knots and structures along the way, using your resourcefulness and creative thinking to beat the other team. This is a super-fun activity, but it’s also very competitive. Don’t expect your rival team to help if your raft falls apart!

• We offer raft building in Yorkshire, the Peak District and Cumbria close to the Lake District. Our sessions are ideal for any group size with any level of experience.

Our gorge scrambling sessions take place in the dramatic stream fed valleys of the 'Dark Peak' an area of outstanding natural beauty. The playful character and situation of this activity make it a very popular choice as a unique recreational experience for all types of group.

Gorge scrambling with younger groups can produce a genuine sense of adventure and exploration.
Expect to be crawling under logs, climbing up waterfalls, damming up streams, swimming across short pools and jumping into a plunge pool,

A real life computer game! Dropped off at a remote location, you choose to race the clock or another group in your party. Avoid capture whilst solving problems and finding clues to navigate to the next location and ultimately find the computer code before the bad guys. The clues can be in hard to access locations, so weaselling, rock climbing, abseiling and zip lining/high ropes are likely to be involved amongst other challenges.

A four mile canoe trip down the River Derwent from Darley Bridge to Matlock Bath in the Peak District. Suitable for teenagers to adults with good co-ordination required to get control of the canoes quickly on moving water.
After a thorough safety briefing, we begin our descent of the river, practising some canoe skills at the start in order to negotiate moving water, rapids, navigate bridges and avoiding those rocks.

A fantastic introduction to canoeing for those who have never been in a canoe before along the Cromford Canal near Matlock Bath. Suitable for family and friends this is a short journey on a calm canal to gain confidence with a few skills taught to keep you straight and in control with your partner. Challenges and games can be set for those that require further challenge along the way and there will be lots of wildlife to spot along the way.

A fantastic underground adventure in a disused Lead Mine for the more adventurous family or friends.
A relatively dry trip, with tighter sections to challenge you along the way.
We take a look at some baby cave formations and the different mining techniques used to extract lead in days gone by, whilst squeezing and climbing through the many tunnels.

Experience the ultimate combination of adventure activities for an unforgettable day, choosing between climbing, abseiling, caving and gorge walking in the heart of the Peak District.

Kick off the MAD adventure with the challenge of gritstone climbing at the iconic Stanage Edge. Push yourself, reach the top, be rewarded with spectacular views over the Hope Valley.

It’s time for Mission Impossible! Get your adrenaline coursing as you abseil back down to terra firma with as much flair and speed as you can muster.

Don your wet-suit and walk, scramble, climb and jump in an ancient freshwater gorge. You’ll traverse ancient rock, slides, chutes, waterfalls and whirlpools, it’s certainly an exhilarating end to this MAD day.

Prepare to get muddy as you delve into the wild subterranean world of Bagshawe Cavern. Additional MAD points available for those crazy enough to take on the challenge of squeezing themselves through The Masher.

Want to get to grips with what Peak District Mountain Biking is all about but not sure where to start? We'll introduce you to the best Mountain Biking the Peak District has to offer; whether you're a total newcomer to the sport or an experienced rider who wants pointing in the direction of the best trails. We've got you covered!

The Peak District has some of the best and most iconic 'natural' mountain biking in the country with a range of terrain from gentle flowy tracks to rugged and remote trails. With the help and guidance of our knowledgeable local instructors we'll get you riding the right trails in the right conditions ensuring you have a fantastic day out in the hills.

This Outdoor Rock Climbing Taster is an ideal starting point for those with little or no prior experience of rock climbing. The Peak District contains some of the best and most accessible rock climbing in the UK which means our experienced instructors can always find the right location and level of challenge for you.

Whether you are nervous about heights or are looking to push your mental and physical limits you will be encouraged and coached throughout the day to allow you to achieve more than you would have thought possible.

This one day Navigation Course will introduce you to the fundamental skills of navigation and give you experience of using these new found skills in the beautiful Peak District. An initial, short, theory session in our training centre is followed by a full day out on the hills giving you plenty of opportunity to practise and gain advice and encouragement from our experienced instructors. By the end of the day you will have a solid grounding in map reading techniques and some experience of using a compass.

By making no assumptions about previous experience this course is equally suitable for complete novices and seasoned walkers who are looking for an introduction to formal navigation techniques.

A true adventure for experienced or keen beginner cavers. Head deeper underground exploring, abseiling, traversing and climbing in some of the Peak District’s finest vertical caves. Learn the techniques for safe and efficient vertical caving in some of the most impressive and exciting cave systems in the UK.

This is a step beyond the beginner caving experience; using specialist ladders and safety line techniques we will delve deeper and go further to explore the fascinating local cave and mine systems. Descend into the cave using abseils and traverses along high ledges then, after exploring the heart of the cave, return to the surface, climbing our roll up caving ladders. On all ascents and descents you will have a safety line attached to you, helping you up and keeping you safe. With a motivated team you can reach the deepest parts of the Peak district. Please note that this is not a typical 'outdoor centre' guided day but a full-adventure. You will get wet, it will be dark and you do need to have a good level of fitness.

Learn the skills to conduct covert reconnaissance (including scaling cliffs and abseiling) and live in the wilds whilst avoiding capture. Stay overnight in the woods before your real mission on day two…

If you're already confident with the basics of map reading, this 2 day map and compass navigation skills courses takes you through the next steps: teaching essential compass work to allow the walker to explore ground away from footpaths and tracks.

On completion of this course participants should be able to plan and follow walks in the countryside that venture beyond paths and tracks.

• Topics covered include:
• Navigating using ‘coarse’ and ‘fine’ features
• Navigational strategies: aiming off, attack points, collecting features
• Understanding of contour features, both large and small, on the map and on the ground
• Judging distance accurately on the map and on the ground
• The planning of a safe walk or route involving walking on a bearing
• Employ simple relocation strategies when lost
• Use of compass to follow accurate bearings
• Understanding of the effects of fatigue, physical discomfort and extreme weather conditions
• Knowledge and application of the Countryside Code

Embarking into the world of Mountain Biking can seem daunting. Where do I go? What bike should I ride? How do I do it safely? On this fun and action-packed two day course we'll give you all the tools you need to begin Mountain Biking and then progress your skills onto the next level.

Our two day Beginner Mountain Biking course covers the core trail skills and is ideal for either complete beginners or for those wanting to progress their mountain bike experience from moderate off-road tracks to more technical intermediate trails. Our experienced guides and instructors will cover the fundamental trail riding skills of body position, footwork, bike control, line choice and cornering to get you tackling natural trail features both confidently and safely. We'll also cover the basics of bike set-up, maintenance and safety to insure you have the right knowledge to head out and further progress by yourself.

The Peak District has some of the best and most iconic 'natural' mountain biking in the country with a range terrain from gentle flowy tracks to rugged and remote trails. With the help and guidance of our knowledgeable local instructors we'll get you riding the right trails in the right conditions to progress your riding whilst ensuring you have a fantastic two days out in the hills.

Take your first underground steps into a Peak District cave system and learn about its creation over 300 million years, discover beautiful formations and fossils as well as evidence of mining dating back centuries. With vast chambers, roaring waterfalls and serpentine passages the caves and mines of the Peak District await your next adventure!

Our Beginner Caving Weekend offers an ideal first taste of underground adventure. Throughout the course of the weekend you'll visit three to four local caves. This activity is suitable for everyone, the systems we visit are mostly walking sized with some sections of stooping or hands-and-knees crawling.

Before setting out you'll be kitted out with over suit, wellies, kneepads, helmet and lamp and we'll make a plan to be safe underground, including taking a detailed look at the weather. Once you're underground and moving confidently you can choose to explore beyond squeezes and short climbs or try your hand at navigating under the expert supervision of our guides. Please note that this is not a typical 'come and try' tourist experience, but a full-adventure. You will get wet, it will be dark and you do need to have a good level of fitness.

Are you new to climbing? Or maybe you are an indoor climber keen to expand your horizons. Whatever your current level of experience this course will get you climbing safely and comfortably on real rock in the real outdoors. A great first step to a whole world of adventure.

Our Beginner Outdoor Rock Climbing Course is the perfect way to experience climbing on real rock for those with little or no prior experience. Being based in the Peak District we have easy access to some of the best rock climbing in the UK which means our experienced instructors can always find the right location and level of challenge for you. This course is therefore just as suitable for complete beginners who have never climbed before as it is for those who have previously climbed indoors and are looking to refresh their skills or get a taste of climbing on real rock.

You have been navigating the tracks and trails effectively for some time now and are keen to explore some of the more remote, wild and special corners of the UK. We can give you the skills to venture off-piste and explore the vast swathes of heather clad wilderness that hide some of this island’s best kept secrets. Your world is about to get a whole lot bigger, what will you discover?

A two day practical Peak District Navigation Course focused on advancing your skills to get you out exploring wilder and more remote parts of the UK. Aimed at navigators with experience who want to push away from the paths and tracks, our Intermediate Navigation Course offers a broader insight into more advanced navigation as well as essential skills for safety, planning and kit selection. You'll also cover the effects of weather, how to deal with emergencies and gain a valuable understanding of Britain's upland environment.

Beginning with a brief refresh of the basics we then look to develop effective compass skills including accurately following a bearing, back bearings, attack points and aiming off. We'll also cover practical techniques for holding bearings in poor visibility as well as identifying and negotiating dangerous and difficult terrain. Along the way you'll hone effective relocation strategies in a variety of terrains using compass techniques and contour interpretation.

Over two or three days you’ll learn to cheat gravity as you climb to the top of the Peak District’s most iconic crag and realise that what goes up must eventually come down. Quite literally trying the ropes as you abseil back down to earth. The Peak District is a mecca for trail hounds searching for the next bit of single track or bridleway, and you won’t be disappointed, whether you’re a novice or a pro. The mountain biking is the best in the country, and the stunning scenery we ride through is icing on the cake. We’ll reach the highest summit in the Dark Peak, traversing by foot across its beguiling moon-scaped top, before descending along the Pennine Way. Finally we’ll snake our way up a remote gorge, scrambling, swimming and jumping our way through this Area of Outstanding Beauty.