Since my first and only FKT in 2020, other running goals have taken precedence. But since the lockdowns of that year, I had been thinking of attempting another long unsupported adventure. The Wild Peak Round is a new route, visiting 16 nature reserves across Derbyshire in around 75 miles. A midweek attempt looked like a good opportunity to spend some time alone in nature, and also to prepare myself for something a little tougher down the line.
Given the time it would take me to cover the distance, I knew it would be difficult to avoid a full night out, so I decided to set off at about 7:30 pm from IVOV-8 shop in central Bakewell, which featured a big map of the route in the front window. The weather was a little warm and humid, with a chance of rain the following day.
At the time I started on Wednesday evening, I was open to the idea of a self-supported run as opposed to completely unsupported. Although I had packed a good deal of food in the form of M&Ms, fizzy fish, Pringles and a sandwich, I wasn’t sure they would last or if I could stomach this for the full distance. By the time I reached Woodhead Reservoir in the early hours of Thursday, I was feeling a lot more confident about a fully unsupported round. The night section over Bleaklow had been pretty tough, with strong winds and rough ground, especially the descent to Woodhead, where I fell a couple of times, including a more serious tumble in the dark down a steep slope into Far Black Clough. Even so, I was still enjoying myself.
Most of Thursday involved taking my rain jacket on and off to deal with the numerous heavy showers that characterised the day. Up to that point, my feet had been very comfortable, but was the day wore on and after traversing many stretches of long, wet grass, I could feel the beginnings of blisters here and there. It’s sadly rare to escape wet feet in the Peak District, even in mid summer. But I was still getting through my Pringles and fizzy fish at a steady rate, so life was pretty good. I’d brought a water filter, but many of the small streams were dry or reduced to a muddy trickle, so it was always good to fill up when I got the chance.
Even though I have lived in the Peak District for almost 10 years, the route took me to several places I had never been to before, as well as many spots with some cherished memories. Runners are free to follow their own route, as long as they visit each of the nicely signposted 16 trail markers. I played it safe and just followed the official track.
Some highlights included:
- Crossing Alport and Bleaklow through the night
- A wild and windswept stretch over Combs Head between Fernilees and Buxton
- The area around Deep Dale (which was new to me) and the more familiar terrain in and around Chee Dale
- A deeper appreciation of fizzy fish - an improvement on the palate fatigue which I often find with jelly babies
It took a good deal longer than I had hoped, but I am not quite as quick as I used to be, and much of the terrain and navigation was tough going. I am now looking at something a little longer, somewhere in the 150-200 mile range.