Last year, I decided to make my first walk of the year a long route around the Upper Derwent Reservoirs in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District. It was an enjoyable walk and so I thought I’d do the same thing again this year. The walk started in the small parking area by the side of the lane that passes around the west side of Howden Reservoir. This section of road is closed to motor vehicles on weekends and bank holidays during the summer months, but that wasn’t a problem to me as I tend to do most of my walking midweek.

River Westend to Bleaklow

The route initially follows the path alongside River Westend on its left before eventually crossing via a bridge and continuing to follow the river on the opposite side. After a while, the path begins to ascend before zig-zagging up the hillside towards Ronksley Moor. I left the path just before this happened and continued following the course of the River westend on its right-hand side.

A faint track should become apparent if you look for it although its not shown on the Ordnance Survey Map. The track crossed Grinah Grain, a smaller unnamed brook, and finally Deep Grain before I arrived at an unnamed clough that I’d previously identified as a suitable route up to Bleaklow Stones. So far, the journey was a real treat. I’d never ventured this far up the Westend valley before and found it incredibly picturesque and tranquil. There wasn’t a person to be seen or a sound to be heard aside from the peaceful sound of rushing water in the river below.

I ventured up the unnamed clough. After a short distance, the clough forked and I took the larger left fork which steered me a little more towards Bleaklow Stones. Eventually, the stream forked again and at this point, I left the clough but continued following the line of the left fork from above. By this time, the mist had rolled in and visibility was very poor. As much as it may ruin my photos, I quite enjoy being out on the moors in those conditions. It creates an eerie yet peaceful atmosphere and makes you feel like you’re alone and a million miles away from civilisation.

Bleaklow Stones to Grinah Stones

I continued following the line of the stream (which was a depression rather than a stream at this point) from above, taking the right fork at the next split and making sure I didn’t cross at any point until I reached the plateau. It worked out well and once on the plateau, I was only a very short walk away from Bleaklow Stones to the north-west. After a brief break and grabbing a few photos of the stones – including my favourite, the anvil stone – I continued walking in what I thought was the direction of Grinah Stones.

This was a perfect example of how disorientating mist can be. After a short distance, I had a feeling that I’d gone wrong somewhere. I checked the GPS on my phone and discovered I was actually heading north rather than east. I backtracked to the stones and tried again. Again, after a short distance, my gut was telling me I’d gone wrong again. I rechecked the GPS again and discovered that this time I was actually heading back to the clough that I came here up. Third time lucky… the path felt a lot more familiar and I knew I was on the right track this time – although I did check my GPS a third time just to make sure!

It wasn’t long before I arrived at Grinah Stones – an area of exposed and weathered gritstone, much of which has tumbled down to the next level of moorland below. The views are normally fantastic from here, looking out over the sweeping moors of Ronksley Moor and Ridgewalk Moor below. Unfortunately, due to the mist, the views were non-existent.

Ridgewalk Moor to Howden Reservoir

I dropped down to Ridgewalk Moor and started walking eastwards across the soggy terrain, crossing the top end of Grinah Grain along the way. Once across, I eventually met the path that heads north towards the Barrow Stones. This path had become extremely waterlogged and so became a good test of the waterproofness of my boots – a test passed with flying colours! I made my way north along this wet and boggy track until I arrived at the slope of Round Hill. From here, I took another very faint track heading north-east across Fair Banks. The track is definitely there but not easy to see at first. I completely missed it at first and was only able to spot it from above once I’d ascended a few metres up the slope of Round Hill.

On the Ordnance Survey map, this track is shown descending the slope down to a sheep pen at the bottom, directly opposite the entrance to Coldwell Clough on the opposite side. In reality, the track vanishes at the top of the slope and so it was a case of simply choosing your own route down. The River Derwent was in full flow due to all the recent wet weather and so any potential stepping stones were submerged. I carefully found a way across the shallowest section using the stones closest to the surface and a walking pole for balance.

At this point, the mist had cleared and the sky was sunny and blue again. Unfortunately, with the low winter sun, the whole of the River Derwent valley was in shadow, ruining any photos that I attempted to take. From here, it was a simple walk back to Howden Reservoir, following the valley and the course of the River Derwent. The path initially heads eastwards beneath Horse Stone Naze before bending southwards and passing Broadhead Clough and Cranberry Clough on the left. Eventually, I arrived at the old packhorse bridge at Slippery Stones where I crossed and made my way back to the car – just in time for darkness to fall.