The Grand Edale Circular
The full Peak District experience — deep peat bog, gritstone edges, and those big Kinder views. Earn the ridge on the way back in.
Mostly on runnable ground, but most runners still walk the steepest climbs.
A serious Peak District circuit from Edale village taking in Kinder Scout, the Great Ridge, and the high moors. Nearly 29km with 1300m of climbing — one of the toughest routes in the Peak.
The full Peak District experience — deep peat bog, gritstone edges, and those big Kinder views. Earn the ridge on the way back in.
The route
From Edale village, the route climbs steeply onto Kinder Scout (636m) — the highest point in the Peak District. The Kinder plateau is notoriously boggy and navigation is genuinely challenging in cloud. After crossing the plateau, the route picks up the Great Ridge between Mam Tor and Lose Hill before a long descent back to Edale.
Kinder in the wet
The plateau is peat moorland — deep, wet, and featureless in cloud. If you haven't run Kinder before, go with someone who has. Clear conditions transform it.
Deep peat bogs on Kinder plateau — disorientating in cloud. Navigation complex in poor visibility. Rocky sections on the Great Ridge require care. The plateau holds water badly after rain.
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
Common questions
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