Win Hill and Ladybower Loop

The route

From Heatherdene car park beside Ladybower dam, pick up the reservoir track and run north along the water's edge, past the two stone bellmouth overflows - the Ladybower plug holes - that drain the reservoir when it is full. The track is fast and level here, a gentle start that lets you settle in before the work begins. Where the path leaves the water it climbs onto the flank of Win Hill, a steady, sustained pull on field and moor paths that gains most of the route's height in one honest effort. The gradient eases near the top, and a short rise over gritstone brings you to the summit. From there the loop drops back to the reservoir and follows the shore home, 13.1km in total.

The summit

Win Hill Pike stands at 463m, a bare knuckle of rock at the end of a long ridge, and it is one of the best low-effort viewpoints in the Dark Peak. The Kinder plateau fills the skyline to the west, the Derwent moors roll away north, and across the Hope Valley you look straight at Lose Hill and the Great Ridge, with Ladybower laid out directly below. On a clear day it is worth carrying a little food up and taking five minutes at the top before you drop off.

Why it works

This is an approachable way into Dark Peak running. Most of the distance is on good reservoir track, and the only real climb is the single pull onto Win Hill, which is over quickly. It makes a strong first Peak District summit, and a sensible choice on days when the higher moors are buried in cloud and you still want a top. Start early on fine weekends, though - the car park fills, and the shore gets busy later in the day.