Trail Running Planet · Peak District · Longdendale
Bleaklow Head and Torside Clough from Torside Reservoir
You get a flat 5km warm-up, one long honest climb onto some of the emptiest peat in England, and then four kilometres of clear, fast descending along the lip of Torside Clough with the reservoir laid out below you.
Distance
16.9 km
Ascent
425 m
Descent
424 m
Max elevation
631 m
Route type
Loop
Est. time
2h 10m – 2h 55m
Grade
Very Hard
Navigation
map_skills
Parking
SK13 1JB
Dogs
Welcome
Best seasons
spring, summer, autumn
About this route
A 16.9km loop from Torside car park in Longdendale, running the old railway line east along the reservoirs before climbing 400m onto the Bleaklow plateau and returning on the Pennine Way down Torside Clough.
Hazards & notes
The Bleaklow plateau is featureless peat hag and disorientating in cloud, with no continuous path between Black Clough and Bleaklow Head - carry a map and compass and know how to use them. The high ground is fully exposed with no shelter for around 8km, and the Clough Edge path runs close to a steep drop into Torside Clough. Open access land here can be closed at short notice when the Fire Severity Index is high.
Emergency
Call 999 or 112 → ask for Police → request Mountain Rescue. Register Emergency SMS: text "register" to 999.
Full route, GPX download & live conditions:
https://trailrunningplanet.com/routes/england/peak-district/longdendale/bleaklow-head-torside-clough-torside-reservoir
trailrunningplanet.com