Wadsworth Trog

The route

Start from Old Town above Hebden Bridge and take on the 31.5km loop of the Wadsworth Trog over the high moors north of the Calder valley. The route strings together a sequence of moorland landmarks, High Brown Knowl trig, the Dean Head and Warley Moor reservoirs, and Sheepstones trig among them, across ground that is roughly a third bog, a third hard track and a third open moor. It is a long, honest day on some of the wildest ground in the South Pennines, and it earns its fearsome local reputation.

The moor

The moors north of Hebden Bridge are classic dark-peat South Pennine country: heather, cotton grass, groughs and reservoir after reservoir built to feed the mill towns below. This is not pretty, manicured trail but working moorland, wind-scoured and boggy, with big skies and long, empty views towards Bronte country and the Lancashire border. The trig points and reservoir embankments are the waymarks, and between them the ground is often trackless, tussocky and wet, the essence of a Pennine trog.

Why it works

This is a route for experienced moorland runners who want a real test. The distance, the bog and the exposure make it a serious undertaking, and navigation is a genuine skill here, with faint trods that vanish in cloud, so map, compass and the ability to use them are essential. Expect wet feet from the first mile and pick your lines through the peat. Save it for reasonable weather and carry proper kit for the moor. Old Town and Hebden Bridge below have everything you need for afterwards. Finish it in bad conditions and you will understand exactly why the locals call it a beast.