Hello Friends!

Our dear friend Jo loved walking in the Peak District. In April 2024 Jo raised more than £2,000 for Maggie’s Centres by organising a walk of one of her favourite routes, the Dragon’s Back Ridge near Buxton.
We will honour Jo’s love for the outdoors by walking the same route on Sunday 6 April 2025. We’ll meet at 10.00am at the old quarry near Jericho Farm in Earl Sterndale.Everyone is welcomeJo took great pride in encouraging children, adults and pets to visit our wonderful countryside. You are all encouraged to come along.
Regardless of your fitness level, we will modify the route so you can join, and you can do as much or as little as you want. You will have company.Jo did this walk twice: in October 2021(foggy and wet) and April 2024 (Storm Kathleen blew us around a bit). We hope for sunshine and a gentle breeze in 2025 but please prepare for English weather!You can read about Jo’s lockdown adventures in Nottinghamshire.

When?

We meet at the old quarry near Jericho Farm in Earl Sterndale on Sunday 6 April 2025 (map below). There will be a route briefing at 10.00am then we’ll set off.The full 12km route may take 4-5 hours. There are shorter alternatives that we can show you.There is one cafe on the route, in Hollinsclough, for refreshments and conveniences.

Where?

Please park at the old quarry about 500m away from Earl Sterndale village green. See Google maps, grid reference SK 08948 67538 or use postcode SK17 0BS and look for a big layby on the road.Please see our routes information below.The full route is from Trail Magazine’s Dragon’s Back Ridge walk. It involves some muddy climbs, requires reasonable fitness and is not fully suitable for prams.However! There are bits of the route we will change for you, which are pram friendly, less muddy and less hilly. I will show you on the day or you can look at the routes page.Please do not allow your perception of your fitness to stop you from getting into the countryside!

Adversity makes you brave and fearless and beautiful- Jo Batten

Charity

This is an event to encourage friends, and soon-to-be-friends, to get out on a beautiful walk in the spring. It isn’t a charity sponsorship event. However, if you wish to donate to a charity, Jo supported Maggie’s Centres and supported charities who protect our beautiful countryside, its plants, animals and history.

Routes

Everyone is welcome! Join us at the start in Earl Sterndale (Google maps / SK17 0BS) and we will point you in the direction of a route that suits you.It is Derbyshire, not the Himalayas, so if you get slightly out of your comfort zone you should still easily get back to your car!The full route is below or on this link, with alternatives below that. I recommend OS Maps on your phone to navigate.Full dragon’s back ridgeThe full route is not suitable for prams as it involves two challenging parts – getting up a muddy High Wheeldon (the first hill) and a few metres of scrambling on a narrow path up Parkhouse Hill (the last hill).

• Download Route Card

ModificationsThe routes are in the same area so you can change your mind (or find your own path!) once you are out.Short route – this does 1 of the 3 hills and stays on roads rather than muddy paths. At 5.5km it will still be a challenge.Medium route – this skirts the edge of Parkhouse Hill and avoids Chrome Hill so that it is suitable for prams and people for whom 3 hills in one day is a stretch!

More Information

Please contact David Watson on WhatsApp.I hope you can find your favourite outdoor photos of Jo and share in her favourite music