Get Lost Mountaineering

Lad's Leap Circuit from Reap's Farm Entrance

Start/Finish

Limited verge parking on B6105 on S side of Torside Reservoir at the entrance to Reap's Farm at SK 058 979. This can be reached from Glossop by going N at the main traffic lights on the B6105. Alternatively, from the A628 Woodhead Pass road, take the B6105 between Woodhead and Torside Resrvoirs about 0.5 miles E of Crowden.

Distance/Time

8 km   About 3 – 4 hours

Peaks

No real peaks as this is an edge and moorland walk.

OS Outdoor Leisure 1: Dark Peak

Introduction

This is a fine, but tough, edge and moorland walk in the Dark Peak which, in good weather has good views of the surrounding Pennine Moors including Bleaklow to the S and Black Hill to the NE. Some of the going is boggy, even in a dry spell, and gaiters are strongly recommended unless the ground is frozen. Part of the route passes below the cliffs of the old quarries without difficulty. Unless the paths are blanked out by snow, navigation is fairly straightforward even in mist.

Route

(1) From the entrance to Reap's Farm, cross the road and follow the Pennine Way signs to the track alongside Torside Reservoir. Cross the dam then ascend the steps to reach the path going through the narrow pine wood on the N side of the reservoir. Eventually, reach the main road, A628 Woodhead Pass. Cross over and follow the track, which could be the old main road, over its highest point then down to the signpost where the Pennine Way goes left, N, and Crowden is straight ahead. Follow the Pennine Way path to reach the Access point (notice) which is just after a stile/gate in a stone wall and at the start of a small wood. Go left here on the obvious path going uphill. Follow the path up – in places it goes through deep grass but is still distinctive – until it splits. Take the left fork and continue up on to top of the moor then onward to the obvious Coombes Clough. Lad's Leap is on the E side with Millstone Rocks across the clough.

(2) The path crosses the stream in the clough then continues along the edge in roughly the same direction. Reach a newish fence and cross the stile. Continue on the path, quite boggy in places, and make a gradual descent towards two stiles. The path goes to the more western of these. Cross over and continue the gradual descent passing below the cliffs of the old quarries. After the last cliff, the path becomes a grassy track and meanders down, through the top of the wood, to emerge at a gate. Either continue on the track which zig zags down or take the path by the wood. Both lead to the A628. Cross over then, almost immediately, fork right, down a private tarmac road, which leads to the dam between Valehouse and Rhodeswood Reservoirs. Cross the dam then turn left and follow the track to a junction. Go right and follow the track up then take a reverse left fork, through a gate onto a path which soon joins the Longdendale Trail (a dismantled railway). Follow the trail to reach the road at the start.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 17^th January, 2019