Team adventure: A scenic 10-mile walk in the Peak District

We wrapped up our working week early on Thursday evening to embark on a 10-mile team building walk the following day in the stunning Peak District National Park. After carefully selecting our route and conducting a thorough risk assessment, we were ready to go.

We assembled at Thorpe in Derbyshire, before our very own Scout District Commissioner Rob Morley led the way across the fields to the first part of our route; climbing Thorpe Cloud. This prominent limestone hill in the Dovedale valley offers stunning views and a challenging climb. Despite it being a drizzly June morning (don’t you just love the UK weather?), we were fortunate enough to enjoy the promised breathtaking views.

Check out our video below which includes our drone footage from the top of Thorpe Cloud

As the weather cleared, we made our descent. The route took us along to the Dovedale steppingstones before following the path alongside the River Dove, where we passed the lookout known as Lover’s Leap. Carrying on along the path, we eventually reached the charming village of Milldale. It was the perfect moment to pause for a picnic lunch by the river and watch the ducks enjoying the water.

The ducks showed some curiosity about our lunch, but nothing compared to the mischievous dog that nosed its way into Dan’s sandwich box and ran off with one of his tuna sandwiches. It was hilarious to watch the poor owner chase after the dog, desperately trying to wrestle the sandwich from its determined jaws. Dan had been looking forward to his lunch all morning, repeatedly asking when we would stop so he could finally eat, only for it to be stolen before he had the chance to enjoy it.

After the lunchtime shenanigans, it was time to cross the famous Viator bridge to tackle the short, steep path uphill that would take us past Shining Tor before we joined the Tissington Trail. This former railway line was bought by the Peak District National Park in 1971 and turned into a traffic free trail for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. We enjoyed some stunning views of the White Peak landscapes before leaving the trail to stop for refreshments at the café in Tissington. We then continued on the trail for another 2.5km before taking the path back to the car park at Thorpe.

By this point, we had all built up quite an appetite, so we headed off in convoy to The Bentley Brook Inn at Fenny Bentley, where Michaela had booked us in for an early dinner. It was so nice to sit and rest as we enjoyed our pre-dinner drinks, taking pleasure in basking in the sun’s warmth. Feeling refreshed and refuelled after our delicious meal, it was soon time to make our way back home.

The day was not only a great opportunity to get the team together out of the office enjoying the outdoors, but it was also a wonderful way to appreciate the natural beauty of the Peak District.

If you’re interested in embarking on this walk or similar ones in the Peak District, we discovered it on a fantastic website called Peak District Walks. https://peakdistrictwalks.net/