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Inspired by the 'Dark Peak 4 County Tops' this route extends the concept by adding the county tops of Cheshire and Staffordshire. To make the distance manageable a linear route has been adopted giving a distance of over 50 miles and some 9000 feet of ascent. It was devised by Steve Leach and first completed as an unsupported night-time traverse by Steve along with Jon Kinder (both of Rolls-Royce Harriers, Derby) and Bryan Carr (Congleton Harriers) in a time of 20-23 during some of the atrocious weather of December 2011. Further information together with a schedule of actual times has been compiled by Steve for the guidance of future runners - see below.
Some may be interested to know that the last traverse of six county tops was in Easter 1968. This linked together what are now known as the historic county tops of: The Cheviot, 2676' (Northumberland); Burnhope Seat, 2452' (Durham); Mickle Fell, 2591' (Yorkshire); Helvellyn, 3118' (Westmorland); Scafell Pike, 3210' (Cumberland); and Coniston Old Man, 2633' (Lancashire). The 145 mile, non-stop epic was completed over four days by the infamous Stan Bradshaw, then 55, and Brian Ripley, 24, already an outstanding mountaineer who was tragically killed in a Karakorum expedition later that year.
The object is to visit the six county tops listed below in any order. The inaugural traverse started at Fairholmes Visitor Centre in the Derwent valley (GR 172 893) and finished at the lay-by on the A53 at Axe Edge Moor (GR 034 698) as illustrated on the map above. This is not mandatory and Steve Leach encourages other runners to explore alternative routes subject to using access land or rights-of-way. Use OS Explorer Maps (1:25000): The Peak District - Dark Peak Area OL1 and White Peak Area OL24.
The link below to the 'Six County Tops Challenge' includes a schedule of actual times for the inaugural traverse.
□ English Counties by highest point - Wikipedia listings of current county tops.
□ County Tops - comprehensive listings and maps for all past and present county tops by hill-bagging.co.uk.