Most challenging cave in the Peaks.

[HSI]

Hi all, looking for the best/most challenging srt, squeezes, ducks. Crossed off nettle pot to Derbyshire Hall, Odin's mine, Giants hole (need to return for the chamber of horrors) , alumn pot etc. Looking to do Maskhill mine and gaping gill next year but want to find some other gems to put ourselves too the test. Thankyou in advance

 

[Logismos]

You've mixed together Peak and Dales trips there. Are you interested in both, or just mixed in a few Dales trips on-accident?

Please do be careful rushing into trips that go beyond your existing experience. Do your research before taking anything on, and be prepared to turn around. Take it steady and ramp your way up slowly, and don't be afraid to rearrange if you're having a bad day! I've seen so many people have a really rough time on a hard trip because they try to "power through" a cold.

With that said, here's a few:
The obvious exclusion is the many trips in Peak-Speedwell - there's several fantastic harder trips in there. In no particular order: Titan-Western Highway via Calcite Aven, JH to Clifhanger, JH to Assault Course, Peak to NCC shafts, and a variety of "combination" trips (ie. doing Victoria Aven and Moss Chamber in a day).
Nettle down Crumble and Beza, then on to Red River or Hell is a good bit harder than Derbyshire Hall - and you'd only be repeating the entrance shaft.
Rowter Hole, to the far end, is easily one of Derbyshire's best trips.
Streaks pot is a touch shorter than some, but a challenging mix of water and tight spaces.

 

[Alex]

Someone move Alum or is Alumn something in the Peaks I have not heard of? Anyway, I guess in Peak out Titan maybe, sorry I don't know the Peak that well, though I remember Winnets head is challenging, if you include the up and down pitches is a good one... (Tight though, I barely fit and that was a while ago)

Castleton : Winnats Head Cave : Details

Locations: Peak District, Location: Derbyshire, Location: Staffordshire, Caves, Mines, Potholes, Caving, Potholing, Guides, Surveys, Speleology, Hydrology

peakdistrictcaving.info

If you want other challenging trips (as you mentioned Alum and GG too it sounds like you are open to the Dales?) If so then pick up a copy of Not for the feint hearted, it's all dales but the Dales has a lot more choice and variety and that is an excellent guide book. There's 50 trips to sink your fangs into they range from quite hard to very hard, through to you have to be a midget to fit through there and are you insane I am not doing that! sort of trips..

 

[mr conners]

Peak

Crimbo pipe.
Dynamite series through trip.

Anything the Eldon have done.
It's never Peaks
Always Peak

 

[sjt]

Perryfoot/Dr Jacksons for a bit of squeezing (not in wet weather)

 

[Groundhog]

2 obvious classics. Titan to Peak via the White River series and Maskhill to Giants East Canal, and back out of Maskhill, that's twice through the Chamber of Horrors . For me the hardest trip in the Peak.
And as Mr Conners says, NEVER Peaks, it's always just Peak.

 

[Mark Wright]

And as Mr Conners says, NEVER Peaks, it's always just Peak.

Says who?

Most born and bred Sheffielders would call it the Peaks.

 

[mikem]

Can tell that they aren't in Yorkshire...

 

[Fulk]

Why am I suspicious of anyone who says:

"Hi all, looking for the best/most challenging srt, squeezes, ducks."?

Because my feeling is that if they've done an appropriate amount of caving they'll know their way round the caving scene and wouldn't need to ask such questions on a forum such as this.

Still, maybe I'm just a boring old git and I just don't get it. And I suppose, looking back, I did set out to "tick things off" when I was young and fit.

Anyway, good luck to you, HSI – have a great 2026 and lots of adventures (and as Logismos doesn't quite say, but seems to imply, "stay safe").

 

[Chocolate fireguard]

Says who?

Most born and bred Sheffielders would call it the Peaks.

The ones I know call it t' Peak.

 

[T pot 2]

Perryfoot/Dr Jacksons for a bit of squeezing (not in wet weather)

Even harder if you do Dr Jacksons to the sump,, from the entrance then do the connection into Perryfoot cave and bottom it, thence leave from its entrance.

 

[Lankyman]

The ones I know call it t' Peak.

There's a Dark Peak and a White Peak so technically speaking 'the Peaks' is correct.
(Can you tell there's nothing on the Christmas telly?)

 

[HSI]

Merry christmas, I mixed them knowingly so that everyone didn't think I had only walked into jugholes and decided it's easy, the peaks (always peaks) is just easier a commute than Yorkshire. To put your minds at ease I'm not just jumping in with trainers and a climbing harness, I just enjoy more sporting trips and am looking at potentially doing the LCMLA next year. We are also in the final stages of setting up our caving club with the BCA and there are a few members that are more experienced and want to try more sporting trips having done the freeze squeeze and getting to the bottom of the bell chamber in Odin's.

 

[Loki]

What’s that thing over calesdale way that’s something like 1km of flat out crawling each way with nowt to show for it at the end? Not done it but remember reading it in the book

 

[mikem]

No caves in the Dark!

 

[Lankyman]

No caves in the Dark!

A certain green-tights-clad outlaw might disagree

robin hoods cave photos - Google Search

 

[sjt]

Merry christmas, I mixed them knowingly so that everyone didn't think I had only walked into jugholes and decided it's easy, the peaks (always peaks) is just easier a commute than Yorkshire. To put your minds at ease I'm not just jumping in with trainers and a climbing harness, I just enjoy more sporting trips and am looking at potentially doing the LCMLA next year. We are also in the final stages of setting up our caving club with the BCA and there are a few members that are more experienced and want to try more sporting trips having done the freeze squeeze and getting to the bottom of the bell chamber in Odin's.

Continuing the pendantry, always Odin (or Oden), and never Odin's

 

[zzzzzzed]

Says who?

Most born and bred Sheffielders would call it the Peaks.

It's the Peak District, not the Peaks District.

 

[Mark Wright]

It's the Peak District, not the Peaks District.

AI says,

It's generally "The Peak District," but locals often shorten it to "the Peaks," while some purists insist on "the Peak" because the name comes from the Anglo-Saxon Pecsaetan tribe, not actual prominent peaks (which are few). So, "the Peaks" (plural) is common for the National Park area, but "the Peak" (singular) honors its historical roots, though many find the singular pedantic.

 

[shotlighter]

What’s that thing over calesdale way that’s something like 1km of flat out crawling each way with nowt to show for it at the end? Not done it but remember reading it in the book

You're probably thinking of Critchlow, opposite Lathkill Head Cave.