Peak District Wildfire Fundraiser Walk | 30th May
Join us during the Big Walking Weekend for a fundraising wildfire walk to help the BMC Access & Conservation Trust raise money to protect the Eastern Moor hiking and climbing areas from wildfires.
Saturday 30 May | 25km | Hathersage, Peak District
Join us for a powerful day on the hill as part of the BMC Big Walking Weekend. We are taking on a 25km sponsored walk from Hathersage to help protect the Eastern Moors from wildfire. Our goal is to raise £50,000 to safeguard Curbar, Froggatt and Burbage Edges, areas deeply affected by recent fires. This appeal is led by the BMC Access & Conservation Trust through Mend Our Mountains and The Climate Project.
Why it matters
Last year saw some of the worst wildfires on record in the Peak District. Vast areas of peatland were damaged, releasing thousands of tonnes of carbon and scarring the landscape around our much-loved crags and paths. By walking with us, you are directly supporting work to protect this high-risk area for climbers, walkers and future generations.
Sign up and start fundraising
50 places available
£10 per ticket
All proceeds go directly to the wildfire appeal
Fundraising target: £200 minimum per person
Push beyond £200 if you can. Every pound makes a difference.
Prizes
Ten £10 vouchers for Alpkit and Outside in Hathersage for the top ten fundraisers by 30 May 2026
A grand prize worth over £200 for the highest fundraiser by the end of 2026
Dress like fire
Wear red, orange and yellow. The brighter the better. We want to create a moving wildfire across the moors to raise awareness and attract media coverage for this vital campaign. By taking part, you agree to appear in campaign photography and film.
The route
Led by Peak District Hill Walking Rep Alex Davis-Ward and our volunteer leaders, the 25km route explores the very landscape we are working to protect.
Hathersage → Higger Tor → Burbage Edge → White Edge → Curbar Edge → Froggatt Edge → Grindleford → River Derwent → Hathersage
You will see areas still marked by the May 2025 wildfire. There is an option to finish early at Grindleford Station and return by train to Hathersage or Edale. Please arrive 15 minutes before your chosen start time, ready to walk.
You can:
Walk the full 25km
Join for a single leg
Enter as a relay team
Schedule
9:30 Meet at Alpkit, Hathersage for free coffee and cake
Leg 1 4.5km
10:00 Hathersage to Burbage North car park
Leg 2 4km
11:00 Burbage North car park to Woodcroft car park, Longshaw Estate
Leg 3 6.5km
12:00 Woodcroft car park to Curbar Gap
Leg 4 5.5km
13:30 Curbar Gap to Grindleford Station
Optional 14:29 train
Leg 5 3.5km
14:30 Grindleford Station to Hathersage
Finish around 15:00 to 16:00 and Celebrate at Outside Café with a free cuppa and traybake for all Wildfire Walkers.
Walk Details
Distance: 25km/15.5miles
Ascent: 600m/1,970ft
Duration: Approx 5-6 hours
Route: Found on OS Maps here.
Meeting Details
Date & Time: 9:30-10:00 Sat 30 May 2026
Location: Alpkit, Hathersage, Main Rd, S32 1BB
Parking: Wheelchair-friendly car park on Oddfellows Road, Hathersage, Hope Valley, S32 1DU, pay by phone using the app. Two minutes walk from Alpkit and Outside, Google Map Pin here. Please do not park at Outside shop in Hathersage during the walk, this parking is for people visiting the shop and cafe only, not for all-day hiking.
Facilities: Wheelchair accessible public toilets on Main Road diagonally opposite Outside outdoor shop. Cafe at Outside outdoor shop is upstairs, lift available for wheelchair access and wheelchair-friendly toilets. Many more refreshment establishments in the village.
Public Transport: Trains regularly to Hathersage - the 09:32 train from Edale arrives 09:45 Hathersage. The 09:14 train from Sheffield City Centre to Manchester Piccadilly arrives 09:32 Hathersage.
What to Bring
We’ll cover a range of terrains, so please ensure you are well-prepared with appropriate gear:
Footwear: Sturdy, water-resistant hiking boots or if you are a runner, trail running shoes with good grip.
Clothing: Dress in layers, including waterproofs, bring extra layers in a backpack as conditions can vary; bring a hat and gloves for cooler areas.
Food and Drink: Bring enough food and water for a full day’s walk; there will be no places to purchase refreshments en route
Other Essentials: Although we plan to finish within daylight hours, carrying a small torch or head torch is advisable for emergencies.
First aid kit: blister plasters and any personal medication
Who Can Attend
Everyone, under 18's must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Guide dogs are of course welcome, please let us know if you are bringing one, and if you need a guide walker also. Well-behaved dogs are welcome but must be kept on a short lead so as not to disturb nesting birds and other wildlife, please indicate on your booking if you will be bringing a dog.
Health Precautions: If you have any health conditions that might impact your participation, please inform us in advance. Carry any required medications and let the walk leader know if assistance may be needed in accessing them.
Covid-19: Please do not attend if you feel unwell or have Covid-19 symptoms.
Note:: If you or anyone in your party can’t attend after booking, please let us know so we can offer the place to others on the waitlist.
BMC Participation Statement
The BMC recognises that climbing, hill walking and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.
This is an important media opportunity for the wildfire appeal so photographs and film will be taken to appear on social media and in local and national media publications. By participating in this walk you agree this coverage (we’ll make sure we get your best side!) and it will be obvious when photos or film is being taken.
By participating in this walk you agree to act in a kind and inclusive manner. Bullying, discrimination or the use of foul language will not be tolerated.
Questions?
Please contact: claire.maxted@thebmc.co.uk
FAQs
We are asking everyone to raise at least £200 for the wildfire appeal. We have 10 x £10 gift vouchers to spend at Alpkit and Outside for the ten people who have raised the most by the day of the walk, and a further prize worth £200+ for the person who fundraises the most overall by the end of 2026.
Download an old-school sponsorship form here, or create a JustGiving page for the BMC Access & Conservation Trust here.
Want to fundraise for our wildfire appeal in a different way? That's no problem! We have plenty of other fundraising ideas for you here.
Our BMC Patrons, former BMC Hill Walking Ambassador, broadcaster and campaigner Mary-Ann Ochota and former BMC National Officer and Labour MP Andy MacNae, will be joining part of the walk. David Imeson, a person with diminishing sight from the BMC EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) committee will also be joining us, with a guide walker and his beautiful guide dog Teal.
Wildfire has devastated 20.6 hectares (that’s 51 football pitches) of the Peak District’s Eastern Moors since 2023. That's why this year the BMC Access & Conservation Trust aim to raise £50,000 to help Moors for the Future Partnership protect this high-risk area from wildfire.
Here, over the last two years, several significant wildfires have destroyed the surface vegetation, leaving ugly, blackened, bare peat, scorched trees, pathways vulnerable to erosion and pumping thousands of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere.
Each wildfire kills 1,000s of invertebrates and ground-nesting birds like golden plover, curlew and hen harriers. Perhaps the saddest find after this summer's wildfire was a baby bird, burnt to death, still inside its egg. Not to mention that hundreds of people risk their lives to fight wildfires every time they occur.
BMC Big Hill Walking Weekend
Throughout the weekend we're running walks, talks, workshops and a chance to meet like-minded hikers.
Wildfires are very preventable
Every wildfire on the Eastern Moors is a danger to wildlife, human life and livelihoods, but it doesn't have to be this way - protecting this area from wildfire is well within our grasp. If we team up with Moors for the Future Partnership (MFFP) to stabilise the bare peat, dam the eroded gullies and plant sphagnum moss we can increase the Eastern Moors' resilience to wildfire. Sphagnum moss, which we plant on our BMC volunteer Get Stuck In days, holds up to 20 times its weight in water, and the wetter we can make the peat bog, the less likely it is to catch fire.
We can also help MFFP, the Eastern Moors Partnership and Peak District National Park Authority to promote educational social media posts, buy thermal-imaging drones which help rangers detect wildfires early on, and LED signage about the dangers of wildfires on roads in and out of the Peak District.
The BMC Access & Conservation Trust are already funding the first ever dedicated Wildfire Ranger to:
- Patrol high wildfire-risk areas at peak times for early reporting and response
- Set up local volunteer patrol groups
- Engage the public in positive messaging about wildfire prevention in-person and on social media
Will you help protect your playground?
- £10 funds a roll of 20 sphagnum moss plugs
- £25 fully restores 1 metre squared of moorland
- £50 stabilises bare peat with cut heather
- £100 funds ten educational social media posts on wildfire prevention
- £200 builds a 2 metre-wide dam to block and rewet a badly eroded gully
- £2,000 hires a highly visual LED wildfire prevention road sign
- £10,000 buys a thermal drone to survey at-risk areas
- £50,000 funds a Wildfire Ranger to patrol and educate the public
“If you like a good walk with amazing views of the Peak District, please support the BMC Access & Conservation Trust to help fundraise for sphagnum moss planting and public engagement to protect the landscape against wildfire," says Ted Talbot, Programme Manager for Conservation and Land Management at Moors for the Future Partnership. "This upland landscape acts as green gateway into the wider Peak District, with miles of moorland, woodland and rocky climbing crags; all easily accessible from Sheffield and Chesterfield. It comes alive in May as the local wildlife awakens for spring.
"These funds will pay for restoration works in this special place and help to engage visitors in learning how they can also help to protect this landscape from fires by their responsible use and vigilance. In a changing climate, with more warm dry spells, not bringing any barbecues, campfires or naked flames into the area is the best way to prevent peatland fires. These have devastated large areas of moorland here in the last five years, and last year was one of the worst since records began. We know the public really support this work and it’s wonderful to see the BMC helping out in this way.”
Dr. Catherine Flitcroft, BMC Head of Access and Environment, says, "With the help of BMC members, local businesses and outdoor brands, we hope to reach our target in time to protect the Eastern Moors from wildfire this year as well as making it more resilient for future generations of hikers and climbers.
"If you've ever enjoyed a great day out climbing on Curbar, walking over Froggatt or bird-watching on Burbage, please give generously, set up a bake sale or do a sponsored event to help protect this incredibly beautiful place. Local outdoor instructors, shops and brands could encourage customers to make a small donation too, please help spread the word."
Protect the Eastern Moors
Help the BMC Access & Conservation Trust raise £50,000 to protect the Eastern Moors from wildfire and restore the moorland for future generations.
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