Slitherstone Hill

The walk up Slitherstone Hill is a proper leg-burner, but the payoff from the summit justifies every gasp for breath. You're looking at sweeping views across the Hope Valley and into the surrounding limestone peaks - real backbone-of-the-Pennines stuff. The route itself is straightforward enough, though the name gives you a clue about the terrain: it's loose underfoot in places, so boots with decent grip are essential rather than optional.

This one's made for walkers who know what they're doing. Families with young kids will struggle with both the gradient and the scree, and it's not the sort of place to amble around for half an hour. Budget two to three hours for a round trip from the car park, depending on your fitness. The nearest proper base is Hope Valley, which has everything you need for a long weekend, and the caravan parks at Castleton and Laneside are well-positioned if you're planning to tackle multiple peaks in the area.

Go early on a clear day - visibility here makes all the difference. On a grey afternoon with cloud sitting on the hilltops, you're just trudging up a loose hillside. But get the weather right, and you'll understand why people keep coming back to Derbyshire's high ground. It's not gentle, and it's not spectacular in the postcard sense, but it's genuinely good walking.