The HPM can test a competitors fitness, endurance and navigational skill to their limit. The route is at least 40 miles long and for much of its distance the terrain is pathless peat bog. The dark, lack of sleep and winter weather add to the challenge. It has snowed in 4 of the last 10 events. All entrants should therefore be certain that they have fitness and mountain experience required to make a safe passage.

The start and finish is from the event HQ at the village hall in Edale (GR 123 853). Teams start at one minute intervals from 11pm on the Friday evening, with earlier 10pm start available for ?walking teams?.

Each team will be given a Sport-Ident electronic tag with which teams register at each checkpoint on the route. The tag records the time of arrival at each point as well as the finish time. As a safety measure most of the checkpoints are manned and have radio contact with HQ.

Tea and sandwiches are available at Edale before the start. Various food stuffs, hot drinks and water will be available en-route at Moscar, and Snake Summit. A full meal will be provided at the finish!

As for the last couple of years, the entry system is no longer first come first served. Entries are invited anytime from the 1st to 30th of November only. Entries are now to be done online using the link above. This saves us time, stamps, paper etc and the possibility of mis-reading names and addresses.

Entry costs £72 per team and includes Sport-Ident Tag hire and food as above. You are welcome to use your own tag.

We recieve far more applications that we have spaces available. It is necessary to limit the number of teams who compete due to permissions from landowners and governing bodies. We will confirm which teams have been accepted and ask for their entry fee in December. All entrants will then be sent details of the event.

For most people the aim is simply to complete the route and every finisher is awarded a certificate. There is of course some competition to achieve the fastest time; a feat made all the more difficult because the faster you go, the more you have to do in the dark! The current record for the course is 8:07 set by 'Sub 9' in 1988. One member of that team has promised a special prize to any team who breaks it! The overall winning team is awarded The Millstone Trophy. The Tanky Stokes Mixed Trophy is presented to the first mixed sex team. As in recent years, The Rucksack Club are sponsoring a trophy for the first all female team. The Rucksack Club Veterans Trophy is presented each year to the first veterans team. A veterans team must have an aggregate age of 160 or more and a handicap is applied - one minute per hour of running time is deducted for every full four years the aggregate age of the team exceeds 160. For example the handicap time for a team with an age of 183 would be reduced by five minutes per hour of their actual time.

Entrants are warned that the trophies are pretty big and not exactly everyones idea of beautiful. Unique trophies for a unique event! However, as compensation all winners also get engraved tankards and a bottle of real ale.

Trophies will be presented at noon(ish) on the Saturday.

Contact the organisers at