A few miles east of Glossop, just off the famed Snake Pass, there is a vast, peaty moorland known as Bleaklow. Home to a section of the Pennine Way, this area of the Peak District is renowned for its wild, rugged beauty. It's against this stunning backdrop that "The Crashed Plane Hike" takes place. Through heather-covered ravines and across vast open moors, you will experience some of the best walking this area has to offer. Now before going any further, it’s important to mention that the hills and mountains in this region are the first barriers to clouds from the Irish Sea, consequently, this part of the Dark Peak is often incredibly wet, windy, and on occasion, foggy. The combination of grim weather conditions and habitually waterlogged terrain can at times make this area difficult to navigate, so come prepared!

The first section of the hike is relatively straightforward as it follows the well-defined and partially paved Pennine Way; however, partway through you'll leave the comfort of this famous route, and set out across the black boggy peat of Bleaklow moor. The path is well walked and fairly easy to follow in good conditions, but beware, if the weather turns it is very easy to get lost and so a detailed guide or better yet a navigation app (backed up by a map and compass) is invaluable. Eventually, you'll make it to the site of the crash and quickly realise that the journey was worth every single step. At first, you may only see small fragments of metal, a section of the fuselage or an engine part, but when you finally head over a peat mound, the wreckage of the plane will be revealed in all of her dreadful glory.

Over Exposed was an RB29 Superfortress that crashed on 3rd November 1948, killing all 13 souls on board; it was on its way from RAF Scampton to RAF Burtonwood to deliver $7,400 in wages. She earned her famous name in July 1946, when she was flown during Operation Crossroads to photograph the nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll, including the atomic bomb dropped by a B-29 called Dave's Dream. A link to a truly harrowing account of a first responder has been included in the Interesting Facts section, I highly recommend reading this article before you start the hike and then again whilst wandering amongst the wreckage; it will give you a small insight into the horror and aberration of that ill-fated day.

After viewing the wreckage you'll head to the trig point at Higher Shelf Stones, here you can admire the view across the moors towards Snake Pass. The route from the trig point back to the start of the hike is relatively easy to follow, although in rain or snow, the initial section can be difficult as the trampled grass trail is easily concealed. Again, I can't stress enough how important it is to have a navigation app or a map and compass for this hike, especially if the weather is bad. At the end of the grass trail, you will cross a small ravine after which the path becomes very easy to follow back to the start point. This walk takes in one of the Peak District's Ethels: Higher Shelf Stones. Find all 95 on our Ethels map.