Peaks and Paddles | Awesome Outdoor Adventure Activities

Outdoor Adventure Activities for Everyone!

Peaks and Paddles enable couples, families and groups to enjoy the very best of the Peak District with a great selection of outdoor activities, tailored to suit all ages and abilities. Children as young as five can join in on the fun such as canoeing or kayaking along the calm waters of the Cromford Canal, canoeing down the beautiful River Derwent, braving an abseil at Monsal Dale or Black Rocks, or exploring the hidden wonders of Derbyshire’s underground world in a caving experience not to be forgotten!

Your well-behaved dog can even join you on some of the activities, making for a fun trip out for the whole family! Simply choose your activity, confirm your numbers, your chosen date and time, and look forward to a fabulous adventure!

The guided activities offered by Peaks and Paddles are all led by friendly, experienced, qualified and fully insured professionals to ensure you have the most fun, in the safest of hands. The main leader, Chris, has worked in outdoor centres for over 30 years, achieving many national governing body awards.

(Please note, minimum of two people per activity. Most activity sessions start at 9.30am and 1.30pm.)

Enjoy the Peak District Waters

The Peak District is known for its picturesque landscape of lush rolling fields, rugged hillsides and tranquil waters which are often admired from the side of a river with a picnic whilst enjoying a riverside stroll. With Peaks and Paddles, you can enjoy the water in full by canoeing and kayaking along the calm waters of the Cromford Canal with an abundance of wildlife, or during a more exhilarating canoe trip along the moving waters of the picturesque River Derwent.

Canoeing – March to November

Canoeing can be enjoyed with Peaks and Paddles from March through to November, with beautiful seasonal colour and interest.

A great introduction to canoeing for all of the family is to row along the flat, calm waters of the Cromford Canal. This two hour trip starts near Matlock Bath and is suitable for groups of 2 – 14, aged 5+ (and very well-behaved dogs!). Your activity will start with a safety briefing, full guidance, and a practice before you head out on your ‘there and back’ journey along this tranquil canal. Of course, it can be as calming as you choose, with challenges and games added in if you wish! Matlock Bath is one of England’s first tourist destinations, which still proves to be a fabulous family day out with shops, cafes, arcades and other attractions, including their annual river illuminations, so there’s plenty to do before or after your meander along the water.

A slightly more challenging route, but still suitable for beginners aged 13+, is a 4-mile trip along the waters of the beautiful River Derwent from Darley Bridge to Matlock Bath, where you will have to navigate rapids, bridges and rocks! You will start your trip by meeting at Matlock Bath and being driven to Darley Bridge for your safety briefing and instructions. You’ll then head downstream where you will have a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery, before you hit the fun rapids, finally arriving back to your starting point in Matlock Bath! (Maximum of five per group.)

Kayaking – End of April to October

Kayaking is a great way to experience the water! Lightweight and easy to get the hang of, the kayaking adventures at Peaks and Paddles are fun for everyone from aged 5+. Spending around one hour on the water, you can enjoy the beautiful Cromford Canal starting and finishing at Cromford Wharf. At the start of your journey you will be given full guidance so that you can enjoy a leisurely trip and all the wildlife that this wonderful canal has to offer. (Suitable for groups of up to 12.) Cromford Wharf has a fabulous café, picnic tables, toilets and plenty of car parking, the perfect place to start and end your journey.

Brave the Peak District Heights

Abseiling – Available All Year Round

Abseiling with Peaks and Paddles is great fun for all the family all year round! Suitable for everyone aged 5 and over, it’s a great way to test your determination and courage, whilst enjoying the adrenaline rush in fabulous surroundings. The professional instructors ensure you are in the safest of hands, with full safety gear and clear instructions.

Will you be brave enough to climb through the railings to the 90ft rope drop from Miller’s Dale Viaduct along the Monsal Trail? With full safety ropes and harness, a bit of encouragement from the group and experienced leaders, of course you will! The faster you brave it the more goes you get within your 2-hour slot. Once you’ve finished your adventure, the Monsal Trail is a great place to enjoy a traffic-free cycle or a leisurely stroll.

Will you conquer your fears at Black Rocks, lowering yourself backwards off the rock face, with the most spectacular views of the Peak District National Park? Starting with gentle slopes and building up to larger, steeper drops, you can build your confidence little by little. Again, with all the safety gear and a few words of encouragement, you’ll soon be smiling and ready to try the next level!

For those of you who are feeling really brave, why not enquire about an abseil in the the pitch black at Millers Dale Bridge?!

Discover the Peak District’s Underground World

Caving – Available All Year Round

Everything about the Peak District National Park is spectacular, including its vast underground world, set amongst 300-million-year-old limestone rock, with caves carved from water and by hand in lead mines. With Peaks and Paddles you can explore these hidden wonders in a fabulous caving adventure all year round – in fact, it’s warmer underground than it is above ground in winter sometimes – but not always drier! There are varying levels of caving to experience from fairly upright walks for all the family from 5+, through to more challenging routes that are more physically demanding and a much tighter squeeze!

You will be provided with helmets, waterproofs, head torches, etc, and wellies can be provided if you don’t have your own, along with professional supervision to ensure you have a safe and memorable trip down under.

The Devonshire Mine is a disused lead mine at Matlock Bath, which starts with 10-minute, steep uphill walk to the start of your descent. The route is relatively upright and dry, with a few tunnels and tighter challenges along the way, making this a great introduction to caving for ages 5+ and a fabulous, fun exploration. Remember, once your mission is complete, you have lots to enjoy and reward yourself with in Matlock Bath, including locally-produced ice cream, delicious fish and chips, and a trip to the amusement arcades.

A more challenging caving route for ages 7+ is Carlswark Cave at Stoney Middleton, between Calver and Eyam. If you have strength and endurance and don’t mind getting muddy and wet, this is the one for you! There’s mud and tunnels to crawl through, and much tighter passages to squeeze through, making for an exhilarating experience for all the family. The historic village of Eyam is well worth a visit before or after your adventure too.

Hen & Stag Events and Celebrations

Each of the adventures offered by Peaks and Paddles makes for a fabulous hen or stag weekend, or perhaps a birthday celebration or corporate event in groups of up to 16. Perhaps you fancy one activity or maybe want to try a bit of everything? The hosts at Peaks and Paddles will do all they can to accommodate you, just message them with your chosen dates in plenty of time.

Kayaking & Canoeing – Groups of up to 16
Abseiling – Groups of up to 16
Caving – Groups of up to 12

The activities at Peaks and Paddles also make fabulous gifts, so why not treat someone to a gift voucher, so they can choose their own activity, valid for 12 months?

BOOK YOUR SESSION AT PEAKS AND PADDLES HERE!