From 29th to 31st August, paddlers gathered at Cromford Mills in Derbyshire, England, for the Peak Challenge, a multi-discipline paddlesports event. Pete Astles and Paul Ramsdale of Peak PS report on a memorable weekend that brought more than 80 young paddlers onto the waters of the River Derwent.
This August Bank Holiday weekend, our special training spot on the River Derwent at the foot of Willersley Castle hosted the third Cromford Peak Challenge. Over 80 paddlers braved the waters to compete in this multi-day paddlesport event. The competition featured Wild Water Racing, Slalom and KX races, with paddlers all vying for the title of overall river champion. A new addition this year was the Club Championship prize: individual points accumulated by paddlers in the top eight of their categories would ultimately crown an overall Peak Challenge Club Champion!
A damp Saturday morning began with Wild Water Racing (WWR) practice. We were joined by the Christie family—dad Jamie and his two daughters Emma and Kerry—multiple World and European champions in various formats and classes, who provided not only a trailer full of WWR boats for paddlers to try out but also offered coaching and safety support once on the water. Some paddlers faced a steep learning curve in the morning but then moved quickly on to the afternoon’s racing with improved confidence.
A one-kilometer time trial started from the west side of Willersley Castle and finished just upstream of Cromford Bridge, which definitely got the heart pumping! Before prize-giving for the WWR race at 4 pm, there was an opportunity to practice Sunday’s slalom course. What an eventful first day! It was fantastic to see so many youngsters rise to the challenge of navigating the River Derwent in a WWR boat, something completely unfamiliar to many.
The entertainment didn’t stop there either. Later in the evening, we welcomed two very special guests to Willersley Castle. Dave Manby and Roger Huyton shared their story of kayaking down Everest and the subsequent feature film “Dudh Kosi – Relentless River of Everest”. This pioneering and now legendary expedition is celebrating its 50th anniversary. It was an honor to host Dave and Roger, learn about the difficulties they faced and the joy it brought them. Many thanks, Dave and Roger!
« It was fantastic to see so many youngsters rise to the challenge of navigating the River Derwent »
A bright blue sky greeted us on Sunday, signaling the start of a new paddlesport discipline to master: canoe slalom. Our morning practice was a delight as we were joined by former and current canoe slalom stars. Alex Cleator (MK1 and MC1) and Sophie Forster (WK1 and WC1) from the 2026 GB Junior team, along with current U23 GB team athlete Luc Royle (MC1) and former GB athlete and World Class Podium coach Mark Proctor, offered invaluable tips, advice and safety cover to aspiring slalom paddlers. It was heartwarming to see our small race section brimming with junior paddlers, thoroughly enjoying their time on the water.
After a quick event briefing, the racing commenced. Three hours of challenging back-to-back runs determined our slalom champions. Later, we enjoyed more entertainment back at the Castle, this time from the local (and internationally renowned) musical sensation John Gill! A master wordsmith, John can effortlessly conjure lyrics to captivate any audience. We were thoroughly entertained by epic sing-alongs and crowd involvement that left us smiling and creating many happy memories.
The final day’s racing introduced the newest Olympic paddling discipline, Kayak Cross (KX). Using the same river section as the Slalom, paddlers launched from the mighty ‘Cross Ramp’ and slid into the river, navigating the KX course of eight gates. Each paddler completed an individual Time-Trial run, and the fastest and luckiest advanced to semi-finals and finals. Tensions were high as heats of two or three paddlers launched simultaneously off the ramp, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
Entertaining and crafty paddling led to finals for each category, the day’s highlight for me was the resonating sound of support and excitement echoing through the valley as we watched the racing. A special thanks goes to Pyranha for loaning us boats for the event and our safety kayakers over the weekend: Luc, Gav, Dave, Andy, Joe, Leafy, Alex, Sophie and Dale.
Following the event, a final prize-giving ceremony crowned the KX champions and declared the overall weekend champions in each class, along with the inaugural Club Champions. Break Out Canoe Unit secured the Club Champions title for 2026, with Paddle Peak in second place and Pleasely Canoe Club in third. If you’re aiming for the title next year, gather your clubmates and join us in the Derwent Valley. Additionally, there were spot prizes for the numerous remarkable achievements witnessed throughout the weekend. Well done to everyone and thank you.
« Epic sing-alongs and crowd involvement left us smiling and creating many happy memories. »
A huge thank you and well done to everyone involved over the weekend and in preparing for the event. These things only happen when we all come together and the Peak Challenge was a shining example of that. We also want to thank our supporters and sponsors of the Challenge for 2026: Peak PS, Cromford Mills, Manor Adventure at Willersley Castle, Pyranha, P&H, Ainsworth Paddles, Thornbridge Brewery, Dagger Kayaks, Charlie and Jane and TJ Composites.
Words: Paul Ramsdale | Photography: Pete Astles
