Escape to Continue

This route covers 8 miles and, more noticably for me, 1800 feet of ascent. It covers the initial few miles of the Nine Edges Endurance event before returning to the start point at the foot of the imposing Derwent reservoir dam. The Derwent reservoir and its dam were used in 1943 by 617 squadron to practice bombing runs using the Barnes Wallis bouncing bomb. The Derwent dam was chosen for its similarity to the German Möhne dam.

The bombing raids on the German dams inflicted damage on industry in the area, but also took a heavy civilian toll - the 1949 amendment to the Geneva Convention subsequently outlawed such attacks. Although Barnes Wallis’s part in the Dambusters story is that of a brilliant engineer, rather than the controversial role that Bomber Harris played in the targetting of civilians, it used to amuse me that the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology students’ union was named after Barnes Wallis whilst down the road Manchester Polytechnic had chosen to celebrate their “Mandella Building”.

The task that 617 Squadron took on was difficult and dangerous. They needed to fly just 60 feet over the surface of the water as they flew towards their target, illuminated by moonlight and easily targetted by flak. To maintain the critical height there were convergent spotlights mounted underneath their Lancaster bombers, which produced a single spot of light on the water when they were flying right. Similarly, the distance from the dam when the bomb was dropped was critical, and was measured by lining up the dam towers with little more than a Y-shaped stick.

This incredible feat of flying, against the odds to stop the enemy war machine was taken as inspiration for the destruction of the Death Star in the original Star Wars film. The one where Luke Skywalker unknowingly fancies his sister and spends much of his time with a camp golden robot, before ultimately destroying the Death Star through his remarkable flying prowess.

The Route

My run spends much of its route with fine views of the reservoirs and passes the weird tors scattered along Derwent Edge, with a well-chosen stone pathway protecting the fragile moor. The climb from Derwent Reservoir onto the moor is fierce.