The Monsal Trail hike cuts straight through the heart of the Derbyshire Dales, tracing an eight-mile reclaimed stretch of the old Midland Railway line between Bakewell and Buxton. The route takes you across massive limestone viaducts and deep into cold, dark railway tunnels carved directly into the rock face. Walking along the trail gives you a striking view of the Peak District, where steep limestone cliffs drop down toward the River Wye and the surrounding hills open into wide, green dales. I joined the Muslim Hikers group on this trek to document the landscape, the crowd, and the rhythm of a day out on the trail.
Carrying a medium format setup like the Fujifilm GFX100s on a fast-moving group walk is a physical workout in itself. Medium format naturally pushes you to slow down and compose every shot carefully, but keeping pace with a large group means moving quickly, shooting handheld, and making fast decisions. There is no time to set up a tripod when you pick out a beautiful composition, and the light is already shifting. Emerging from the damp, echoing darkness of the tunnels into bright Peak District sunlight puts your senses to work straight away. Inside, you can hear your own footsteps bouncing off wet brick, and the air smells faintly of iron and moss. Then, in a blink, you are squinting into open sky, the chill still clinging to your forearms. The harsh jump from cold stone to green grass is where the visual storytelling really happens. You are balancing the weight of heavy glass around your neck with staying light on your feet, snapping candid moments without disrupting the flow of the walk.
The path started easily enough along wide, flat bridleways shared with cyclists and dog walkers before winding towards rougher ground. Boots crunched over loose gravel, and the occasional whinny of a horse drifted in from a nearby field. As the miles built up, the group stretched out, and the atmosphere loosened. Fellow hikers were in good spirits, introducing themselves and trading banter.
Nobody was in a rush, which made all the difference. It felt like an unwritten agreement across the entire group to savour the company and the trail itself, rather than racing to reach the finish line.
That was the thing I kept noticing. Even with over 60 people on the trail, the pace stayed generous. Someone at the front would call out a warning about a cyclist, and the message would ripple back until the whole group was aware.
Reaching Monsal Head was the main marker of the day. Standing at the high viewpoint looking out over the Headstone Viaduct, the entire valley opens up below you, giving everyone a chance to put their packs down, take in the cool air, and appreciate the view. A few people just stood there quietly, allowing the natural beauty to do its thing.
I managed to capture a handful of frames before the group started filtering back down, but honestly, the sight hits harder when you put the camera down for a second and simply look.
We scrambled down from the high ridge to the riverbank for a long lunch break, laying out jackets on the grass near the water. Between the chatter and resting sore feet, we took the time out to pray out in nature—a favourite activity of mine as I feel even more connected to the Beloved.
Not only that, but it was the perfect opportunity to bring a thoughtful pause to an energetic day. Group hikes have a way of turning a simple walk into something much richer. The accompanying film captures that mix of steep stone dales, natural light, and the simple warmth of people sharing a trail.
