About an hour outside Manchester, the roads begin to narrow, the signal starts disappearing, and the Northern English countryside slowly takes over. Hidden between steep trails, rolling green hills, and baby sheep roaming around sits one of England’s most beautiful natural escapes: the Peak District. The kind of place where muddy hiking boots outnumber clean sneakers and fresh air replaces city noise.
Columbia brought us out there for this year’s HikeFest, the brand’s annual celebration of hiking, music, and community set deep within the English countryside. What started as a rainy hike through steep trails ended in a rave inside a cave somewhere beneath the hills of Castleton.
Now in its third year, HikeFest has become something of a yearly tradition for hikers and outdoor lovers across the UK. Hosted as part of Columbia Hike Society’s program of hiking experiences, the event brings people together through long walks, difficult climbs, and good music in the middle of nowhere.
This year, the day started with hikers gathering in the Peak District before splitting into smaller hiking groups led by Columbia Hike Society guides. Hikers had traveled from far and wide to be part of it. Some had participated before, with one hiker telling us how he joined last year during a heat wave on the beaches of the south coast. This year, in true English fashion, things looked very different.
It was wet. It was cold. The trails were slippery and unforgiving. But the Columbia gear kept everyone warm and dry as the weather shifted between drizzle and pouring rain. Before the hike, the hike leaders prepared participants, handing out Columbia hats, mugs, and extra gear people might have forgotten while packing. Then came the climb.
The hike was steep and legs started aching quickly, but the fresh air of the English countryside kept everyone moving. Along the narrow muddy paths, strangers quickly became teammates. Seasoned hikers helped the less seasoned, and the teamwork spread naturally through the group. Hands stretched out to help the person behind cross slippery rocks, narrow trails, and steep hills on the way back down. Then, somewhere in the distance, you could start hearing the music.
All three hiking groups eventually reunited at the real peak of the experience: a cave known locally as “The Devil’s Arse.” Hidden beneath the Peak District landscape, the underground venue hosted this year’s off-grid rave headlined by London electronic producer Duskus, whose atmospheric blend of UK garage, house, and melodic rave echoed through the cave walls.
By then, the mood had fully shifted. The group was visibly ready, in good English fashion, to finally have a pint. Rosy cheeks, wet hair, muddy trousers across the board. The hikers celebrated with sandwiches and Aperol Spritzes poured into neon green HikeFest cups while music bounced around the cave.
The beauty of HikeFest is that the experience feels earned. There’s no easy way to get there. No shortcut. You hike through rain, steep trails, and muddy hillsides before eventually finding yourself deep underground with music, drinks, and a group of strangers who inevitably no longer feel like strangers at all. With little phone signal in the remote location, people naturally disconnected from their screens and leaned into the experience around them instead.
By the end of it all, it was clear why HikeFest has built such a loyal following over the years. Columbia managed to turn a rainy day in the English countryside into something that felt equal parts hike, music festival, and community gathering, bringing hundreds of people together far away from city noise. Hours later, they were all dancing together underground somewhere in the Peak District.
See you next year.
