Rushup Edge- Brown Knoll - Kinder Scout 17th March 2012

I haven’t done a walk around Edale since last August , and as the weather looked good for walking today seemed like a good day.

I printed out a route map from my new Tracklogs digital map of the Dark Peak. First time I had used this. Although it is a bit pricey it is a fine piece of software.

From the car park I walked up to Rushup Edge via Hardenclough farm. This initial climb soon warmed me up and off came the top two layers.

Just before I got to the road I passed a group of Duke of Edinborough Silver award youngsters. They were on their last day walking across to Hope to catch a train. It was a bit like day of the zombies – they looked like they had been put through the mangle !

Vale of edale from Rushup edge

Across the road and up onto the edge. Weather perfect for a walk. Cool and clear (few clouds gathering over Kinder), with hardly any wind.  I have walked along Rushup edge before but not this route across to Brown Knoll. It wasn’t clear where the path to Brown Knoll leaves the main path, but a fellow walker pointed out the air shaft on Cowbourne Tunnel as a clear landmark. I picked up the path which after a while soon became vague and  non existent in places. I now know  the meaning of bog trotting. On three occasions I ended up to my knees in wet soggy peat !. Quite pleased that my gaiters protected the top of my boots and my feet remained dry. At one point I am sure I must have helped three fell runners who were about 100 yards behind me when my bottom half disappeared in the peat. I looked back once I was clear and saw them making a wide detour of where I went in !

Edge of Kinder looking down Grindsbrook Clough

 Although it is quite a level walk I found it hard work due to the lack of a clear path and the wet soggy ground.  After the trig point on Brown Knoll (pretty unremarkable place), I found my way to the fence with the clearly defined path which leads to a  T- junction with Jacob’s ladder.

From there a more familiar climb up to Edale Rocks for a bite to  eat.

Dodgy Bloke on the edge of Kinder !

Along the edge via the Woolpacks, and across to the  top of Grindsbrook Clough.  Back down into Edale via Grindsbrook Knoll.

Another excellent walk around the Vale of Edale.  This felt more like a fifteen mile walk rather than the ten covered.

10 Miles OS1 dark Peak

Castleton Ridge 3rd March 2012

With Erica and Damien.

Great to get back on the hills after several weekends behind a computer screen.

This was the same route I have done a couple of times before.

Visitors car park - Hollowford road - Lose Hill - Ridge - Mam Tor - Limestone way - Cave Dale.



Mam Tor about to disappear in a cloud



Erica and Damien trying out some hill walking with a view to the three peaks challenge in June. (26 miles three mountains ....I am not sure)  They were both wearing trainers , so plenty of slips and a few falls. The climb up to Lose hill was hard work after a few weeks of inactivity, and the storm cloud were gathering. Luckily the weather blew over and as you can see from some of the pics , by the time we reached Mam Tor the sun was out. 

The final descent down Cave dale into Castleton was a bit tricky...specially wearing trainers.

Cup of tea and a toasted sandwich in Castleton . Great way to spend a saturday morning



About 6.5 miles OS1 Dark Peak

Bleaklow 15th January 2012

Short winter walk with Richard F

We met up at the Snake pass summit. Temperature about -5. I got quite cold getting ready as I had driven there in t shirt and sandals...maybe next time I get kitted up before getting in the car !!

We set off on the Pennine Way path and gradually after 20 minutes or so I could feel the end of my fingers. there was only a gentle breeze but it was bloody  freezing.

 We crossed Hern Clough, and then took a left turn off the path with the aim of getting to Higher Shelf Stones and the Superfortress wreck. I had put the grid reference into my Garmin Etrex but like a muppet had my device set to geo caching WGS84 datum rather than OS grid. After a while it was fairly obvious that we were below Higher Shelf Stones and my device was way off !!.   There was a whole load of fell runners coming down towards us ...we found out later they were running from Crowden to Edale - 20 miles across the most amazing terrain..effectively the first leg of the Pennine Way in reverse.

We were only a few hundred yards off, and on our way up to the ridge saw a mountain hare - fantastic to see this type of wildlife ..I have only seen one of these before on Kinder.

The B-29 crash site is amazing and sobering  - there is a memorial there and large pieces of wreckage over several hundred yards. This has been there for over 60 years. I don't feel that this was a 'disaster' tourist exercise - I was in awe at the scale of the disaster - a huge plane (the largest around in 1948) and the scale and height of Bleaklow, and the fact that 13 young men lost thier lives - due to go home to America shortly after this flight.

Short walk to the trig point where there was a whole load of folk and a tent !...  check off point for the fell runners plus a group of walkers on a break.

From here there is a fantastic view over Glossop, Manchester and Kinder Scout. Cup of tea and a rest.

Drop down and across to the Pennine Way path dodging the increasing number of fell runners.

As Richard said 'A different walk' ....very enjoyable , and now I have my GPS with the correct settings I'll be more confident about walking on Bleaklow which is such a contrast to Kinder Scout.


Around 5 miles Dark Peak OS1

Chatsworth 30th December 2011

A nice walk to end the year with. Parked at Carlton Lees car park (only £2). Crossed the road into the estate and then a short walk to the hump back bridge over the Derwent. Over the bridge and then follow the lane which skirts the eastern edge of the estate up towards the ridge. That was a fair gradient which warmed me  up. Take the stile to the left onto a well defined path across a field which leads to a ladder stile over a wall and into the estate again.

Across the ridge and then into Stand Woods. Follow well  defined paths past Swiss Lake on the left and Emperor Lake on the right. Take a sharp left around the hunting tower and follow the path past an old ruined viaduct and then take the right hairpin wihich winds down through the woods to the house. Quick stop for a cup of coffee and then follow the river back to the car park. Got fairly close to a group of Deer and took a few snaps.

I enjoyed this more than expected and would definitely do it again.

OL 24 White Peak about 6 miles

Shipley Park 27th December 2011

Usual circuit of Shipley Park. Up Old Pit lane and across the fields into the Park. Visitors Centre and then back to Smalley via Bell Lane. I took Tammy as far as the visitors centre. Anne came and picked her up from there. The last time she came on the full walk she was limping for a day aftre that.

Wore my new soft shell jacket over a fleece and it certainly works and keeps me warm. Towards the end of the walk the hat was off and the ventilation zips on the side were fully open.

A great way to clear the Christmas cobwebs.

About 4 miles

Win Hill November 19th 2011

Parked up at Hatherdene car park Bamford, just before the junction with the A57.

This was about a perfect day for walking as you can get. Clear, cool, gentle breeze – excellent.

Walked south along the road to the end of the reservoir. The path then drops down at about 45% below the dam. Alternatively I could have taken the path along the dam wall. Followed the path down to Yorkshire Bridge, and then the climb up through the edge of the woods  (Parkin Clough)was relentlessly steep. On the second half of the walk (north of the snake) there was lots of mountain bikers….you wouldn’t find any bikes on the climb from Yorkshire bridge....unless they were being carried.

Once out of the woods there is a short climb to the summit. Given this is an average hill in terms of height (it would just qualify as a wainwright if it was in the Lakes) the views are stunning. To the South Hope Valley , Lose Hill , Mam Tor , the Ridge, Southwest - the Vale of Edale and the edge of Kinder. to the North, Ladybower , Derwent Edge and Bleaklow to the North West.....brilliant.

The path then follows the ridge and drops down following an old Roman Road through the woods to Haggwater Bridge. The path down to the bridge is very steep and rocky , and wet, so slow going.

Once over the Snake, another climb up to the ridge (open Hagg) running parallel to the road and next to the woods. Eventually the path leaves the edge of the woods to open land towards Crook Hill. I skirted Crook Hill towards the farm. The path from the farm then drops down to the Fairholmes road and then back to the A57 and the car park.

I’ll definitely be doing this one again – a perfect days walking.

About 9.5 miles OS OL1 Dark Peak

Crook Hill from the top of Win Hill

The Roaches - Luds Church November 5th 2011

Parked up on the car park / lay-by just below rockhall at the eastern end of the Roaches.



who is that geezer?





Luds Church - A Magical place

 For November , lovely mild weather, a little hazy but great walking conditions.

Picked up the path which ran for about a couple of hundred yards under the start where the rock climbers were starting up for the day and then the path led (very conveniently) up a staircase through a narrow gully up to the ridge.

West all the way to Roach end. This is a great gritstone edge and is as good as anything up in North Derbyshire straddling the Snake Pass. Views were fantastic on either side. Tittesworth reservoir and Leek to the South. Cheshire towards the south west. Staffordshire moors to the North. Brilliant. It was nice to find some water on the ridge (Doxey Pool) – you don’t find that on the North Derbyshire  gritstone edges.

At Roach end I took the path below Gradbach wood and found another concessionary path (not on map) up from there to the ridge and into the woods. There I picked up a muddy path through the woods to Lud’s Church. The gaiters I bought in Keswick did their job again and kept my feet dry despite a few ankle deep dips into the peaty mud.

I reached the bottom end of Luds Church after half a mile (or maybe less). I nearly missed it. There was a narrow opening covered by weeds and bramble which dropped down into what looked like a cave. Once I got past that first few narrow yards it opened out into a corridor maybe a few metres wide encased in two 20/ 30 foot cliffs. This is a magical place – if I had seen Gandalf and the fellowship coming round a corner I wouldn’t have been surprised. After a couple of hundred yards I emerged back into the woods.

From there follow the path back to the Roaches and back again along the edge to the car park. The walk I had printed from the web suggested taking the road after coming out of the woods – that would have been quicker but I didn’t want to miss a return trip along the roach’s edge.

Fantastic walk – definitely a repeat visit(s)



Hen Cloud - climb this next time



Forgot the camera so pics were from mobile phone.

About 8 miles OS OL24 White Peak