Ascent/Descent:
846/753 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 6 hours
Toughness:
10 out of 10
From
Sheffield: take the 09.14 Manchester Piccadilly stopping service via the Hope
Valley (Dore & Totley 09.21, Grindleford 09.29, Hathersage 09.32), arriving
Bamford at 09.36.
From
Manchester Piccadilly: take the 08.49 Sheffield stopping service via the Hope
Valley (New Mills Central 09.17, Chinley 09.23, Edale 09.32, Hope 09.38),
arriving Bamford at 09.42.
Return
trains from Edale:
xx.47 until 19.47, then 20.44, 21.45 and 22.56 towards
Manchester; 17.33, 17.47 (via Chinley), 18.32, 19.32,
20.32, 21.34 and 23.01 towards Sheffield.
From/to
London: track works on the St. Pancras – Sheffield line mean that you have to travel
from King’s X via Doncaster and with two changes to start almost an hour behind
the action (7.35 train, arrives Bamford 10.36). Return
trains
to London: xx.42 to 19.42 (change at Sheffield and Doncaster or
Luton, from 3 ¼ hours).
“This
strenuous walk cuts through the boundary land between the Dark and White Peak
areas of the Peak District National Park. A steep ascent up to Win Hill opens tremendous
views to the surrounding Upper Derwent Valley reservoirs, the Vales of Edale
and Hope and the exposed and isolated tracts of rugged moorlands, covered
by cotton grass bogs and heather, and dramatically sculpted gritstone
escarpments (or ‘edges’) of the Peak District’s iconic Dark Peak area.
From there you follow a heathery ridge running northwest to steeply descend and re-ascend to Lose Hill, the easterly end of The Great Ridge, which separates the vales of Edale and Hope. It extends for approximately 3 kilometres to Mam Tor at the western end and is very popular (in benign conditions). Mam Tor, once the home of Iron Age people, is on the southern edge of the Dark Peak (sandstones) and overlooks the White Peak (limestones), including the notable deep cut dry gorge of Winnats Pass.
From there you follow a heathery ridge running northwest to steeply descend and re-ascend to Lose Hill, the easterly end of The Great Ridge, which separates the vales of Edale and Hope. It extends for approximately 3 kilometres to Mam Tor at the western end and is very popular (in benign conditions). Mam Tor, once the home of Iron Age people, is on the southern edge of the Dark Peak (sandstones) and overlooks the White Peak (limestones), including the notable deep cut dry gorge of Winnats Pass.
Despite
a lunch pub just off route, this walk lends itself to a picnic lunch on one
of the tops or on the ridge.
Diversions to lunch or a finish in Hope and Castleton are described, as are an alternative start from Hope Station and shortcuts from the Great Ridge to Edale, as well as an extension across Brown Knoll’s upland peat bog and down from the head of the Vale of Edale via Jacob’s Ladder (path).”
Diversions to lunch or a finish in Hope and Castleton are described, as are an alternative start from Hope Station and shortcuts from the Great Ridge to Edale, as well as an extension across Brown Knoll’s upland peat bog and down from the head of the Vale of Edale via Jacob’s Ladder (path).”
Walk Options:
An Alternative Start from Hope Station cuts 4.9 km/3.0 mi and 263m ascent and is rated 6/10.
An Alternative Start from Hope Station cuts 4.9 km/3.0 mi and 263m ascent and is rated 6/10.
Diversions
down from the Great Ridge to Hope and Castleton villages for lunch or
an early finish:
·
To Hope as an out-and-back (adds 3.0 km/1.8 mi and 40m ascent);
·
To Castleton from Back Tor and back up to Hollins Cross (cuts the least
interesting stretch of the Great Ridge, but adds 4.4 km/2.7 mi and 205m
ascent);
·
To Castleton from Back Tor and through the dramatic Winnats Pass to the end of
the Great Ridge at Mam Nick, the pass between Mam Tor and Rushup Edge (adds 3.0
km/1.8 mi and 100m ascent).
A
couple of Shortcuts lead down from the Great Ridge to Edale:
·
From Hollins Cross, the lowest point on the Great Ridge just before the ascent
to Mam Tor (cuts 6.7 km/4.1 mi and 350m ascent, rated 5/10);
·
From the end of the Great Ridge at Mam Nick, the pass between Mam Tor and
Rushup Edge (cuts 4.5 km/2.8 mi and 200m ascent, rated 7/10).
An
Extension across Brown Knoll’s upland peat bog and down from the
head of the Vale of Edale via Jacob’s Ladder adds 5.4 km/3.4 mi and 172m ascent.
See
the route map and check the pdf for more details.
Lunch: The Cheshire Cheese Inn (500m off route, after 8.4 km/5.2 mi of walking, so only for late starters; food all day).
Tea:
The Penny Pot Café, The Rambler Inn, The Old Nag's Head or Cooper’s Café/Cooper’s Chippy.
For
walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml
files click here.
T=swc.302
2 comments:
With 2 new arrivals, we have 24 SWCers in the area, but only n=16 were on today's group walk. 2 went on an experimental Chinley - Kinder Scout - Edale romp (met on the platform after the walk), 1 went cycling (met in Edale at the end of the walk), 3 were on the train out, but never seen on the walk and the other 2 are unaccounted for. We had our first stop for food and drinks on Win Hill, before facing the human highway traffic that is the Great Ridge (busier than ever). The day had started overcast and here is was windy as well, so extra layers were needed. Mam Tor was a real carnival of dozens of people of all stripes and colours. After Mam Nick it got quieter again and the contrast couldn't have been greater. At the end of Rushup Edge we stopped for a second break and soon after broke up into main walk and extended walk subgroups (a few had already taken one of the shortcuts off The Great Ridge).
Some had time for a drink at The Ramblers Inn before the 17.33 train. W=mostly-overcast-with-late-sunny-breaks
The 3 on the train did indeed walk the 'From Hope' shortcut, but then walked the long version plus an extension along Kinder's edge. N=19
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