Edale Valley Syline, 3rd June 2015

Due to closure of the Snake Pass, John J's original Bleaklow walk had to be replaced by one we had tried to do last August but were beaten back by bad weather.  We only learned about the closure, due to embankment repair, a few days ago and let members on our email list know.  For those who we cannot contact, this is a reminder that it is important to check with the Ramblers website which will have the definitive description of the walk and, in particular, details of the Walk Leader's contact details and any late changes to the route.

 And so to the Edale Valley Skyline walk, which started in the National Trust car park near Mam Tor.  In fine but windy weather, we climbed to the top of Mam Tor ...
Mary, Gordon, Stewart and John J
... before heading along the ridge towards Hollins Cross.
Hollins Cross, Back Tor and Lose Hill in the distance
After a coffee stop in Edale Village near Edale's Holy & Undivided Trinity Church ...
 ... we took the old Pennine Way route up Grindsbrook ...
... and the tricky scramble up Grindsbrook Clough.

Kinder Plateau - top of Grindsbook
We then followed the southern edges of Kinder, lunching in the shelter of some of its many eroded gritstone monuments ...
... before diverting to Kinder Low, (almost) the highest spot in the Peak District at 633m.
Following the watershed (east to the North Sea, west to the Irish Sea), we descended to Edale Cross ...
 ... probably erected by the Cistercian monks of Basingwerk Abbey at the southern boundary of land which they received from Henry II in 1157.  The Cross is on the ancient packhorse route from Hayfield to Edale which we followed to the top of Jacobs Ladder, the revised and improved route of the Pennine Way.

To avoid losing height, we headed across Brown Knoll, over the line of the Cowburn Tunnel, route of the Sheffield to Manchester railway, towards Rushop Edge and the track back to Mam Tor.
Rushop Edge, Castleton in the distance