Quick reminder that our Summer Party is taking place on 17 June. Book your place before 3 June to receive your first drink free.
Walk Details
Leader: Phil D (07923953338)
Difficulty: Hard
Start time: 8:00am - please aim to arrive no later than 07:55 please to enable a prompt start, it's a long day!
Start point: Hope Car Park HPBC (W3W gratuity.recur.shocks) opposite the Grasshopper Café, Hope Village
Distance (in miles): 22
Full description:
A whopper. This iconic challenge offers a tremendous twenty-odd mile traverse of some of the Peak District’s finest ridges and surrounding valleys. It’s a tough full day out, but whether you’re new to long-distance and hungry for a challenge, or experienced and fancy a return to this epic circuit, the Edale Skyline is not known to disappoint. Are you up for it?
Our adventure begins at the Hope Car Park opposite the Grasshopper Café, in Hope village. There are public toilets in the car park which I recommend utilising before we depart – speaking from experience, it’s not nice to be caught out partway round (pack tissues just in case…). I am advised that all-day parking costs £7 and that the machine is currently cash only – come prepared.
We’ll be up bright and early to bag this big’un, meeting by the bench on the grassy area of the car park, between 07:30 and 07:55 please, to start at 8 on the dot if not before. It’s a weekend summer’s day at the back end of half-term for some, so the car park will fill rapidly; the earlier we arrive, the better.
Plus, we have a long day ahead – the sooner we smash this, the sooner and longer we are at the pub. Simples.
Off to a winning start, our opening stint leads us eastward out of the village up to Win Hill – our first peak of the day, where we truly set foot on the Skyline, soaking up views across the Upper Derwent valley. From here we head north-westward hitting Hope Cross along a Roman road.
We then head west towards the gritstone edges of the notorious Kinder Scout and its engulfing expanse of moorland plateau. When we reach Ringing Roger, take a few moments’ silence to focus on what you can hear.
The ridge leads us round to a hairpin bend at Grindslow Knoll, a natural spot for a breather and to absorb *stunning views over the Vale of Edale (*weather dependent).
As we wander along the Woolpacks (sadly not that famous pub from Emmerdale), take time to appreciate these fascinating rock formations – fantastic terrain for any geology enthusiasts out there.
A firm slap of the trig pillar at Kinder Low defines our next significant turn, as we briefly join the Pennine Way to head south and confront Rushup Edge and Lord’s Seat, not before bagging Brown Knoll.
Our last stand and final push sees us conquer the Iron Age hill fort settlement of Mam Tor. Breath-taking in both effort and surroundings, expansive views will help us eat up the remaining miles and take our minds off the burning feeling in our legs (if any feeling remains by this point).
We pass through the historic Hollins Cross, the gateway to our final peak – Lose Hill (Ward’s Piece), from where we can now almost taste that pint. The irony is that we will all be winners come our descent off Lose Hill, and this descent is satisfyingly so; leading downward directly to the doorstep of the pub (The Cheshire Cheese Inn, Edale Rd), where we can enjoy a deserved liquid ‘debrief’ and celebrate with each other.
The Cheshire Cheese is just 10 minutes down the road from our cars - nothing compared to what you've already accomplished.
Who’s getting the first round in? Come join me on this mega adventure.
I have chosen this date and advertised this challenge months in advance, to allow time to build up to it if you need or want to, whilst the whole summer is still to come after it, so it’s a good opportunity to use as a stepping stone training hike for even bigger things you may have lined up for this year, or spur you on to seek out such adventures and push yourself that bit more in challenges to follow this summer and beyond.
For anyone keen on navigation or interested in learning, there will be plenty of opportunities to get stuck in and assist me – there are some ideal areas on the route for map study and to practise pacing, timings and walking to a compass bearing (another way of keeping our minds off the sheer distance), and I’m always up for nerding out with you on nav. Also, if anyone would like to get some leading experience in at any point, I’ll happily take a back seat for a bit; likewise, if anyone has a burning desire for responsibility as a backmarker, let me know (though we will stay close-knit throughout). If none of this appeals, just (try to) enjoy the experience!
Feel free to contact me with any questions – whether it’s about reassurance on capability/training, kit, or what ales are usually on draught.
Other than that, if you like what you’re seeing and you’re mad enough, get yourself booked on and I’ll see you on 3rd June.
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT POINTS/HIGHLIGHTS ON ROUTE:
- Win Hill trig pillar (462m)
- Hope Cross
- Gritstone edges of Kinder Scout
- Ringing Roger
- Grindslow Knoll
- Woolpacks
- Kinder Low trig pillar (633m)
- Brown Knoll trig pillar (569m)
- Lord’s Seat (550m), Rushup Edge
- Mam Tor trig pillar (517m), Hollins Cross and Lose Hill (Ward’s Piece – 476m)
- Combination of good views, history, nature and geology
- The pub
- The journey and experience
KIT LIST/GEAR (for a full anticipated potential 9 to 12 hour day on the hills, not exhaustive):
- the usual (ESSENTIAL: walking boots/trail shoes, day sack with waterproofs, warm layers (it's summer in England so the chances are it will rain), hat/gloves/buff, PLENTY food & especially water, personal medication etc; if you have a small first aid kit please bring it to reinforce mine; sun block)
- plus, please pack a headtorch with spare batteries. It’s one of the longest days of the year, so I don’t anticipate needing them, but stranger things have happened and they don’t weigh anything or take up much space.
- recommendable: sunhat and glasses; water purification tablets or filter to fill up using streams; a spare pair of socks and talc powder - it may sound strange, but this has been a game-changer for me and my teammates on long-distance events in the past, and a bit of freshness can help keep spirits high and maximise your enjoyment of the day.
- optional (but inevitable): bad puns, poorly-angled selfies, The Lord of the Rings references, blister plasters
NOTE: This is but one version of the Edale Skyline. The route can be started from other locations i.e. Castleton or Edale itself, and be done either clockwise or anti-clockwise. You may find variations to the route when researching it – none are right or wrong, just different variations. Our journey on this occasion is planned as above.
Don’t worry if you can’t make this one – you can do it independently or with a guide/outdoor agency, and I intend to revisit this route towards Autumn.
Public transport or car sharing options:
PUBLIC TRANSPORT - there is currently a train service scheduled from Sheffield (departure 07:13, platform 7) to Hope (arrival 07:38). If you intend to come by train, please check that this service is running in the days leading up to the walk to allow time to organise other travel options, should disruption occur.
- It is a 15min walk from Hope train station to the start, but I can facilitate a shuttle run to come grab you (it's a 2 minute drive). Please contact me if you'd prefer this - you'll be doing enough walking already that day!
*CAR SHARES - at this time I can't commit to providing lifts as I may be staying overnight locally, but feel free to ask me as this could change.
If you are in need of a lift, or can offer a lift, please:
- put word out on the Facebook group, and/or
- message me, so that I can co-ordinate if necessary (I'll only signpost with each driver's consent)