Fancy a more challenging walk? This one involves scrambling over rocks on a steep ascent. The views of the undulating landscape are worth every breath.
We parked up at Edale train station. The car park was £4 for the day (you can pay by card or with cash). Apparently there are some public toilets around, but we never found them (so had to make do behind a tree further afield **ahem**).
You leave the car park and turn left down past the shop/cafe (Penny Pot) and then immediately left and follow the road up to Grindsbrook.
Head up along the road into the village. There is a school on your right and another cafe on your left. Follow the sign to Kinder until the road ends. Take the path to the right (denoted by the sign below) which heads down to a bridge where you cross and head up and the start of the trail. The trail is very well looked after and is slabbed for ease.
You can see the path winding its way along the valley and the walk really is quite peaceful. The ascent at this point is quite steady. the slabs start disappearing and you are on a well worn path. You head up quite steeply to a gate and this is where the terrain is a little less unforgiving. You head immediately down to another bridge and then you are walking high up on the right of a stream and you can see it flowing down with the many waterfalls, it really is a beautiful sight.
You will begin to scramble a bit now as you work your way up and you might even cross the stream once or twice.
The last part of the ascent is a grueller. There isn’t any path as such and you will be climbing over rocks. You will also be using your hands as-well as your feet to get to the top. The achievement and the views are spectacular and from there you will follow the ridge around to the right. You can see Mam-Tor from here and the rock formations are something else. Note the one shown below that looks like a crocodile.. We called it crocodile rock (don’t know if that’s official, but it is now)
We stopped for some sandwiches and a drink before heading back down. There are a number of paths leading down and they all meet up. Jacobs ladder is here, but we took the path further along so didn’t descend the steps this time.
All in all a fantastic walk (approximately 6 miles), but not one for the unfit.
