Kinderscout Circular
Kinderscout Circular
Walking with my brother RFM Blue Line
17/05/24
Kinderscout The walk
is the blue line.
A murky Edale at the start of the walk. Full of vigour we
were up for the daunting challenge awaiting us. No one in their right minds
should attempt to circumnavigate Kinderscout without a considerable amount of
walking miles under their belt. Our ages, late 60’s early 70’s, makes this
doubly important. This is not an easy challenge but we, intrepid
brothers, were prepared.
The first challenge was finding the path to Woodhouse farm
which we blithely missed whilst discussing the end of season football
situation. Peter points the way in the photo with his trusty stick to the faint
path that we had not seen. On a walk of this magnitude it’s not a good idea to
lose the way. We follow the OS map but because we were convivially conversing
we had neglected to look at the map on our phones until we were about a quarter
mile past the turn off. Oh well just another half mile to the walk as we
retraced our steps to the correct path.
The view of Edale from just above Woodhouse farm shows the
path on the right but doesn’t really do justice to the acute slope of the hill.
The weather, warmish with low clouds gave the valley an interesting misty atmosphere,
the narrowness of the valley concentrating the effect. The iconic hills (Mam
Tor, Lose hill etc.) felt close enough to touch.
The long, grassy, lung-busting climb straight up the
hillside rewarded us with a Turneresque view of Lose Hill from this step
halfway up the climb.
We attempted to reunite a lamb with its mum separated by a
wall. The baaing mum was heading up the hill away from the silent lamb that was
apparently stuck next to the wall in a boggy area. We dropped our rucksacks on
the vicious slope and went back down to try to get the lamb over the wall. We
failed miserably to catch the lamb. When we left, the sheep and lamb were
heading down the slope on opposite sides of the wall, baaing and bleating,
towards the gate, which the lamb alone could get through so hopefully they were
reunited. Our act of kindness was probably unnecessary but our motive was good.
The final scramble to the top of the crag was a bit hands and knees on the
floor and stretching and grabbing of heather and rock but was doable with care.
The heavy back packs made it more difficult restricting our aging agility.
We reached the druids stone and began our circumnavigation
of the plateau.
The anticlockwise route around Kinderscout goes around this
formation of rocks known as “Madwoman’s Stones”. I am sure there is a perfectly
good myth or fact surrounding the name but we like to think that it was the original
OS mapper talking to the local farmer who when asked what the name of these
rocks were said “It’s the madwomans stones” as the first thought that came into
his head, probably chuckling to himself. Actually whenever we come across any
unusually named feature we tend to blame the mischievous mythical farmer and
the gullible OS surveyor rather than bother looking for the truth.
The path meanders around the edge known as Blackden Edge and
is at all times precipitous and green. The oft worn phrase “not for the faint
hearted” springs to mind as this route is quite vertiginous.
The underfoot conditions are worth noting as they vary from
muddy to deeply peaty cloyingly sticking to your boots to stoney hurting the soles
of your feet to bouldery requiring a lot of stretching and jarring of the
joints as you leap from boulder to boulder or have to reach up or drop down
between rocky outcrops. In the really
wet areas you have to plan a route through boggy patches which can involve
quite a detour and also slows down progress. Slipping and plunging into deep
muddy patches is tiring. Don’t underestimate the effect of these conditions
first on your foot health, then on your physical resource and finally on the
speed you can walk.
The view from our lunch stop was rewarding. The low clouds
were gone and it was brighter and sunnier, almost hot. We decided it would be a
good idea to stop reasonably frequently to take a drink rather than dehydrate.
We did this and I found it had a real positive affect upon my stamina.
After passing the sheep posing on the edge of a high cliff
we starting seeing Manchester and Oldham in the far distance.
Seal Edge and The Edge were passed in reasonably good
weather and we started to get views of the Pennine Way at Ashop head. Up to
this point the walk had been a private journey around the escarpment but as we
entered The Edge we started to come across other walkers and runners. It was
actually quite nice to see people after several hours of being alone on top of
the moor.
sEAL
S
The path joined the Pennine Way and we turned left towards
Kinder Low. The familiar Kinder reservoir came into view at the bottom of the
hill. This was a return to a familiar path we had travelled many times
individually or together. The path was better than the rest of the way as many
of the loose stones had been collected into piles. Peter’s comment’s that his
legs were having to get used to some flat surfaces to walk on which we had not
experienced so far on the route. It’s a weird feeling but true that the legs
and feet, used to stretching, jagged edges, soft hollows, jarring and sticking,
complained of being given flat surfaces to walk on. However plenty of boulder
hopping remained on the route to Kinder Low.
By the time we reached Kinder Low for our final coffee and trail
bun (recipe to follow in my blogspace) our physical resources were depleted but
still ok. The weather however was starting to show signs of potential rain.
There were many walkers in this section of all abilities. Most were happy to
exchange greetings and some to chat. A couple of girls intrigued us as they
had climbed Jacobs Ladder and were obviously out of breath so though smiling, found
it hard to greet us. They passed us and we commented, to each other, on their
mild distress and how climbing the ladder was an achievement in itself. They came
back to us when we were getting ready to depart and asked us for directions.
They were navigating using a leaflet and looking for Crowden Tower. Bless them
they had actually come a little too high so we showed them how to cut the corner
and get back on the path to Crowden Tower. They asked where the tower was so
Peter indicated the path and the pile of rocks that is Crowden Tower. There
expression showed all too clearly that they thought the tower would be a man-made
object and not a stony stack. As we left them and walked towards the Edale Rocks
we were both doubly impressed with their achievement. Good on yer girls.
After passing a posing sheep at Edale Rocks we descended the
ladder.
It is a long way down on rough stone and is very unpleasant
walking but at least it is relatively quick. We passed 2 lambs bleating for
their mum but wisely on this occasion let them sort themselves out.
The final stretch at the bottom of the hill went through
Upper Booth, Barber Booth and along the rail line before reaching Edale
carpark. My physical resources were pretty much spent and I neglected to take
any more photos. I rallied towards the final stage but remain in awe at my older
brother’s stamina.
Writing this the day after our walk I am proud of our achievement
and would recommend the walk as one of the best for views anywhere in the
country but with the warning that it is not a walk for “the faint hearted”.
The walk is 17.53 miles measured by the os app. A total
ascent of 2870 feet and took 8 hours and 38 minutes travelling at 2.03 miles
per hour.
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