Mixed Routes Outdoorsmagic at Edale - Photo Gallery

A meeting of Outdoorsmagic members at Edale in the Peak District on a brilliantly sunny but very cold day. We shared a walk along Rushup Edge to Lord's Seat, onwards to the busy summit of Mam Tor and along the recently paved ridge path to Lose Hill Pike.

The brightness of the sunshine gave us extensive views across the Peak District, all way bright and clear except for the mist that was never far away from Kinder Scout across the valley. The sun didn't provide any warmth on the exposed ridge, it felt definitely autumnal in the bitterly cold wind.

As we retraced our steps back to Hollins Cross and made our way back to Edale there was a shower of cold rain that looked as though it was going to settle in for the rest of the day but it stopped as soon as it started.

A short walk by my standards so I decided to climb Kinder Scout with it being so close and with the visibility being so good again. I climbed up to The Nab and onwards to a mini ridge scramble over strangely shaped, gargoyle-like rocks.

The vast plateau of Kinder Scout is a grouse moor with startled birds keep making their noisy, rather obvious flights to a new hiding place. The weather threatened to catch up with me from time to time but a short hail shower was the worst that I got as the brightness of the day continued into the early evening.

I walked along the edge of the summit overlooking the valley and I was struck by the intriguing comparison between the ancient rocks shaped by thousands of years of natural erosion and the muddy expanses created by a few short years of man made erosion. The worst of the muddy place are now crossed by paved footpaths in order to prevent the total destruction of the moor.

I didn't attempt to reach the summit because darkness wasn't very far away. I descended the clough of Grindsbrook, the steepness of the rocky sides of the stream reminded me very much of Rossett Gill. After the steepness subsided the good path allowed speedy progress and I reached Edale just after six o'clock as the daylight started to go.

Andy Wallace 19th October 2002

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