Photograph Gallery Stage 47 Glossop to Peak Forest
Photograph Gallery Stage 47 Glossop to Peak Forest, Sunday 10th July 2011
The Story:
Todays walk was one of the epics, the end of our Pennine journey, dominated by moor and gritstone to the gentler rolling hills of the Peak District and an entry into Limestone country. Before we reached the white stone though we had one final gritstone hill to negotiate, the ironic range of Kinder Scout.
From Glossop we followed the road out of town and further to gain height along a generous verge before reaching a pub where we took a soft drink break. As we took our drinks on the outside seats we met Sean Michael Tierney who was out cycling. We got chatting and on learning on what I was up to he donated £20 to my charity. Thanks Sean and what’s more thanks for pointing out the site of the Liberator aircraft crash site on Mill Hill which we found and explored. You’re a great guy. Mill Hill, via Burnt Hill took us from the road over moorland was our access path to Kinder Scout which stood majestic and proud on its north facing profile as we crested Mill Hill. First sight of it was another of those WOW moments
The climb onto Kinder was steep, Sharp but short and once up the views if the Kinder range and the west valleys to Hayfield and beyond were stunning. I was rapt by them, Strolling Steve too. On top we followed the path on the west facing plateau to Kinder Downfall, bounding over rocks in places but on a generally good path. One significant change on the walk though was that as before we had been alone we were now among droves of people, some of them in the most fashionable walking gear including a guy in a pair of red gaitors which dazzled Strolling Steve and I. At Kinder Downfall I witnessed an altercation between two elderly ramblers and sheep where the sheep were winning an harassment of who should eat the sandwiches. It was so comical I stood for ages watching the fun while Strolling Steve carried on to Cluther Stones where he stopped for lunch. I stopped to take mine in between the war and his rest point as grit in my boots hindered my progress before walking up to my walking pal to continue our journey. Our next significant point of interest was Kinder Low with its attendant trig point and just after as we started our descent off the moor we heard a youth holding a stone trying to catch the attention of his dad. “Is this sandstone?” “Is this sandstone?” he kept urging while his dad ignored his pleas. Disconsolately the young man disappointedly threw the stone to the ground. Why take a youngster on a walk and not pay him the attention he deserves?
We continued our descent off the last Pennine Way moor and came to another of the walk highlights, descent by Jacobs Ladder. It was steep, we had to be careful but with care we made it safely down. Deed done we continued to Upper Booth and then left the Pennine Way for the last time to head up the Chapel le Frith road to Man Tor before descending from the land of gritstone to the land of limestone. Now Pennine Way was behind us and Limestone Way ahead which we followed on a meandering course through a field with a lazy bull before reconnecting to make our final descent to Peak Forest. (Note – views of the Peak District hills and the Man Tor ridge were fantastic) Before we did we had to crawl through a sheep hole between fields where we were met by a young married couple who were also trying to find the Limestone Way. We identified a route for them, they recompensed by giving us water and an Apple each. Thank you anonymous, I was by now thirsty and hungry. Refuelled we walked into Peak Forest, found the pub, found a campsite and made merry. It was the culmination of a brilliant walking day.
Strolling Steves Daily Statistics:
Scenery: 9/10 – Simply beautiful.
History: 1/10 – Unimportant.
Interest: 7/10 – Over 300 planes and their brave air crew crashed in these hills in WW2.
Track: 7/10 – All terrains, rocky in parts.
Comment: Kinder Scout is up there with the best.
The Photographs:
Unflattering farm sign on the roadside from Glossop to The Grouse Inn
To the moor
Burnt Hill
Wartime wreckage, there are many remains of stricken WW2 aircraft up here
Approaching Kinder Scout from Mill Hill
What a view!
Beautiful shapes
More beautiful shapes
Kinder Downfall
I watched this episode for 10 minutes. The sheep was so persistent harassing the luckless couple
Walking south from Kinder Downfall
Not a bad spot for lunch (and for drying the laundry)
Classic Rock (I'm a subscriber!)
This rock shape shows the layers of time
Another classic rock shape
On Kinder near Red Brook
Rock outcrops on Kinder Low
Strolling Steve at the trigpoint on Kinder Low
The eerie landscape of Kinder Low
Walking from Kinder Low to Edale Rock
Yet another exquisite Caterpillar. Species please?
Cairn between Edale Rock and Jacobs Ladder
Descending from the moor via Jacobs Ladder
Bridge at the bottom of Jacobs Ladder
It's been a long day and its not done yet
Walking from Barber Booth to Mam Tor
Vintage or Veteran?
Which way?
Disused mine adit near Mam Tor
On the Limestone Way at Old Moor
Walking down Oxlow Rake to Old Dam
Bushed
Campsite in Peak Forest
Time for bed