Edale Kinder Low Hike National Trust Helicopter

Edale to Kinder Low Circular Hike

Brodie stopped a few feet below me and gave me a look: ‘so, who were you calling old?’ she seemed to be asking. I was picking my way hesitantly down Grindsbrook Clough, a pretty steep rocky path that hugs the brook and wends its way off Kinder Low, back down to Edale, which was not yet visible below us. My right knee and Achilles tendon were both aching a bit so Brodie had to stop every few yards or so to wait for me to catch up with her (she was on the extendable lead so didn’t really have a choice). Jenny was ahead of us and Karl behind, all of us watching out for especially slippy rocks.

We had set off from Edale 4 hours or so earlier, with me wondering if the dog was up to the 5 hours circular walk. The route was about 8 and a bit miles and allowing for some mooching about. There was to be quite a bit of climb via Jacob’s Ladder, along part of the Pennine Way and up to the plateau of Kinder Low and I was concerned that she might find it a bit much. We haven’t had that many ‘proper’ hikes for a while and I’m mindful of the growing amount of time she snoozes during the day and the pace she has slowed down to when out on walks. It’s all relative though and her four legs were better than my two.. she had more energy than me! And I think the scent of sheep and grouse dotted around the misty landscape spurred her on throughout the walk.

The previous time I was up on Kinder Low it was also foggy. Actually Sunday’s walk was in low cloud / mist rather than a foggy pea-souper. That trip years ago really was foggy.. I was with a bunch of other young dad’s, checking out the camping facilities in Edale before we descended with the families for a weekend of outdoors-y-ness. Obviously no checking out was really required – but with Marsden only being an hour or so away, we had decided we’d head over for a walk up on the tops of Kinder Scout and Kinder Low and then hit the pub in the evening, before camping for the night. No creaking knee or Achilles tendon for me in those days. What actually happened was a lot of stumbling about in the thick fog between moonscape rocks before we navigated our way off the plateau and back to an early (pub) tea.

This time around, the rocks of Noe Stool, Crowden Tower et al were unchanged (the time elapsed between visits being close to zero in geological time of course) and the weather was marginally better although not exactly clear skies. It made for an atmospheric hike in any case. And the sun started to burn through around 1.30pm, so we had some clarity of view for the latter leg of the walk.

We had a short boomerang around Kinder Low Trig, to be able to bag three elevations above 600m in one walk. We could have extended the walk to take in Kinder Scout .. but shorter daylight hours and all that. I was surprised to see people (in  jeans on a couple of occasions) still heading up Grindsbrook Clough as we were coming down.

Below is my viewranger route of the walk:

edale hike

And photos from the hike, in route order..

Edale Kinder Low Hike
Starting at the start of the hike.. and the Pennine Way
Edale Kinder Low Hike
Heading up the Pennine Way towards Upper Booth
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
Heading up to Jacob’s ladder
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
The Bridge below Jacob’s Ladder
Edale Kinder Low Hike
On Jacob’s Ladder, I found it a bit of a haul. And Jenny and Karl (pictured) had been back too long from a jaunt to Peru for the oxygen level advantage to help..
Edale Kinder Low Hike
On Jacob’s Ladder
Edale Kinder Low Hike
On Jacob’s Ladder with us entering the low cloud
Edale Kinder Low Hike
Above Jacob’s Ladder
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
Heading into the low clouds above Jacob’s ladder
Edale Kinder Low Hike
Some graffiti 1890’s style (up near Kinder Low trig)
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
Me, get me! not those rocks.
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
The cairn where the path divides towards Kinder Low Trig, the Pennine Way (and Kinder Scout) or along the Kinder Low escarpment / towards Grindsbrook Clough. As big as a roundabout..
Edale Kinder Low Hike
Jenny , Karl, Brodie at Kinder Low Trig Point
Kinder Low Trig GoPro Hike photo
The Peat seems very sparse near the trig.. a really busy area I think.
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
Heading off back towards the Grindsbrook Clough path
Edale Kinder Low Hike
The view from The Kinder Low escarpment before we got into the big rocks proper
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
The start of the Kinder Low rock formations
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
I’m not sure if the rocks are erratics left from the retreat of the last ice age or are part of the bigger gritstone rock mass under the peat and have were shaped by glacial meltwater then the following10,000 winters of high winds and rain?
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
Brodie rock bothering
Edale Kinder Low Hike Rocks
Some of the rocks on Kinder Low are fantastic shapes
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
The view down to Edale
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
The dot behind Jenny was the National Trust helicopter ferrying in bales of what I think was heather for reseeding parts of the bare peat.. or maybe other material for damming up some of the water courses to stop water loss.
Edale Kinder Low Hike National Trust Helicopter
National Trust helicopter bringing in Heather I think
Edale Kinder Low Hike
National Trust helicopter bringing in Heather I think
Kinder Low GoPro Hike photo
Heading down Grindsbrook Clough
Edale Kinder Low Hike Grindsbrook Clough
Looking back up Grindsbrook Clough, on the last leg of the walk back into Edale

4 thoughts on “Edale to Kinder Low Circular Hike”

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