Navigation on Rudd Hill

I got out last Sunday with Mark for some navigation practice; he's shaping up for his Winter Mountain Leader Assessment in March and wanted to take the opportunity for a couple of hours work with map and compass.
As it happened conditions were pretty much perfect. There was a damp hill fog across the moors above Sheffield. We took the Ringinglow Road out past Lady Canning Plantation and parked up near Burbage Moor. The featureless moorland on either side of the road here offers few landmarks; it's a gently undulating blanket of peat covered in heather, moss and rushes. Yellow Nardus grass on the merely damp ground alternates with soft green pools of sphagnum moss in the bogs. The heather grows deep and makes walking difficult, a mild version of the difficulties of walking in deep snow Mark will have on his assessment on the Cairngorms.

We chose a few tiny pond features around Rudd Hill and set off to find them. The method used is to take a bearing using the compass from your known position to your destination, then keep track of your paces to know how far you've walked. On difficult walking terrain its hard to keep on your bearing, and hard to be accurate for the number of paces taken to walk each 100metres; it's even harder when the hill fog means you can't see more than 40 metres around. The challenge is to walk some hundreds of metres to find the correct pond in the midst of the moor. He hit every point, bang on.
We spent two hours happily walking about; Mark concentrating and doing the navigating, and me just having a nice wander. Strangely, I enjoy the intimate moorland landscape under these conditions. In the absence of wider views you're left with a close micro landscape and are much more aware of what's at your feet.

Winter Walking Weekends around Hathersage and the Hope Valley

In early 2017 I'm offering guided Winter Walking Weekends in the Eastern Peak District, based in Hathersage. I'll be offering suggestions about travel and accommodation, then meeting my groups on Saturday and Sunday mornings to go for a whatever-the-weather walk. The choice of route will depend on the weather but here are some ideas of what is possible. Contact me directly if you're inspired or leave me a comment on this blog so I can get back to you.

Map of the area

Hathersage lies at the heart of the Eastern Peak District, about 16 kilometres from Sheffield on the Sheffield/Manchester Railway line. It's an ideal centre for walking with the hills rising above the valley shales to crests of dramatic bare gritstone. There is a fantastic net of footpaths woven through the valleys and over the high moors. The views are wide, across to the whaleback of Kinder Scout in the west and over the limestone White Peak, southwards.
Using the railway, it's easy to hop on for a couple of stops, either from Sheffield or from Hathersage, alighting to begin a walk from Edale, Grindleford or Hope Stations.

The Hope Valley in perfect winter weather

From Hathersage

From the wealth of walks starting in Hathersage my highlight would be the circular walk via the ghostly birchwoods of the old Bolehill Quarries over Owler Tor to reach, firstly, the Burbage Valley. Passing Higgar Tor we move on to walk the crest of Stanage Edge, the queen of the Derbyshire gritstone edges. Resisting the temptation to join the climbers, we drop back down southwards following the brook that tumbles back to Hathersage.

Stanage Edge, peerless gritstone rock

 Alternatively, take a different route, eastwards out of Hathersage to cross Higgar Tor and explore the breadth of the Burbage Valley passing via the Iron Age fort of Carls Wark and the Longshaw Estate (regional headquarters of the National Trust) and its visitor centre (good tea and cake). Finally, follow Padley Brook as it tumbles down its oak woodland gorge to join the Derwent. Our walk ends at Grindleford Station.

From Edale Station

Southwards there is the dramatic Iron Age fort on the summit of Mam Tor and the switchback ridge to Losehill above Castleton. This easy but airy grassy ridge divides the valley of Edale from that of Hope. From Losehill summit we turn down the hill to finish in Hope.

From Back Tor along the ridge towards Mam Tor

North of Edale rises Kinder Scout and a choice of paths – you can explore the Kinder Plateau taking in the summit of Kinder and Kinder Downfall looping back the finish where you started or, heading east you skirt the southern Edge of the plateau to reach the fine vantage point of Win Hill and back down to Hope Station. Both are high moorland walks in a unique landscape of rock and peat hags. This is as close as England gets to a wilderness. Gaiters are highly recommended.

The lower slopes of Kinder Scout

From Hope Station

Walking southwards takes you past Navio, the old Roman fort and up onto Shatton Moor. From here, crossing the moor eastwards brings you down through quiet valleys, eventually back to Hathersage
 Northwards from Hope leads up over the shoulder of Win Hill to the foot of the Ladybower Reservoir. Cross the dam and climb the slope that faces you, over the grit-sharp Bamford Edge and across to take in North Lees Hall (model for Thornfield Hall from Charlotte Bronte's “Jane Eyre”). It's all downhill from here, to the welcoming cafés and outdoor gear shops of Hathersage.

From Bamford Edge looking up the Hope Valley

From Grindleford Station

Another favourite of mine is the scenic and varied walk that climbs out of the tree-lined Derwent Valley to reach and follow the moor of White Edge. This route then turns back northwards to follow first Curbar, then Froggatt Edges before dropping down, past the historic Chequers pub to follow the river Derwent back to Grindleford.

Froggatt Pinnacle, looking over the Derwent Valley