Winter Walking Weekend

Last weekend I ran my first Winter Walking Weekend. These are open weekends where I plan guided walks for people - mini hiking holidays in the Peak District National Park. People can walk on both days or just one of the two. The idea is to get out whatever the weather and experience the joys of the UK winter. Sometimes I think that we can hibernate away these months when, in truth, it's a treat to get out, even when the winds bluster, the snow stings and the mud clings.
Last weekend we had good weather.

On Kinder Scout

On Saturday we took the train to Edale and as we got there the clouds began to thin. This walk began with a stiff climb to reach the edge of Kinder Scout's plateau. There was no hurry here, just a steady upward plod while the sky gradually brightened. After following the path eastwards the sun came out and temperatures became spring-like. There was hardly any wind and we took the opportunity to sit for a while in the heather and look out over the Edale Valley.

Crossing Crookstone Moor

Soon enough it was time to move off, for Crookstone Moor and the descent to Hope Cross and a welcome lunch break.

Heading for Hope Cross

From here there's a gentle steady climb over the next 4 kilometres to reach the sharp peak and excellent viewpoint of Win Hill.

Win Hill is one of the best viewpoints hereabouts

 We turned back on ourselves after that dropping down steeply at first to Hope and its railway station.
On Sunday the cloud set heavy on the high ground first thing, and it didn't clear until after lunch. In Hathersage we passed by Little John's Grave and climbed up towards North Lees Hall, the inspiration for Charlotte Bronte's Thornfield Hall, the home of Mr Rochester in "Jane Eyre".
She writes, "Leaning over the battlements and looking far down, I surveyed the grounds laid out like a map: the bright and velvet lawn closely girdling the grey base of the mansion; the field, wide as a park, dotted with its ancient timber; the wood, dun and sere, divided by a path visibly overgrown, greener with moss than the trees were with foliage."
Our climb continued up the steepening ground eventually following an old packhorse route to gain Stanage Edge. The wind blew colder here and the cloud was damp, and hugged the ground - no views yet. So we followed the edge southwards and I was surprised, seeing the occasional rock climber with more dedication than I would have in such conditions.

On Higgar Tor

 We left the edge at its southernmost point and headed across to Higgar Tor, dropping out below the cloud on this section - so there is a world out there! Higgar was crawling with holidaying families and friends. A child measured his short length, teetering and falling into a peaty mud puddle. He emerged to announce excitedly that he was the Mud Monster - a pretty indisputable claim.
We descended past the Iron Age fort of Carl Wark heading for the more contemporary Longshaw Estate cafe. Coffee and cakes were consumed before walking down towards Padley Gorge and Lawrencefield. Up the old hollow way to look down into the quarry before dropping down, past the abandoned millstones to Hathersage, our start and finish point.