On the first week of April I held the last of my guided Winter Walking Weekends (the 'Winter' bit being a touch inaccurate, as the weather became sunny and spring-like as the weekend went along). We were quite a large group, taking the train from Hathersage along to Edale station.
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| Gentle rain over Mam Tor with the ridge to Losehill ahead |
We began in gentle rain, climbing up to the summit of Mam Tor, before taking the switchback ridge over Back Tor and along to Ward's Piece on the top of Losehill.
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| The short steep climb up to Back Tor with a weak rainbow in the Edale valley |
As we walked along a rainbow appeared below Back Tor and the sun was out descending Losehill towards Hope.
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| Descending from Losehill |
After a picnic stop and a welcome coffee and cake stop in Hope village we passed the pinfold leaving Hope behind (story of my life) and took the footpath passing through Navio, the site of a roman fort, and eventually to Bamford where we caught the train back to Hathersage.
Sunday dawned bright and sunny. We left directly from Hathersage passing the village church and the grave of Little John before following the valley up to North Lees. This large house was once visited by Charlotte Bronte when she stayed in Hathersage and is the model for Thornfield Hall (Mr. Rochester's house) in Jane Eyre. Now divided into apartments it looks southwards toward Hathersage from a beautiful and scenic position.
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| North Lees and spring Daffodils |
After a brief stop we continued up past the climbers, bouldering at 'the plantation' to reach Stanage Edge. The hard work now completed there followed a walk along Stanage to it's southern end before crossing Higgar Tor to reach Carl Wark and the remnants of it's Iron Age fort, and then Longshaw Estate with it's welcome cafe and lunchstop.
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| Last ascent to reach Stanage Edge |
And finally we turned back northwards, passing Lawrencefield and Bolehill quarries, with the sunlight fizzing through fantasy birch woods, eventually dropping down to return to our starting point in Hathersage.
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| Sunlight through the woods of Lawrencefield quarry |
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