Paul Richardson accidentally discovers a new way onto Kinder
IF THERE’S A PROBLEM with the Peak District village of Edale as a start point for a day walk, it’s that you are spoilt for choice. It’s the only problem I can think of. Today, with my son Luke, I was heading up Grindsbook Clough to join the track that skirts the southern edge of Kinder Scout before returning to Edale on the Pennine Way.
The scenic splendour of Grindsbrook Clough becomes immediately obvious on leaving the village. The lush mix of heather, ferns and grass stretched away ahead, and we made good progress on the firm path that runs parallel with the brook.
As the track veers
steadily left, the picture postcard feel is replaced with a more rugged beauty, and we were slowed down more by the rock clambering than by the incline. But who wants to rush through a valley like this?
We’d both walked through Grindsbrook Clough before, but not in this direction, and as we got higher and nearer to the edge of Kinder Scout, we agreed that the going seemed noticeably tougher than we remembered. This feeling got stronger the higher we got, until we were harbouring serious doubts about having been here before. Then it clicked. I hadn’t realised there were two tracks up to the top, and I’d inadvertently taken us on the right-hand route without noticing the left-hand track. However, the scrambling was enjoyable and not too difficult, so we carried on and soon made it to the southern lip of Kinder Scout.
The scrambling route had highlighted a reversal in the father-son relationship. At one point, Luke went ahead and waited to give a helping hand to his old dad. Not only did I not mind – I was genuinely grateful. I suppose these things are inevitable.
Passing the rocky outcrop of Crowden Tower, which stands sentry over the ghyll of Crowden Clough as it cuts steeply through the hillside below towards Upper Booth, we were soon heading through the scattering of wild-shaped rocks at Wool Packs.
Just after Edale Head, we made an attempt to visit the highest point of Kinder Scout (it is marked simply by a height of 636m - only 3m more than the trig point at Kinder Low) in the middle of a peat bog. After about 10 minutes of getting nowhere fast, we reluctantly turned back.
Dropping down to meet the Pennine Way seemed easy compared to this rough terrain, and we sauntered steadily eastwards through Upper Booth, then kept with the Pennine Way as it skirted Broadlee-Bank Tor before cutting through fields to deliver us back to Edale. We didn’t make it to the very top of Kinder Scout, but we’d found a new route (albeit accidentally!) and had another great day in these magnificent hills.