Being a fan of gritstone edges, and having graduated on Dovestones
(Saddleworth), Taxal Edge, a full circuit of Kinder, and the
Baslow/Curbar/Froggat edges more recently, I had a go at Stanage last
Sunday.
Started from Hathersage in pouring rain, out came the recently reproofed
jacket. Minus the zipper handle thing, probably somewhere in the depths of
the washing machine. Cold, wet, windy day, and my jacket's broke.
Hathersage's convenience store came to the rescue with a pack of safety
pins.
A short trek across the muddy fields brought us below the edge at Jacob's
Ladder where we turned north and walked below the edge until it petered out
at Stanage End, some marvellous scenery including the millstones ("ooh
bring one home, it'll look nice in the living room", said the neighbour
later, probably not thinking how you would get a millstone home), which
then got even better when we clambered on to the edge itself to walk
southwards along its length. By now the rain had stopped and the sun was
shining through onto the Hope Valley, Kinder and its neighbours.
Stanage was a lot quieter than I expected, except for the almost constant
stream of landrovers crossing the track to Redmires Reservoir, and the
grouse which would explode up out of nowhere every now and then. It wasn't
until the far end we met some groups of climbers, then we crossed the
Ringinglow road onto Burbage Edge, back to peace and quiet again.
After Burbage we crossed the valley to Higger Tor, visited in less than
ideal weather last year after Froggatt Edge. This time the sun was starting
to disappear behind Mam Tor (or thereabouts!) so we got a move on down to
the Ringinglow road again, and walked the last mile into lit-up Hathersage
in the dark.
It's days like that I love winter!
Oh and next Sunday we're off to the Roaches for more of the same.