An Alternative Round of Kinder Scout - 4th July 2012

Distance: 22km Ascent: 990m

It has been commented that I’ve been a little tardy writing up this post – I’m afraid various non hill walking issue have got in the way.  Anyway here goes…

On the previous Friday I got fed up as I’d not been out for a walk since the Challenge.  I’d already arranged for Alistair to pick up Isabel on the Wednesday so I could fit in an evening walk but I decided to take annual leave and go out for the whole day!  As I’d been looking at Classic and Big Walks for backpacking plans I’d already thought it would be good to do the Round of Kinder scout and so a plan was formed.  I mentioned the plan to JJ on Saturday at the Lymm Festival and he decided to join me.  He then suggested Alan who had later been in touch about going for a walk on Wednesday join us.  And so at 8:20 on the Wednesday morning we all met in Manchester station to catch the slow train to Edale.  By the time we arrived at Edale it was already raining so we leaped into the shelter and pulled on waterproof and gaiters to attempt to keep dry on what after the wettest June on record was undoubtedly going to be a very boggy Kinder Scout.

Ready for the off

We set up to go up Grindslow Knoll passing a number of DoE groups enroute.  After a short pull up the hill we emerged into the cloud. 

Cloudy Kinder

 We became heading west towards the Pennine Way.  In all the cloud I felt we were in a scene from Hound of the Baskervilles.  JJ even spotted a teddy bear amongst the rocks. 

Strange rock formations

 We stopped for a quick break around 11ish.  Before continuing onwards through increasingly boggy terrain.  Eventually we reached the Pennine Way and began heading North towards the Downfall.  Shortly after this we stopped for lunch it was still raining but we did spot some blue sky.  We then stayed to walk North again and were rewarded with good views of Kinder Reservoir. 

Kinder reservoir

JJ takes a break

Alan ahead on the path

The Downfall

More interesting rocks

We head turn east along the far side of Kinder.  I’d never been this way before so it was interesting to see how much more remote it felt.    

View from the North edge

The Northern Edge

It was shortly after this that Alan set off at the kind of pace envied by most Olympic athletics or maybe me and JJ just got slow.  Who knows ? But for the rest of the day I largely remember seeing Alan’s silhouette in the distance.  We caught him up at some interesting shaped rocks.

Faces in the rocks

Rock formations

Given the time and very boggy terrain we realised that we weren’t going to compete the full round that day so made the sensible ??? decision to head back across Kinder.  Alan headed off at break neck speed leaving me and JJ to laugh at each other as we fell in the bog and slide down the peak hags we were trying to climb.  Given the tiring nature of the walk JJ shouted to Alan that a break was required and we had a ten minute stop so I could have more Kendal Mintcake.  We set off gain heading South through increasingly boggy terrain.  We weren’t the only people having fun in the mud – we spotted 5 others attempting to extract them selves from the bog.  With Alan in the distance, myself and JJ stuck together so we could assist each other on the numerous occasions we sank up to knee deep! 

Between peak hags

Grey sky

Eventually we all found the path and made speedy progress back to Grinslow Knoll.  I was slightly slow on descend as my knee started to twitch .  However we made it down to Edale around 5:20 just in time to see a train heading to Manchester.  As we did not know the train times back we assume we would have to wait an hour and headed to the pub.

Taking off boggy waterproofs outside the pub

Here we ordered beer and chips.  We then asked about the trains.  They leave at 5:36.  Looking at our watches at was 5:35 we thought we missed it… (we were slightly annoyed so Alan and JJ had another pint to lessen the blow)  The girl gave us the wifi password so I could get online.  The train hadn’t left Sheffield so we continued to watch the trains progress on line whilst drinking beer and eating chips.  After Alan and JJ had managed to fit in another pint and me a half we headed out for the train – which arrived around 18:30.  We eventually all made it in to Manchester at 19:26.  It was a fun day in which I think we all felt we’d properly experience Kinder given we were covered in it’s bog!

JJ's write up is here and Alan's here

Anyway that is the blog almost up to date (well apart from the Lakes Backpack Day 2 and that makes those still writing up their Challenge blog look organised…)  so on to planning my backpack for the Weekend!