Stanage Edge

Oh dear, I hope I'm not going to bore the pants off you with another walk, if you don't want to see it look away now, ha ha. Today was lovely and sunny so I got myself sorted, made my pack up, and set off for Hathersage in derbyshire. I have been there before but wanted to try another walk because it is so lovely there. I arrived at 11am and parked near the church. I wanted to explore Stanage Edge, a line of craggy rocks high up, with great views.

There seemed to be quite a few walkers about, that's not a good sign, I like to wander off on my own, just me and my map. Not a lot of snow left, except for up on the hills where it was frozen hard. It wasn't long before I had to stop and strip off, I always start with too many clothes on then get a sweat on when I am climbing. I had a pair of lightweight trousers on and underneath a pair of jog bottoms, and under that a pair of leggins. Well the leggins had to come off, and of course I had to take my boots off for that, so there's me hopping around in the woods hoping no one comes along. I had just finished when one man and his dog strolled by.

I came to a wood called Dennis Knoll, there is a car park there, and I looked up the track towards Stanage Edge, it was like the M1 motorway I had just driven on, there was that many people they needed traffic lights. I decided to go in the other direction and look for another path across the moors and meet the Edge a bit further up. I found the stile ok, the path wasn't very obvious so I hoped I was going in the right direction. I got to a disused quarry, it must have closed many years ago because mother nature had been reclaiming the land. The view was fantastic, very difficult to take a photo though because half of it was in the shade. It was a lovely spot to have lunch, it feels very spiritual when you are by yourself amongst the massive rocks, and the erm....sheep droppings, ha ha.

I set off in the direction I thought was right, but there was no sign of a path. I decided to go back to the road because I didn't want them to have to get mountain rescue out for me if I was still up there after dark. I went back to Dennis Knoll, not quite so many people about now so I set off towards the Edge. Here are a few snaps.

Through the gate into The Warren

The wooden bridge over the stream

The disused quarry

Can you see me waving to you

Climbing up to the Edge

You can see the Edge along the skyline

The path is under the snow at this point

The view from the top

It's a popular spot for climbers

It looks like you could push this rock off the edge

This is on the top of Stanage Edge

Another view from the top, it doesn't look very steep but it is a sheer drop.

The path is very well worn, many cyclists, runners, and walkers use it. I actually prefer to get off the beaten track, but I need to improve my map reading skills for that. There are a lot more places you can walk now, and some of them are not very obvious, you need a map and a compass to explore them. The scenery on our island is wonderful, so much to see and so little time.