I’ve got HK Adventuring to thank for this walk, a loop up onto the Kinder Scout plateau and back down into Edale. I should declare an interest: HK Adventuring is run by my son, Hamish. He chose well. There’s a fair bit of clambering over rocks, but the loop is worth it, with good views from the plateau and solid facilities at both ends. The whole thing takes about three hours.
A note on directions: I’ve used What3Words for the locations below. You can look the codes up on the web or in the app. The full route and map are on OS Maps.
Edale to Grinds Brook #
Start and finish in Edale (///narrowest.propose.outdone). Park sensibly and legally on Mary’s Lane. It’s worth a stop at the village shop for snacks before heading off.
Head north along the road and you’ll spot a footpath sign on your right (///canines.micro.palm), crossing Grinds Brook and up onto open field. Follow the path and keep left (///birdcage.sadly.bidder). Don’t be tempted to start climbing yet, that comes later.
The climb #
The path starts tracking a stream and you’ll gain height quickly. Expect a few boulders at first, then the rocks get more demanding and you’ll find yourself crossing from one side of the stream to the other.
This is the hard part. The path more or less runs out, and you make your own way up onto the Kinder Scout plateau. At around ///guarding.prowl.wiggles, follow the stream directly up to the plateau, rejoining a clear path at ///hoot.timed.distorts. Take a breather. The hard part is over.
Along the plateau #
Head east along the path and take in the views. It’s a good spot to stop for that snack from the village shop. From here you can see most of the rest of the route, as well as the ground you’ve just covered.
At ///albums.staple.fails, turn south and start descending, rejoining the outbound path at the Grinds Brook crossing (///sing.sofas.modest). Follow the same route back down into the village.
We finished at the Old Nag’s Head, a popular walkers’ pub, for some welcome hot food. A satisfying end to a really good walk.
