We arrived at Edale and after a quick trip to the visitor centre to get a local map we parked up in the car park, changed into boots and coats and headed off up the track. The first thing we noticed was that the weather wasnt all that great, drizzly rain and mist and it was cold.....well it is November so I guess I can let that one slide. The second thing we noticed was that there seemed to be a lot of people. Groups of kids chattering away, some well equipped with all the gear and some in wellies. As walkers we are selfish and do like having the hills to ourselves. If nothing else people get in the way of pictures as the last thing you want is a luminous pink or green or yellow jacketed person interfering with a beautiful view hehe!
The first incline was a tough track up through some rocks beside a trickling river and I definitely found it hard going. I was still suffering from Thursday's BMF class and thigh muscles were burning especially on the incline but as with all hills, its just one foot in front of the other and soon enough we were at the top but not before being nearly mauled by a rogue Alsatian dog. It came right up to me and growled and when its owner caught up and passed he make no acknowledgement at all that his dog had been less than friendly. I know I've said it before and I'll say it again but on steep slippy rocks dogs should not be let loose to run up and down as they please, especially if its a busy route.......ok rant over!
At the top it was like Grand Central Station. Groups of people coming and going in all directions and after a quick check of the GPS we made our way over the path that would ultimately take us towards Kinder Scout and the wide plateau that makes it unique. The path brought us over past some distinctive rocks typical to this area and then to a crossroads with several choices to take.
Up to the left there was an area that had suffered erosion and was being attended to with a new path being created and then straight ahead there was a group that seemed to be climbing through the rocks and to the right there was a path up next to the river which was the one we ultimately chose as the little red arrow on the GPS said so :-).
It was a lovely wander up next to the river. The weather was still bleak and it showed no signs of improving even though the forecast said there would be sun at some point. Ever hopeful we plodded on and soon found ourselves at the edge of a meadow of deep trenches filled with mud. Deep, sticky and unforgiving mud.
Our first thought was to keep heading forwards and get through this area as quickly as possible so with several jumps and detours round the trenches we found that we were making slow progress. Over to the left there was a group that seemed to be making better progress but we knew that the path we needed was over to the right so after much too'ing and fro'ing and jumping around and over the trenches we knew that there was nothing else for it but to run as fast as we could through the mud so that we wouldnt sink as far whilst making our way over to the right. It tested patience as at one point I just couldnt see a way thought and after over an hour and making very little headway it was incredibly frustrating being knee deep at some points in the mud it was a struggle to keep a smile on my face but good god you really did have to laugh our you'd go mental.
Luckily Mr Navigator kept his head and steered me, without comment (thankfully) to the right path and it was a joy to finally see the river path that we should have been on. Hurrah! We'd made it through the mud and could now stop for first lunch as by this time I was really hungry.
As well as the elation of being out of the mud the sun came out and the sky cleared to the bluest of blues apart from a few billowing clouds. Tummies full and spirits lifted we made our way along the river path that would bring us out at the top of the downfall.
The downfall was brilliant. The last time I was here it was frozen but this time it was flowing, albeit not fast but flowing all the same and with the wind of the day quite a bit of it was blowing back and was a superb sight. We made our way down off the path, through the rocks to get a better view and stood for a while mezmerized at the swirling water.
Back up onto the path it was still busy going both ways with people out for the day and we made our way through the rocks, enjoying the views now opening up to the side of us. The next stop on our walk was Kinder Low and the trig point and it would be a mile or so along the edge before we got there.
The trig point was just how I remembered it. A white pillar surrounded by large, round pebble shaped rocks. Rocks smoothed by time and ice into the most spectacular shapes and the trig standing proudly on a pile of these is one of my favorite trig settings (so far).
Obligatory pictures taken we found the path off the top and decided to find a bit of shelter for second lunch. It was about this moment it was noted that I'd been unnaturally whingy all day and not my usual positive cheery self. That mud had a lot to answer for. That coupled with the fact that my nose had run ALL day and I was running out of dry tissues so it was now sore made me just a little bit grumpy.......so the moral to this part of the story is always make sure that you 1. Don't leave your gaiters in the car and 2. That you have enough dry tissues with you to cover all eventualities lol.
Lunch done and the path downwards taken again. It was a beautiful paved path and was taking us towards the next installment in our walk. Jacobs ladder. Jacobs ladder was the last stretch downwards and was a beautifully paved piece of path that wove its way down the hillside towards the bottom taking us off the Kinder range and back on the road towards Edale.
We still had a few miles to go and the light was fading. This coupled with the fact that the rain was starting again make us quicken our steps so that we didnt get caught out by the diminishing light. Through little farms and up paths towards Edale we saw the winding path down the hillside to the right that we'd come down earlier today however this time we could see blue flashing lights coming down it and sure enough a few 100 yards ahead we saw the Mountain rescue team reach a chap wrapped up on the ground in a bivi bag who'd fallen and injured his leg. The blue flashing lights were obviously for him and the rescuers were all in attendance with various pieces of equipment from stretchers to first aid kits and before long they had a tent erected around the injured party and tending to the situation. (we found out later via a google that the poor chap wasnt too badly injured and most likey had sprained his ankle or something similar, so alls well that ends well). No picture of this event as we didn't think it was the done thing to ask the poor injured chap to pose, and anyway the light wasn't that good lol.
After this episode we were back in Edale and it was a short walk down the road back to the car park. We were tired, dirty, a bit damp but we'd had a good day. Yes I was a little bit whingy but what an interested and unexpected walk it turned out to be. I missed my lakes more than you could imagine but our legs got a work out and although we probably wont be back here anytime soon, we will be back as the true top of Kinder is still to be touched........perhaps I'll pack my wellies in my bag next time.......please, please, please let the weather be ok for the Lakes next week :-)
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