Length of route: 8.3 miles
Map: OS Explorer Map (1:25 000) – OL1 The Peak District (Dark Peak area)
Time: 4 hours
Ascent: 574 m/1884 ft
Difficulty: Rocky terrain/steep in places
Start/finish point: Main car park at Edale (SK124853)
Trig point: Kinder Low at 633 m (SK079871)

Route information: This is a very strenuous walk, but one of the most rewarding in the Peak District, passing spectacular rock formations, streams and viewpoints. As with any walk on Kinder, I made sure that I took with me a compass, a map, sturdy shoes and waterproofs as the weather can turn for the worse at any time.

Parking is available in the main car park at Edale and from there I took the path to the left of the toilets which leads to the only road to the village. Turning right onto the road and continuing along it, I kept to the left of The Old Nag’s Head pub. The road turns into a track, following signs for Grindsbrook and the route eventually takes a path to the right of a private drive. It then heads down the steps and crosses the bridge, joining a man-made path at the other side of the valley. The next step involved heading along this path and going through a gate that leads through a small wood and then out of the gate at the far side of it. I crossed the stream and continued along the path as it followed the right hand side of the river. A sheer cliff face eventually appears on the right, and this marks the spot when I had to carefully cross the river using the rocks and continue on the left hand side of it towards the top of the Kinder Plateau. Close to the top, the rocky river bed forks in two and then I headed to the left. I could now see a path straight in front of me as I emerged onto the top at grid reference SK105 872. I took this stone path. As I followed this route along the edge of Kinder Scout I passed some incredible rock formations and enjoyed views to the south over the Peak District.

The path heads into a dip and crosses a stream, where I picked it up after the steep climb on the other side. Keeping to the main path and following the rocks, I went in a westerly direction. This path eventually brought me to a large cairn (SK079865), where I took a path which almost doubled back on me up the hill to the right, and headed towards a collection of large rocks. Going past these rocks and entering a clearing I was able to see the trigpoint. After reaching it, I retraced my steps back to the cairn, turning right onto the original path. Soon after, at SK079864, I took a path off to the left, heading down the hill to a cross roads, where I turned left again. Heading down the path until reaching a cairn at SK086862, I followed a path heading left down Jacobs Ladder. At the bottom, I crossed the footbridge over the river, heading through the gate and entering the National Trust land of Lee Farm, carrying along the path. Clearing a couple of styles and at SK102852, I took a path off the road to the left towards Upper Booth Farm and Edale. Turning right out of the farm courtyard, I then immediately turned left and then right, following signs for Edale along the Pennine Way. I kept following the signs for Edale across the fields, heading over styles and through gates. When reaching Edale, I turned right onto the road and continued until just after the railway bridge, where a path to the left heads back into the car park.

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