Sunday 22 May 2016

Last Weekend - Kinder Plateau

Last sunday, myself and Bob set out to carry out a task we had both been meaning to do for a long time - complete the full boundary of the Kinder Plateau!

This totalled about 20 miles


In a change from our normal routine, we started from Hayfield, and went up onto Kinder via the reservoir instead of up Jacobs Ladder. Whilst not really any less tiring, it was certainly more scenic. Some wonderful views to be had.


It soon however became closed in as we ascended up the valley. Very few walkers about but several fell runners stopped for a chat and a moments rest with us



Once up the mountain, Bob started a bit of SOTA. We had also decided that on this walk we would go back to basics and use map and compass, including giving each other navigation exercises, just to keep the essential skills sharp. This proved to be great fun, even if the walking wasnt!



It soon became quite clear why so few people ever walk the north side of the plateau! Its barren, rocky, and hard going, with no easy escape routes should the weather turn. Luckily for us it was great 'T-shirt tabbing' weather!

For now, i'll let the photos speak for me -













About six hours later, and after a debate as to the position of what I thought was an imaginary trig pillar that only existed in Bobs mind, but turned out to be that we were further than I thought and i'd not recognised Edale Rocks, we headed down via Edale Cross



I have a habit of tripping up at some point in the final few miles, and this walk was not to dissapoint on that score, when I went arse over tit into a gully on the descent, and actually got wedged in! Not hurt at all, but so well stuck I couldnt move and needed Bobs help to get up... when he stopped laughing


Finally back at the car park, we discovered that this was the starting point for the Kinder Mass Tresspass in the 1930s, which led to the opening up of land and the creation of the National Parks.



We also discovered that we were quite wrong to have been dismissive of the Met Office warning of a 'moderate' UV index!

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