Date of walk - 30/08/08
Conditions - cloudy with occasionally sunny spells. This made it pretty hot and muggy when there wasn't a breeze.
Distance - 10.5 miles, 4 hours taken.
Question of the day - Is Brown Knoll muddier than Kinder? We say Yes.
This was a walk we'd planned for ages but not actually got around to doing. So now we did and to cap it all I [censored] up my camera settings without noticing; so the last few pics were very under exposed so I've brightened them as best I could. Still I may be able to retake some of them
even if I feel no need to walk Brown Knoll again.
OS Map is courtesy of Crown Copyright.
This walk was slightly different for us as normally for Kinder Scout we go up Gridsbrooks and down the Ladder. This time we weren't going anywhere near Grindsbrook and unusually were going up the Ladder. Strangely most people seem to come down the Ladder, the reason why I was reminded of.
Still we start by going through Edale village and follow the start of the Pennine Way, with it's very much uppy and downy bits. Still compared the 'The Ladder, breaker of legs and emptier of lungs' (tm)* this is pretty much a 2 mile amble rather than anything too exerting. Still at this point in the valley you did notice the temperature as there was little or no breeze.
Still soon enough we came across our first view of the bikers path up and down 'The Ladder, breaker of legs and emptier of lungs' (tm) *
So soon enough we find ourselves at the foot of the 'The Ladder, breaker of legs and emptier of lungs' (tm)*.
So we start the ascent, walking poles in hand, taking it easy as this is steep and heavy going despite the fairly well maintained path. Jacobs Ladders reputation is well deserves as you start at 360m above sea level, but in a very short distance indeed (300m) you've gained 100m in height, by the very end you're 532m above sea level and have only walked 800m in total.
Near the top there's a nice cairn, but from the very top we headed towards Brown Knoll. Brown Knoll, in the running for Worlds Muddiest place.
Brown Knoll is to the south of Kinder Scout and I expected it to be a fairly dry walk. However the terrain is like a mini version of Kinder scout. Some grassy bits, some eroded paths and peat bogs. Pools of water, so all in all you move 20-30m each side to advance a few meters forwards. Looking back towards Kinder I suspect that Brown Knoll is actually muddier than Kinder but without the views.
This I feel is best illustrated by the trig point, which is surely using some anti-gravity mechanism to stop it sinking.
Still as you get further on it does get grassier, even if it never loses the boot sucking and soaking sections. Still good boots take care of that even if it makes walking less straight forward. Still there is one interesting diversion - the air shaft for the rail tunnel.
After a while though you approach the path alongside Rushup Edge, this being a proper path you almost want to get down and kiss it. Obviously I didn't as that'd be a bit weird.
Rushup Edge is a favourite haunt of Hang / Para gliders so they sky is often thick with them. You also get a lovely view across the remaining ridge to Mam Tor, even if Lords Seat is just a grass hump you do get a nice view. The only downer today was the huge amount of flying ants around, so we abandoned eating here and kept on until Mam Tor (dodgy photos from here on in)
Sated from a nice sit down, some sarnies and Hob [censored] we set off down the other side of Mam Tor towards Hollins Cross. Take a look at the devastated main road we reached Hollins Cross and with that headed down towards Edale.
* Obviously not a real trademark, I just made it up.
© Dazza