Stanage Edge from Hathersage

I'd been thinking of buying a pair of winter-capable mountaineering boots for a while to replace my ancient pair of Scarpa Fitzroys. These are a great pair of winter mountaineering boots but compare to current offerings, they weight a lot more – on of them weight sabout as much as a pair of modern boots.
“Outside”, the gear shop in Hathersage was having a sale of Scarpa and several other makes at 20% off today and as I was interested in looking at a pair of Scarpa Mantas, I suggested to Karen that we have a walk based on Hathersage and I could visit “Outside” first to have a look at some Mantas.
So, we drove over to Hathersage and arrived just before opening time at 09:30. As the shop across the road, “CCC Outdoors”, was already open, we had a quick look around there first.
Returning to “Outside”, we went I just as the doors had been unlocked and I tried on a pair of Scarpa Manta boots which seemed to fit quite well and were very comfortable, at least while I tried them out in the shop. So, I decided to buy them.
As the Manatas would be worn mainly in winter, I would be sometimes by wearing crampons. Of course the set of crampons I have, an old pair made by Grivel, wouldn't fit the Mantas as they are a “clip-on” type and have a wire “bail” at the front, so depend on the boot to have a lip at the front and the rear. While the old Scarpa Fitzroys I have doe have these, the Scarpa Mantas only have a lip at the back.
This meant buying another set of crampons! Luckily the sort I was interested in, also made by Grivel (“Air Tech NewMatics) were also in the 20% off sale.
Once the purchases were made. Karen and I went upstairs to the café for breakfast.
After breakfast, we returned to the car to drop off our new goodies (I bought Karen a Rab PowerStretch top in CCC Outdoors) and get our boots and rucksacks.
There was very little of the recent snow as we left the centre of Hathersage by following a lane from the main road, then along a signed footpath leading to the village church. After a quick look at “Little John's Grave” (Robin Hood's right-hand man Little John reputedly came from Hathersage) we continued on through the churchyard and onto another lane. Leaving this second lane, we followed the route as it rose through a wooded area then through a door with a stone surround in a fence to follow a curving ancient track which brought us to a farmyard.

Hathersage Churchyard

Hathersage Church

A 'Grotesque' on the Church

Little John's Grave

It wasn't clear where the public right of way was routed so we followed a tractor trail to a drive leading to where we wanted to be: the minor road leading from Hathersage up to the gritstone crag of Stanage Edge.
Following the road led to the parking area at the “popular end” of Stanage Edge and the path leading from the car parking area up onto the path leading along the top of the crag.
I know Stanage Edge very well after spending many days climbing there in the past, but I have never walked there before.
There were some climbers making the best of the milder and sunny conditions, plus the lack of deep snow impeding the drive to the crag, and quite a few other walkers. With views across to the Hope Valley in the distance and the remains of snow, we followed along the top of the crag and found a seat on a boulder which was in a sheltered spot. Even though it was a lovely clear and sunny day, there was a cold wind blowing, so it was nice to have a sheltered spot to eat lunch.

The 3 1/2 Miles of Stanage Edge stretching into the distance

Climbers on one of the hundreds of climbing routes

Some remaining snow

While we were eating our lunch, my mobile phone rang and I found it was Steve White of the Orpheus Caving Club who was asking me to pass on the message that he was unable to get to tonight's Orpheus CC Christmas Dinner as he had to work during the day, and as he lives in Essex, he wouldn't be able to make it.
After lunch was finished we continued along the crag-top path until we reached a path which led down to our left which had a bit of snow at the start but we were soon following well-worn gritstone slabs. The path led to another car parking area near the North Lees campsite and, after crossing the minor road, we followed a path leading us towards the impressive house of Brookfield Manor.

Part of Brookfield Manor

There's a tarmac track leading from the Manor which ended at another minor road close to the centre of Hathersage and we were son back at our starting point.

Karen on stepping stones at a ford

After a few hours at home, we drove to the Orpheus CC Cottage at Parsley Hay to join the others for Christmas Dinner at The Duke of York pub a few miles up the A515 towards Buxton.