A Walk Up Lose Hill

Leaving the car in Hope, we walked along the road leading to Ollerbrook Booth, Grindsbrook Booth and the other villages and hamlets in the Vale of Edale then turned down a side road after a few hundred metres and near the village school followed a Public Footpath leading along a wide track.
This brought us to a junction with another Public Footpath which we had followed before on a previous walk up Lose Hill. Continuing straight on we followed the route through fields then a gradually-rising route which carried us past a lovely barn conversion.
The views across the Hope Valley were extensive despite the somewhat misty conditions and there was still enough snow to cover the ground since the last snow fall a couple of days ago. Since then the temperatures had been below freezing and the snow hadn't melted.
I was wearing the new Scarpa Manta boots I bought last weekend and was pleased to find them very comfortable and very good in the conditions of frozen ground and snow.
Karen was wearing the Kahtoola Microspikes she had bough last year and found them to be excellent.
Soon we were at Ward's Piece and following the gradually-rising stepped path leading up to the summit of Lose Hill. After a look at surrounding views of both the Hope and Edale valleys while standing near the stone-built topograph, we sat in the shelter of the nearby drystone wall as there was a bit of a cold wind blowing, and ate a snack and had a hot drink.

Topograph, Summit of Lose Hill

Continuing on along this section of the Great Ridge which divides the Hope and Edale Valleys, we met the first people we had seen today as we dropped down the steps at Back Tor.

 Back Tor

 Karen looking along the Great Ridge

The Great Ridge with Mam Tor in the distance

A short way further along the Ridge, we stepped over the wooden fence at a stile and then followed the path leading down to the village of Castleton. We had seen very few people about and even Castleton was very quiet. Maybe because of the conditions or the proximity of Christmas with last minute Christmas Shopping.
Popping out into the main road through Castleton at the dog-leg which runs past the Technological Speleological Group's hut, The Old Chapel, we first had a stop at the public loos then returned to the bend and followed the road to the village's Market Place where we sat on the circular bench around a tree in the centre. Here we finished off the rest or our lunch.
Returning to the main road, we turned right and headed back towards Hope but then followed a Public Footpath which leads along the river across fields and the Hope Cement Works mineral railway to bring us to a road leading back into Hope village, where we had started.
Later in the evening we joined fellow cavers living in Winster, Mat and Nikki, in the Miners Standard for a meal and later on a visitation by the Winster Guisers.

A Very Quiet Castleton