Leaving Karen at home were she was planning a lazy day, I parked in the layby next to the gate to the path leading past Windy Knoll towards Rowter Farm. There was some sort of running event is progress with runners trotting along the muddy path from Rowter Farm and then up towards Mam Nick.
I changed into my walking boots and also followed the same route heading for Mam Nick, but I went through the gate to the steps leading up to the top of Mam Tor while the runners followed the road through the Nick.
I was soon surrounded by mist as I walked up the steps as I headed towards the trig point in Mam Tor's summit. Passing the trig point I followed the path along the ridge as it descended the continuation of the ridge in the light drizzle and mist.
I was passed by other runners and also mountain bikers (the ridge top path along this section of the ridge is classified as a bridleway) on the rather narrow stone-surface path until I arrived at Hollins Cross where another path rises from Edale to cross the ridge and drop down to Castleton. This was the route taken by the inhabitants of Edale in the distant past to take the dead over to Castleton as Edale had no church at the time.
I sat on a grassy step by the gate in the fence at Hollins Cross to have some tea from my flask. Some walkers nearby came over and asked “is this the way the 'Circular Route' goes”. I explained there was no actual named rout but there were plenty of footpaths if they wanted to follow a circular route. It seemed they had parked near Odin Mine and were making their way along the ridge planning to somehow get back to their starting point. I pointed out the directions to Back Tor and Mam Tor and they seemed happy with that.
I finished my tea and then dropped down from the ridge and out of the mist heading for Castleton. This time I met a couple as they were coming up and the bloke asked “had I turned around to come back down as I'd had enough?”. I answered that no, I hadn't come up this way so I wasn't turning around!
Anyway. I reached the lane leading into Castleton village and walked to the village square and sat on the bench circling a tree by the war memorial and had a flapjack and more tea from my flask.
Having finished my lunch, I left via Cave Dale and eventually reached the track passing Rowter Farm and the across the road to the path passing Windy Knoll where a paraglider pilot was packing away his paraglider after landing near the path having flown from Rushup Edge above.
The car was the next stop.
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| Misty summit of Mam Tor |
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| Mountain Biker and runners disappearing into the mist |
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| Peveril Castle overlooking Cave Dale |
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| Looking down from the top of Cave Dale |
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| Paraglider landing |
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