Kinder Scout

The Kinder Plateau, viewed from Blackden Brook

Location: SK 085 875

Getting there: There are multiple routes to the plateau from the Edale Valley, the Snake Pass, Glossop and Hayfield, though the plateau itself has few paths crossing it.

Paid parking in Edale. Several lay-bys in the Edale Valley and along the Snake Pass. Parking in Hayfield and Glossop

Height: (highest point, unmarked): 636m

Prominence: 497m

Map: OS Explorer OL1 (The Dark Peak)

The highest summit in the Peak District (if you can find the summit, that is), Kinder Scout packs a mighty punch in terms of scenery and points of interest, and provides the terrain for a range of epic outdoor activities.

Part of Kinder Scout’s allure lies in the fact you can make the ascent as straight-forward or dramatic as you like, from well-defined paths and steps to the summit, to Grade 3 scrambles.

The highest point is unmarked, and although there are attempts from walkers to mark the point with a small cairn, the practice is discouraged, and the cairn is dismantled again. Two trig points are on the plateau - Kinder Low, at 633m (3m below the summit) on the western side, and another towards the east at 590m.

Views from the plateau can be expansive, though due to the undulating nature of the plateau, getting a full 360 panorama can be difficult. As well as the Mam Tor summit and Great Ridge immediately to the south, and Bleaklow to the north, in the distance both the Yorkshire Three Peaks and mountains of Snowdonia can be seen on a clear day.

Historically, there are very few discovered ancient sites on Kinder Scout, with any that were there likely to be buried under the layers of peat hags that dominate the plateau. Recent history is far more interesting. Most famous perhaps is the Mass Trespass in 1932, where three ramblers’ groups from Sheffield and Manchester met for a demonstration to protest the lack of access to the countryside. Faced with fierce opposition from land-owners, several were arrested on the descent, but the event is said to have changed thinking about countryside access, and ultimately led to the formation of the national parks, and (much) later, the right to roam.

There have been numerous plane crashes on the moor, and some wreckage remains, scattered amongst the peat hags. More recently, Kinder Scout has been the scene of a massively successful regeneration project, transforming a bare and eroded ‘moonscape’ in the 80s, to a thriving, diverse ecosystem. Evidence of the project in the form of dams can be found in several places, ensuring the hill continues to hold water and retain its peat effectively. Cessation of the excavation of peat for commercial purposes has also helped the cause.

One of the many millstone grit rock formations on the plateau

As far as natural features go, Kinder Scout hosts a number of impressive rock formations, and gritstone cliffs provide a range of climbing opportunities. The western side of the plateau is home to Kinder Downfall, the tallest waterfall in the Peak District, which due to its position and the strong, prevailing wind, often has its water blown upwards, rather than flowing straight down. Several crags, rock formations and escarpments give plenty more to explore.

Kinder Scout in the Background (and to the right), viewed from the Vale of Edale

There are countless routes to the plateau, some more direct than others. From Edale, you can choose to head west to the popular path via Jacob’s Ladder, passing the landmarks of Edale Cross, and emerging near the Kinder Low trig point. Another popular route from Edale follows Grindsbrook Brook, through Grindsbrook Clough, cumlinating in a steep path to the plateau, which looks significantly more difficult than it actually is from a distance. Or if you’re feeling more adventurous, there are scrambles through Crowden Clough on the Edale side or Blackden Brook and Fairbrook Naze on the northern side, to name just three.

The top of Crowden Clough, one of many approaches to Kinder Scout

Sometimes the most fun can be in finding your own route, deviating from the paths and taking on whichever climb you fancy. There are so many options, and I find something new every visit.