Seeking Winter
After a rollercoaster of a week, I was glad we had booked a weekend in the Peak District, with snow having already fallen and more on the way, it felt like the perfect opportunity to escape and get some amazing photographs.
We set off in the rain on Friday lunchtime bound for the lovely village of Hathersage; we had stayed here before in a dog friendly pub so thought it would be the perfect base for our weekend trip. From here we would have options to hop on and off the train for some of our favourite walks or stay local.
When Saturday morning rolled around, it was still cold and damp; we fortified ourselves with a huge cooked breakfast and coffee before hopping on the train for the 15 minute journey to Edale. We planned to either tackle the Great Ridge or Kinder Scout, depending on how we felt when we got there. It was quiet when we arrived and the sun finally broke through, as Kinder glittered under a blanket of snow, our minds were made up, and we headed to the Pennine Way.
With yet another storm predicted for later that day and with boggy conditions under foot, the path was quiet and we saw very few people as we made our way towards Jacobs Ladder. By now, the wind was blowing fiercely but determined to see some snow, we pressed on. The area around the ladder was beautiful, everywhere we looked there was a dusting of snow glittering in the sunlight. With the clear skies we were able to see all the way to the Great Ridge and beyond. With a deep breath we started up the rocky path of Jacobs Ladder and it was here we found our snow.
It was so quiet and serene as we picked our way through the snow which in some places was quite deep. The air was freezing cold and wind biting, but it was breath-taking. The snow topped Kinder above us looked amazing with brooding dark clouds swirling around it; the storm was definitely on its way. This was our first real experience of hill walking in snow and we both loved it. It felt exhilarating and challenging to be tackling a different terrain and of course the pup loved it.
The views looking back towards the Cloughs and Great Ridge were immense and I couldn’t put my camera away, it was truly beautiful and with no one else around, it felt special, like it was all ours. I could have happily have spent all day just standing there drinking it all in but as we neared ever closer, the wind was really picking up so we ploughed on as quickly as we could through the snow. There were plenty of funny slips and trips which made it all the more fun and we were thankful for both our waterproof boots and trousers.
With the storm clouds rolling in, we decided to take the path along the barren looking Brown Knoll back to Edale and what an adventure that turned out to be. The views stretched out in for miles as we were blown along the snowy path. I love the moors of the Peaks, they always feel so isolated and beautiful and the Brown Knoll didn’t disappoint, there was even a trig point to tag to really make it feel like an achievement. With the cloud descending fast, the snow was swirling and the wind whistling, it was an epic never-ending hike back to the crossroads before heading back down to Edale.
It was a really enjoyable day; we experienced so many different weathers and found the snow which was a bonus. We both said that it was one of our most favourite days out in the Peaks. With clear skies, we were rewarded with some amazing views which I was happy to capture on camera. We wanted to push ourselves and always find Kinder ready to challenge and push us to our extremes.
Feeling weary after our ten plus mile walk, we meandered to the Ramblers Inn near the station, where we bagged a fireside seat for a steaming cuppa to warm us up.
The end of a walk is one of my favourite times, where you can look back at the photographs, talk about the ups and downs and feel that good ache in your legs.