Autumn in the Peaks

Sitting in the car, we watched as the rain pelted the window, welcome to the Peaks we thought. We had been looking forward to an adventure in the Peaks all week after a tough time at work, so were not going to be put off by the rain. Packing our rucksacks and donning our walking boots, we set off from Birchen Clough Bridge into the magical and mysterious Snake Woodland.

With forestry work being carried out, it was a bit of an obstacle course, throw in some heavy rain and muddy conditions and you have a action packed hike that involved lots of slipping, jumping over muddy streams, dodging felled trees and some falling over- all good fun!

Autumn was in full swing as we rambled through the dark woodland, the River Ashop was swollen and wild, filling the air with its thunderous noise whilst lots of bright red mushrooms were dotted around the soft undergrowth, it was a stunning sight. With the damp pine trees filling the air with their scent, there were glimpses of red and orange leaves as some of the other trees turned.

We had hiked here back at the start of the year on a cold, crisp day and once the rain moved on, it turned out to be the same this time. The heather strewn moors had turned a rusty brown that glowed orange in the Autumn sun and the heavy rain had created impressive waterfalls that cascaded down the hills and peaks, it was beautiful.

We had decided to hike along Saukin Ridge, an impressive walk that winds up some impressive moorland, giving you views of the river snaking through the valley below and the moody Kinder Scout in the distance. It was a windy, wet walk, that saw us having to dodge a fair few bogs, but it was so much fun as no one else was around so really felt like we were in the wild.

Hopping over some of the thunderous waterfalls was fun and we watched in awe at they ran all the way down, crashing into the fast running river. The sound of running water filled the air, as did the singing of birds hiding in the forest below, we really did feel like we were away from it all. There wasn’t a single soul around as we continued along the ridge and that made it all the more special, it felt a little ‘wilder’ than some of our usual Peaks hikes, which was perfect.

Rambling along the rocky path, the heather brushing our legs, we finally came to the little wooden bridge that crosses the river here we took a small break to soak up the atmosphere. The sun broke through the dark clouds and bathed the valley in a beautiful golden glow, so we took a moment to appreciate the views. I love the little wooden bridge, there are no sides, so it almost feels like a troll bridge from a fairy tale. Once over the bridge, we followed the route back on the other side.

There is distinct no path on this side other than a trodden grassy path, so it was very boggy in places, it was also a little steep. With the wind whipping my hair and stinging my face, I felt alive and deliriously happy. The views were spectacular as we walked along in the shadow of Kinder above us. After a tough week where I felt a bit disillusioned with work, I was happy to escape to one of my favourite places, losing myself in nature and enjoying all it has to offer was the perfect tonic to a bad week.

There were some bigger, more challenging waterfalls to cross on this side and it was amazing to look up at how far they had come, there is something soothing about the sounds of water, so we took a moment to soak it in and take some photographs. Using some small steppingstones we hopped across and continued to follow the River back in the direction we had come until we came to another bridge, which allowed us to cross back over.

Here we decided to do a bit of scrambling along the river rather than walk back along the busy Snake Road. Hopping and scrambling over rocks, muddy banks and grassy ledges, we headed back towards Snake Woodland. It wasn’t the ‘official’ route, but it made for a more adventurous walk back, the thought of slipping into the icy cold river definitely helped me concentrate. There were a few hairy moments along the way, but we were soon back on safe ground and heading back through the woodland.

By now the dark, moody cloud had rolled in and the woodland was pretty dark, but the only noise again was the river alongside us and the birds hight up in the canopy of the trees. My hands were a bit scratched; my legs ached, and I was damp from the drizzly October rain, but it had been an amazing adventure that was very much needed.

We could have let the rain force us to stay home in the warm but we would have missed those little moments of beauty, where the sun raced across the valley, the excitement of jumping a waterfall or the scrambling alongside a wild river.

It was the perfect Autumnal day in the Peaks.