I’ll be down amongst the heathens and Sassernachs this weekend and thought that Kinder Scout my be a suitable target, weather permitting, for a quick bimble and activation. A look on the map shows 1001 different routes to the top. Not surprising when you consider where it is in relation to the number of people living nearby.
So recommendations of a good way up please as looking at some of the photos on Geograph shows that some routes may require bog snorkeling equipment. Or hoverboots and rocket shorts to keep your feet out of the gloop!
From the A624 across Burnt Hill, Mill Hill (past Liberator wreckage) and along Pennine Way to summit.
From A6124, over top of Cowburn Tunnel, Brown Knoll, join path at top of Jacob’s Ladder, follow Pennine Way to summit.
Park in Barber Booth, road to Upper Booth, then Pennine Way and Jacob’s Ladder to summit.
Park in Edale, then Pennine Way to Upper Booth, Jacob’s Ladder yada, yada, yada.
Hayfield, Williams Clough, Pennine Way, yada, yada, yada.
I realise parking in Edale may be expensive / difficult. But I’ll mug a pensioner (Brian G4ZRP) and get him to pay
After our 3rd driest March (16.4mm) in 143 years of records, it should be relatively dry up there.
With regards to your routes :-
Probably the best route if you are coming from the NW with the advantage of a fairly high start point, decent bacon butty van as well.
A longish walk in to Brown Knoll with hardly any height to gain. If it is wet, this will be the boggiest route.
A popular route, however, the parking spot has a bad reputation for car break-ins if you leave anything in sight. Also it`s a boring 3km walk along a metalled road to the foot of Jacobs Ladder.
Toms normal route, never done it myself but at least a couple of pubs in Edale.
Fairly straight forward route, however half of Manchester use this route on a weekend. Handy though for real ale at the Royal Hotel in Hayfield.
If you fancy a bit of a basic scramble, a favourite of mine is to start in Edale, up Gridsbrook Clough then a very easy scramble up Fox Holes on to the summit. I think this used to be the original Pennine Way route.
Don`t forget they are fencing off great swathes of the plateau for re-seeding & anti erosion work. May be worth a call to the Peak Park or local NT office first.
73.
In reply to MM0FMF:
Hi Andy.I have only been once and I went in via your route 1.It was a longish walk but quite staight forward with a paved path a lot of the way.ATB Geoff
Actually, my favoured route is a circular from Edale. Not Pennine Way to begin, but the old route of the PW behind the pub and up Grindsbrook Booth which is great walking. Then follow the flagged path around the edge of the plateau to the head of Crowden Brook before striking across the peat for the true summit. (Easiest way is just get in a deep peat channel with a water course running through it, and keep following it, ensuring you are ascending at all times!).
True summit to Kinder Low trig point (visible from true summit cairn on a clear day, if not, take a compass bearing). This is all in the AZ, so activate wherever you like along here.
From Kinder Low, just follow new PW route back to Edale. Tea and cakes at Upper Booth is it is open.
Very rare I do a linear up and down on the new PW these days, as much better walks can be had on Kinder than that.
If starting in Edale village, parking is free, but there are only four spaces! You have to get there early to get one! Otherwise you have to park in the big car park, pay for it and walk a mile into Edale village first.
Cheers. Current favourite with me and “champion whiskers” is the route from the Glossop Road. I can smell the bacon butties already and there’s an aircraft wreck to visit. We’ll probably be qrv just on 2m/70cms/23cms FM only but that depends on degree of CBBness there is in setting up for HF when we get there
I’ll be down amongst the heathens and Sassernachs this weekend and
thought that Kinder Scout my be a suitable target, weather permitting,
for a quick bimble and activation.
I’m sure the heathens and Sassernachs will be delighted to give you a shout, Andy
Did it with G1STQ in very early January, took the route past the Liberator wreckage. Bitterly cold day, really earned the winter bonus.
Any idea which day and when you’ll be on yet? I’ll also have 23cm (can do FM, delighted to, any contact is worth getting!), 70cm (shiny new 8-ele built on Tuesday afternoon for yesterday’s balloon tracking) and 2m if needed. I’m heading south to my (original) homeland tomorrow!
Saturday around 1230z is as accurate as I can be right now. Probably try 10m,6m,4m,2m,70cms,23cms. Brian will provide 4m/23cms and I’ll provide the rest. We’ll have DV if anyone asks. EFHW for 10m, J-pole for 2m and “pliable mallards” for the other bands.
Looking at something from Grayrigg Forest,Lambrigg Fell, Hutton Roof Crags for the journey down.
In reply to MM0FMF: Other topics on the reflector have mentioned National Park wardens who are not too happy about people operating radio and sticking pegs in ‘their’ summmit. Operation from eg near Pym Chair (SK088870) has been suggested as an alternative and less visible location.
Never had any problems with wardens on Kinder. Might just be lucky, or it might be that my ‘family activity’ appearance mellows them somewhat. Although now that Jimmy is 18 and as tall as me, I might need to starting hiring some smaller children for SOTA days.
Last year I has a 2m SB3 up on a 4m pole and a cheap tent in which I was doing the Backpackers contest. And the time before was International SOTA Weekend where Sean, Jimmy and myself had something of an antenna farm going.
But they have always seemed genuinely interested in what we were doing, and genuinely supportive of a constructive and purposeful activity.
Andy,
I missed you on Kinder Scout on Saturday. My better half asked me if I had seen the chap with the radio when we were by the trig at Kinder Low. Must pay more attention!
We didn’t go to the true summit. Brian has 12dbYr on me and longish walks can make his joints give him some gyp now. So rather than go to the true summit, we walked up the river bed from Kinder Downfall and then onto the moor. There seemed little point walking all the extra distance as there was no real ascent and I didn’t want to have to carry him back! I haven’t downloaded the GPS log yet but I think we stopped at 615m. Though I remembered it took long enough to get from 610 to 615. It seemed very quiet as there were probably only 200 or so people on it. Most likely the rest were watching the National.
It was an easy walk as even the non-paved peaty parts were quite dry. That was nice and springy to walk on. There didn’t seem to be much climbing either. But the walk did drag on a bit and my feet were feeling the strain on the way back after so long on hard ground and with the unseasonal warmth. We had some very nice fish and chips in Glossop on the way home which capped a good day.
But to be honest, 4pts is generous now the bogs have gone.
