One of my goals for this year was to climb as many mountains as possible. But, as we all know, COVID19 had other ideas. Still, since lockdown lifted, I’ve ventured on several treks – to Seven Sisters, Norfolk, Dartmoor, and now the Peak District.
Something I’ve discovered while writing this account is that a mountain is defined – at least in the UK – as a landform with elevation exceeding 610 m. As such, the walk we did on the Saturday qualifies me to say that I’ve climbed at least one mountain in 2020 – Kinder Scout at 636 m.
Kinder Scout is famous not only for its sweeping views, but also for the Mass Trespass of 1932 by the Young Communist League. Considered one of the most successful acts of civil disobedience in British history, the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass set in motion a chain of events that would eventually lead to the freedom to roam laws we enjoy today.
And enjoy them we did. After spending the night at the Whitehouse Farm Campsite – as an aside, may I just add that, while being a proponent of wild camping generally, there’s something to be said for modern comforts, especially when those comforts include a warm shower after a long day – we headed to Edale to begin the Kinder Scout Walk.
We walked through farmlands and faced down a cow blocking our path, only to stumble during our scramble up Crowden Clough. The stumble in question involved one friend taking an unfortunate misstep into the brook – turns out, being fully submerged in water is an impossible ask of even the best waterproof hiking boots. While we dried her socks and soles in the sun, we took the opportunity to pause for lunch.
Unfortunately, they still weren’t dry by the time we finished our food, so our group split in two. Leaving our friends behind, my partner and I headed for the top. Upon reaching the top, we wandered in circles for a bit before perching on one of the so-called “woolpacks”. Though our friends rejoined us shortly after, we decided to part ways yet again – us intending to extend our route, while they made their way downslope.
This is where map reading skills would’ve come in handy. As we do not possess these skills, we ended up walking around in more circles, though we did see the beautiful Kinder Downfall, the Mermaid Pool, and the Kinder Reservoir, before looping back and making our way down Grindsbrook Clough.
By the time we got to Edale, we were tired and hungry. As luck would have it, we were passing by The Rambler Inn, full of daytrippers awaiting their train from the adjacent station, when we spotted our friends ordering a table outside. Later, fed and rested, we headed back to the campsite.
My partner had the brilliant idea of bringing an inflatable mattress, which we didn’t use on the first night, but made a world of difference on the second night. Within minutes, I was fast asleep. In fact, I attribute my ignorance of the late-night campsite drama entirely to the comfort of this mattress. Apparently, the large group beside us were drinking and partying very late, leading to multiple complaints and one camper driving off with a scream of “fuck you!”
I slept through it all.
The next morning, we headed to Bakewell, where I tried a vegan version of the town’s famous tart. Verdict? If you’re going for the vegan option, give it a miss. My non-vegan friends told me theirs were quite tasty, so perhaps original is best in this regard. We then split up again, with my partner and I heading up the first hill we found (which, coincidentally, ended up taking us exactly where we wanted) and the other couple relaxing by the river.
Meandering through endless fields and down old country roads, we found ourselves in the picture-perfect village of Edensor on our way to Chatsworth House. Unfortunately, idyllic tranquillity can’t last forever, and the village was a hive of activity. Pedestrians, cyclists, bikers, motorists – everyone and their dog (quite literally) was enjoying their last weekend of freedom before the new government restrictions became codified in law.
And so, we turned back to Bakewell, found our friends, and set off for London. As they say, nothing gold can stay.
Swordfoosh 