So a decent break in the weather had coincided with a well earned day off from work and also incidently without my knowledge one of the areas biggest days in the outdoor Calendar, so I had decided to head out to the Derbyshire Peak District to spend some time outdoors and improve my fitness due to being cooped up indoors at work over the past few weeks.
It was the weekend of the Sheffield outdoor city weekender, a weekend packed with fell races, cycling, climbing workshops and all manner of all things outdoors, a great line up of outdoor events, but it meant one thing.....almost nowhere to park!
My original plan was to park up at Curbar Gap then take in the Gritstone Edges of Curbar, Froggatt and Baslow, then on through the Longshaw Estate towards Burbage Bridge, then complete the route in reverse.
As parking was completely at a premium I decided to change my plan and start a little further north at Hathersage and do a completely different route starting at Millstone Edge and walking across Over Owler Tor, Higger Tor then over to Stanedge Edge, before taking a slightly different route back to Hathersage.
After maintaining a brisk pace in the direction of Mother Cap I had covered a fair distance in no time at all by the time I'd reached Over Owler Tor and decided to break out the Jetboil and make a quick brew.
While enjoying a cuppa, I had spied a few spots round about with potential for a brief wild camp.
The whole area isn't really suited to wild camping due to being frequented with a heavy footfall in fair weather and being reasonably close to a couple of roads.
I tend to like my camp spots quite remote and off the beaten track making it necessary at this location a definite pitch late and leave early option only.
The ground was somewhat sodden in places due to recent rainfall and snow thaw, but still didn't impede my pace wearing decent boots and gaiters.
The weather was just a little hazy with almost no breeze meaning that the little warmth the sun was providing wasn't being offset by any windchill at all.
The downside to the weather being what it was, meant that the light wasn't particularly good for photos.
All in all I enjoyed a decent walk in dry weather and covered some ground I hadn't visited in quite some time, so despite a complete change of route on arrival and therefore not having the correct map with me (the White Peak area map just falls short of this area where it moves over to the Dark Peak Map) it had little impact on my enjoyment and became only a minor challenge while trying to plot a route through fields on the way back from Stanage towards Hathersage.
I walked back up the Hathersage road near to where I had started and back to the car near Millstone Edge.
It was the weekend of the Sheffield outdoor city weekender, a weekend packed with fell races, cycling, climbing workshops and all manner of all things outdoors, a great line up of outdoor events, but it meant one thing.....almost nowhere to park!
My original plan was to park up at Curbar Gap then take in the Gritstone Edges of Curbar, Froggatt and Baslow, then on through the Longshaw Estate towards Burbage Bridge, then complete the route in reverse.
As parking was completely at a premium I decided to change my plan and start a little further north at Hathersage and do a completely different route starting at Millstone Edge and walking across Over Owler Tor, Higger Tor then over to Stanedge Edge, before taking a slightly different route back to Hathersage.
After maintaining a brisk pace in the direction of Mother Cap I had covered a fair distance in no time at all by the time I'd reached Over Owler Tor and decided to break out the Jetboil and make a quick brew.
While enjoying a cuppa, I had spied a few spots round about with potential for a brief wild camp.
The whole area isn't really suited to wild camping due to being frequented with a heavy footfall in fair weather and being reasonably close to a couple of roads.
I tend to like my camp spots quite remote and off the beaten track making it necessary at this location a definite pitch late and leave early option only.
The ground was somewhat sodden in places due to recent rainfall and snow thaw, but still didn't impede my pace wearing decent boots and gaiters.
The weather was just a little hazy with almost no breeze meaning that the little warmth the sun was providing wasn't being offset by any windchill at all.
The downside to the weather being what it was, meant that the light wasn't particularly good for photos.
All in all I enjoyed a decent walk in dry weather and covered some ground I hadn't visited in quite some time, so despite a complete change of route on arrival and therefore not having the correct map with me (the White Peak area map just falls short of this area where it moves over to the Dark Peak Map) it had little impact on my enjoyment and became only a minor challenge while trying to plot a route through fields on the way back from Stanage towards Hathersage.
I walked back up the Hathersage road near to where I had started and back to the car near Millstone Edge.
Up above Millstone Edge
Mother Cap just in the distance.
Over Owler Tor.
Unfinished Millstone, abandoned by the Industry and the plateau of Higger Tor in the distance.
View over Hathersage Moor and Carl's Wark Hill Fort
A lot of activity on Stanage Edge.
Paragliders taking off from Stanage Edge.
View of Burbage Rocks from near Higger Tor.
Another tight spot to be explored
The last patch of snow left from the week before
Leadmill Bridge, Hathersage.