Walk Summary
High Level Peak District plateau walk. Gradual ascent up to Kinder Low and then an easy walk along Kinder Scount's edge with tremendous views to the west. View the famous Kinder Downfall and walk upstream to Kinder Gates. Pathless plateau walking to Kinder's north edge. Descend by the scenic William Clough and return to the start passing the Kinder Reservoir.
Date: 10/10/2021
Length: 10 miles
Height Gain: 472 m
Terrain: Light traffic roads, farm tracks, rocky paths, pathless bog, national trail
Navagation: Good navigation skills essential. On a clear/sunny day the route can be fairly obvious. On a misty/snowy day then you need to be confident in your navigation skills.
Start: Car Park near Bowden Bridge on Kinder Road out of Hayfield
Route: Bowden Bridge Car Park, Edale Cross, Kinder Low, Kinder Downfall, Kinder Gates, Fairbrook Naze, William Clough, Kinder Reservoir
Map: OL1 Dark Peak Area
Weather: Morning cloudy, afternoon sunny
Walkers: Nun, Calse and Mo
Gallery
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White Edge - Stag
Captain's Log
Skein Teams
It was cloudy with patchy mist when we set off from the car park. After ten minutes walking we stopped to chat to an elderly local chap out for his walk. When it came to part on our separate ways, he announced as an afterthought, "I'm off to see the White Lady". I was curious as to the nature of the 'White Lady' but I was too polite to ask.
The mist was slow to clear and as we walked, massive skeins of geese passed us overhead. We watched one skein enter a low, misty cloud, which escalated their honking and we were pretty sure they got lost because we saw the same skein coming up the valley, in the same direction, about a minute later.
Kinder Downfall
By the time we had reached the trig on Kinder Low the mist had cleared and the skeins of geese had stopped for a rest. It was a welcome sun with a blue sky that accompanied us northwards on Kinder Scouts western ridge. There was a marvellous view down to Kinder Reservoir and the small Mermaid's Pool. It is said that you can meet the mermaid if you look into the pool on Easter Sunday. It is said that she can grant immortality to anybody who sees her on Easter Eve. I'm not really sure whether that's a good or a bad thing, although I suspect that on most years there would be a disorderly queue formed.
Birchen Edge - Battling Buzzards
Birchen Edge - Nelson's Monument
Kinder Surprise
The rocky Kinder west end eventually reaches the dramatic Kinder downfall. There's normally only a trickle of water running down it. On very, VERY windy westerly winds, the water blows back up into the air back on to the plateau. If you are there on such a day then that is your Kinder Surprise. I've only ever seen this happen once, after dozens of visits over the years (see video 'Kinder Downfall Blowing Up....' Our route now followed the stream into the plateau. After a few minutes we reached the massive boulders on either side of the stream known as the Kinder Gates.
Kinder Scout- North Edge Rock
Kinder's North Edge
It was now a clear, sunny day but I still took a bearing to get us to Fairbrook Clough...you never know with Peak District weather. Navigation is made easier that when partway across you will undoubtedly hit a gully (assuming you are on a correct bearing), that will run into the clough. Once at Fairbrook Clough navigation was much easier in that it basically follows the plateau edge around anti-clockwise. We had our lunch at Fairbrook Naze with brilliant views down the snake valley.
From Fairbrook Naze we walked westwards along Kinder's north edge. There are some amazing rock formations on this stretch of Kinder. Once, in 2020, I was sat on one of these rocks close to the edge, with my back to the head of the valley, looking down into the valley. Suddenly a massive bird flew just below me along the edge, tracked by two crows. It was the Bearded Vulture that took up residence in the Peak District during that summer. With a wingspan of up to 3 metres, it was some sight to behold, especially at such close quarters. Over that summer I had six close encounters with it at different places throughout the Dark Peak. I didn't manage to get a photo on that occasion, but the following one I took at Laddow Rocks gives an indication of its size.
The north edge of Kinder reached the west of Kinder and then we descended the awkward rock steps to the col that is at the head of William Clough
The Bearded Vulture Of 2020
William Clough Waterfall
Kinder Reservoir
William Clough can be a little awkward to descend but we were compensated by the views down the clough and the delightful waterfalls. Those waterfalls led us to Kinder Reservoir over which we could see the valley leading up to Kinder Downfall. At the end of the reservoir we reached the road that leads back to the car park. This stretch always seems a long way to me, but that might just be my tired legs talking. It did give us the opportunity to do a bit of bird spotting in the wooded areas, although alas, we didn't spot a Bearded Vulture.
Kinder Reservoir With Kinder Downfall In The Distance