Kinder North

Today was a navigation/long run day. I'm dropped off in the layby opposite the Alport and am heading up onto Kinder's North edge, and making my way back home to Glossop. There's a slight frost on the ground but shorts it is, it's going to get hot once I get into the sun.

Setting off

The first 3km seemed to take an age. There was a bit of faffage setting off due to the lack of footbridge which was marked on the map but not actually there...so a wade across the ford it was. I was glad of my shoe choice at this point, Walsh's, which seem to hold out the water more than INOV8s do. It would have been a shame to have soggy feet only 250m from where I'd been dropped off. Study the map, get round the farm at Upper Ashop and I'm off up the track to Jubilee Cabin.

Jubilee Cabin

Following the clough upwards I pick the line of grouse butts heading south west and eventually find myself at the top...just to the west of Crookstone Knoll...

looking back down to Jubilee Cabin, Upper Ashop Farm and across to the Alport

...and not long after superb views towards the Hope Valley with Win Hill and Lose Hill clearly in sight.

Win Hill and Lose Hill

I'm out to practice navigation so at the end of the grouse butts I take a bearing to Madwoman's Stones...sure enough I can see them under the clear blue sunny sky, but reassuring that my bearing is good.

Madwoman's Stones

From the stones I take another bearing to the trig point at 590m...and before long it comes in to view. Up and over a few groughs and I'm at the trig.

590m trig point

Next its a beeline back to the North edge path. I've done about 4km and it's taken an hour. At this pace I'll be out about 5 hours. That's a long time. So I pick up the pace and trundle along the edge path, dodging in and out of the various rock formations.

Looking west towards Blackden Clough

Past Blackden, over to Fairbrook, and suddenly getting home seems like it's not very far away. Nearly 9km and I've been moving about 2 hours.

Mushroom Stone at Fairbrook Naze

I say moving, there's been a fair bit of stopping to study the map, take bearings on features and generally have a good look around. It'd be a shame to rush too much on such a glorious day.

Spot the grouse

With the exception of a few workers building a new fence near Fairbrook Naze it was just me, a couple of sheep and several dozen grouse on the hill this morning.

The Edge, looking West

Past Nether Red Brook and Upper Red Brook and a few other unnamed groughs and before you know it I'm stashing the map back in my bag as I'm heading down to Mill Hill and onto ground I know fairly well. Good enough not to need the map anyway.

Looking back East to Kinder

At the Liberator plane wreck (no photo sorry, battery had run out!) I pick up a small trod and head vaguely Northwest to either pass by Chunal Cabin, or as I did, miss it and skirt the edge of Bray Clough. Over the wall and I'm onto the track down to Derbyshire Level. Quick watch check. It's coming up to 2hrs 50mins time lapsed....to push myself I think about the 3hr score event I've got coming up in April...and imagine that Derbyshire Level is the finish line. It forces me to push on down the hill, pushing myself that bit harder to run faster and stop getting distracted by the hot spots on my big toes that has been developing for the last half hour or so. I reach the road, about 1.3km from the top of the track and I've got just under 2 mins to spare. Lovely.

Now it's a short walk to catch my breath then a trot back along the road to home. I get back in 3:09, and have covered 17.35km. My average pace was 10:54, not as quick as I could ahve run the same route, but very respectable. There were times on the edge path where it undulates that I know I could have pushed myself harder.With less gear on me, less water, and a whole lot less navigation I'm pretty sure I could knock a good 30-45mins off the time. Perhaps I'll repeat the route in a few months to see.

Oh....what happened to my legs...?

Burnt heather scratches from bashing across Chunal Moor, that's what!!

If you're interested in seeing where I ran, and the stats, here's the garmin track. So far I've not found any blisters despite my big toes both feeling like they had them coming...I've just got a few tender spots which will heal in a day or so. All in all, a great morning out, made even better by returning back to home baked hot cross buns - thanks Tim (practicing for Easter).