Cracken Edge to Kinder Scout
3. Cracken Edge to Kinder Scout
Sunday 3 October 2021.
Cracken Edge, Chinley Churn, Mount Famine and South Head are sharp edges and peaks with stirring names and stature! They offer wonderful views and a lesser-known route from the village of Chinley (near Hayfield) and up onto the Peak District’s highest plateau, Kinder Scout, finishing in the heart of Edale.
This is a linear walk, a day-long adventure with a short train ride that returns you to your start.
We park at Edale Station and hop on a train through the Cowburn Tunnel and under the Dark Peak Moorland, alighting eight minutes later at Chinley Station.
Our walking route begins here, climbing steeply onto Cracken Edge with its old quarries and steep pastures above Hayfield, before crossing onto the Pennine Bridleway at Chinley Head. We ascend Mount Famine (473m), a small but mighty summit with a sharp eastern edge; there’s a lovely view here towards Kinder Low End and Kinder Downfall, with moorland and pasture surrounding Coldwell Clough far below.
We ascend a second ‘stand-alone’ peak close by, South Head, before taking a wild moorland path towards the high hills. This lovely ‘back door route’ reaches into the heart of the Peak District, passing the 569m summit of Brown Knoll, before Edale appears dramatically below.
We can make the most of our height gain and enjoy a breezy, high level walk along the edges of Kinder Scout, passing amazing wind carved rocks at the ‘Woolpacks’ and ‘Crowden Tower’, before reaching our final summit Grinsbrook Knoll (601m), with its fine, ‘finale views’ towards Mam Tor, The Great Ridge and Stanage Edge beyond.
It’s an easy descent from gritstone onto green pasture and down into Edale, a picturesque village, with café’s and pubs, a walker's haven and start of the famous Pennine Way. A fitting place to finish but you wont meet many who have enjoyed a special adventure from Chinley!
The distance is about 17 km / 11 miles with a height gain of 618 m / 2,028 feet
£38.00
Final price
- Places available
Meeting time and place
We meet at Edale Station Car Park S33 7ZN to catch a train (approx. £4.50) to Chinley where the walk starts*. The station has a pay and display machine and ticket machine for train tickets. We will meet between 0830 and 0930 on the day and will advise you of precise details when you book.
*If you prefer to park and meet us at Chinley Station (and catch the train back there after the walk has finished), please advise us and we will facilitate this accordingly.
Accommodation
If you would like to stay locally the night before or after this walk, there is accommodation in Edale, Castleton Hope or Hathersage. Or, if you are walking from Chinley, Hayfield is close by, or the nearest town is Glossop.
