The Year I Turn 40

Kinder Walk 01 – Ollerbrook Clough & The Nab

Location: Edale, Peak District

Distance: 4.4 km / 2.74 miles

Elevation gain: ~212 m

Time: 1h 45m

Introduction

Kinder Scout is still very new to me. Until recently it was somewhere I had heard about rather than somewhere I really knew. Over the past few months I had started reading a little about the area and looking at routes around Edale, which is what led to planning this first walk.

This was the first outing in what I hope will become a series of walks exploring Kinder during the year I turn forty.

The evening before the walk we stayed in Hope and had a relaxed pub stay before heading out the next morning. We drove over to Edale to start the route, parking in the village and getting changed into waterproofs in the car park.

It was already raining when we arrived.

With Kinder still largely unknown to me, the aim of the walk was not distance or a big challenge. It was simply to climb out of Edale, reach the edge of the Kinder plateau at The Nab, and begin to understand the landscape for the first time.

Climbing Out of Edale

The route leaves Edale and gradually climbs up Ollerbrook Clough. Even with the rain falling steadily, the valley looked beautiful, with the patchwork of fields below and the long dark ridge of Kinder rising above.

As we climbed higher, the views back across the Hope Valley slowly opened out behind us. The path itself is clear and steady, making it a good first way to gain height above the village.

At this point the weather was grey and damp, but nothing too dramatic.

The Nab

By the time we reached the top of the climb at The Nab, the weather had changed quickly.

The wind picked up and a sudden squall of hail and sleet swept across the hillside. Within minutes the ground around us had a light dusting of white and visibility dropped as cloud pushed across the ridge.

We actually had to stop for a moment before starting the descent, simply to let the worst of the storm pass.

For a first visit to Kinder, it was quite an introduction.

Back Down to the Valley

From The Nab the route descends via Grinds Brook, gradually dropping back towards Edale. As we lost height the weather eased again and the valley slowly opened up below us.

By the time we reached the lower paths near the village the storm already felt like something that had happened much higher up.

It had only been a short walk, but it felt like a proper first taste of the Kinder landscape.

First Impressions of Kinder

This walk was never meant to be a big day out. It was simply the first step in getting to know the area.

The conditions on the ridge made it memorable in a way I hadn’t expected. Standing in wind, sleet and hail on my first visit to Kinder definitely made an impression.

If anything, it made me even more curious to come back and explore more of it.

Not the calmest introduction to Kinder Scout, but definitely one I won’t forget.