CAVE DALE HIKE

Our last day, weather cooler as it rained heavily during the night and there was a cold wind blowing which improved as the sun came out.

A shorter hike today, we parked the car at the Blue John Cavern and did a circular walk down into Castleton then up the very pretty Cave Dale. Called the Secret Valley and once upon a time the bottom of a deep lagoon, the views were delightful and peaceful. Passing the ruins of Peveril Castle on the way up and also seeing a metal gate covering a tunnel which probably led into Peak Cavern. We came out onto open moor then traversed over fields full of cows and sheep back to our car. 
A superb five days in this stunning National Park - the Peak District.

CAVE DALE

PEVERIL CASTLE

ROY ROUNDING UP SHEEP

A SECRET WAY INTO PEAK CAVERN WE THINK

MAM TOR IN THE BACKGROUND

THE RIDGE WALK MAM TOR ON LEFT TO LOSE HILL ON RIGHT - WE DID YESTERDAY

WINNATS PASS

LOSE HILL TO MAM TOR HIKE

A splendid circular hike from the campsite, up Lose Hill then a glorious ridge walk along to Mam Tor and down along the grassy trails passing Blue John Cavern, Treak Cliff Cavern, Speedwell Cavern and Peak Cavern. We didn't visit any, I've been down them in my youth. I love the Blue John jewellery they make from the mined rock, very pretty. 
We arrived in Castleton and the idea was to get the bus back the 2 miles to Hope, but as we didn't find the bus stop we legged it, a peaceful walk back along the fields, we finished up walking about 9 miles. A wonderful walk!

LOSE HILL SUMMIT

LOSE HILL PANORAMA

LOSE HILL LOOKING OVER CASTLETON

FABULOUS RIDGE WALK TOWARDS MAM TOR

LOOKING BACK TO LOSE HILL

MAM TOR AT THE END OF THE RIDGE

MAM TOR SUMMIT

INFO ABOUT MAM TOR

THE SKYLINE HILLS ARE THE TOPS WE WALKED ACROSS

ENTRANCE TO PEAK CAVERN IN CASTLETON

PEAK CAVERN ENTRANCE

KINDER SCOUT HIKE

Forecast looked good so we drove the short distance to Edale and started up the Pennine Way to do Kinder Scout, The Peak District's highest hill at 2090 feet. More like a huge mound of peat and strange shaped rocks, quite marvelous!
We climbed into and out of the top of Grindsbrook Clough, a rocky, pretty gully. The summit was easy and flat, we passed strange shapes and finally reached Kinderlow and the trig point. This is not the summit of Kinder Scout but just 3 metres less and the true summit has nothing special to commemorate it. On the way there the weather took a turn for the worse and mist came down, we almost missed our trail but suddenly it lifted after we'd put our waterproofs on! Of course, the sun came out then!
The easy walk back down Jacobs Ladder (paved stones) led us back to Edale.
A fabulous 8 mile hike - loved it! 

EDALE CHURCH - ONLY GOT ONE BELL!

GRINDSBROOK CLOUGH

TOP OF GRINDSBROOK CLOUGH

SOMEONE'S GOT A SENSE OF HUMOUR !

THIS ROCK LOOKS AS IF ITS BEEN SLICED

BY THE TIME ROY GOT HIS GEAR ON IT HAD STOPPED RAINING!

IS HE POINTING TO TELL ME HE'S FOUND THE TRAIL?

NO HE'S TELLING ME WHICH WAY TO COME DOWN!

LUNCH SPOT, COVERED IN SHEEP DROPPINGS!

KINDERLOW SUMMIT

LOVE THIS HUGE ROCK AREA - LOOKS AS IF A GIANT HAS HIT A FLAT ROCK WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER

SOFT FEATURE ON CAMERA!