Date: Friday 22 May 2015

Walked from: Edale, Derbyshire

Walked to: Torside, Derbyshire

Distance: 15 miles

Stayed: The Old House B&B

Weather: Damp and misty

Photo: Hope Valley, Edale

Almost a year after I finished my last long distance trail (walking the length of Wales) today it was time to pull on the walking boots and set off on a new adventure – the 260 (ish) mile long Pennine Way, which follows the so called ‘spine’ of England from the northern half of the Peak District National Park all the way over the border into Scotland. 

The day started well; a good night’s sleep and a decent breakfast at The Rambler in Edale, meeting up again with a friend we met on the Offas Dyke walk last year, Peter, and his brother-in-law Colin, who we walked with today.

The countryside we walked through today was spectacular. I know that because I a) saw some of it from the train last night and it was beautiful, and b) I’ve seen the pictures in my guidebook. We also saw a bit at the beginning and the end. But from the time we climbed Jacob’s Ladder to get up to Kinder Scout (which was the scene of a mass trespass in 1932 of the right to roam movement – thanks for what you did for us guys) until the time we started our descent of Clough Edge into Torside, we were walking in mist, with a lot of fine rain thrown in at various times for good measure. We did see some good rock formations though. And streams. And peat – lots of that. And stone slabs pathways across the moorland, which gave us a clear and welcome route across moorland which would otherwise have been exceptionally easy to get lost in.

So we didn’t see a lot today, and at times it was tough going underfoot, but the waterproofs kept me cozy and pretty dry, and it was thrilling to be at the start of another adventure – this time on England’s most notoriously challenging long distance walk. Bring. It. On!

Photos: Starting off in Edale / ‘view’ from Kinder Scout