Ooooooh it’s a big one today folks.
So you may or may not know/care, but earlier this year I decided to follow in the footsteps of that legendary explorer Sir Brendan of Barnsleyshire and download the Ethel Ready app. The Ethels are 95 prominent hills in the Peak District, mostly over 400m above sea level, and the challenge – created last year by CPRE, The Countryside Charity – is to top them all.
I’m currently on 12 out of 95. Brendan meanwhile had made it to 94. That’s a lot of walking. So to celebrate bagging his final Ethel – the appropriately named Win Hill – he gathered together a troupe of trekkers to join him on his last hurrah.
Now if you’re thinking Brendan was just gonna lead us to the top of Win Hill, bag the cairn, crack open a can and then return to the cars, you don’t know Brendan. For his final Ethel he decided to incorporate the Edale Skyline Circular route, a 30km walk around the hills surrounding Edale that visits FIVE Ethels: Lose Hill, Mam Tor, Lord’s Seat (Rushup Edge), Brown Knoll and finally, Win Hill.
Here’s our route:
We started at Hope railway station where it costs £3 to park all day at the weekend (£1 in the week) – but you have to use the RingGo app or call RingGo up, which is frankly annoying if you don’t have it. For some reason, my phone number had also been blocked for not paying a fee (excuse me, what?? I’m blaming an ex) but thankfully, Brendan’s friend Alex let me use his spare phone. Just put up a machine, guys, come on.
At 9:30am, we began.
Lose Hill
The aptly named Lose Hill made me feel like a bit of a loser. This is definitely the hardest part of the walk, so it’s good to get it out of the way, I suppose…
Firstly, the route takes you through the village of Hope, down Edale Road and onto Lose Hill Lane.
So far, so simple. Then, a sign appears and you must follow it.
You cannot claim the signage is confusing.
Up through the woods we hiked, until we broke through trees and Lose Hill appeared.
Once you’re out on the moorlands, the incline increases and the thighs are worked a bit harder. I was starting to realise I may be one of the weaker members of this party as most of the others simply powered on ahead.
Maybe I should have warmed up. Maybe I should have done some stretches. Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten a whole 12 inch donor meat pizza the day before. Anyhow I kept my head down and feet moving.
The incline is at its steepest as you approach the summit.
I did not enjoy these. Finally, after an hour of hiking, the hardest part was out of the way. Here’s Emily looking super chilled and fine.
And me, turning the same shade as my City top.
Lose Hill bagged.
May I just add, that since Brendan posted these photos on Instagram, one of his friends/followers suggested I looked like İlkay Gündoğan. More like İlkay Gündogut.
After a short break, we began the journey along the Great Ridge to our next peak: Mam Tor.
Mam Tor
I find that hikes really bring out the age in me, don’t you?
Sometimes people say I don’t look like I’m pushing 30. I challenge those people to look at this photo and not lie to my face.
To the right is the Edale valley, and it was quite daunting to know that we would be walking all the way around it.
Along the ridge route is Back Tor, a peak that sadly doesn’t qualify as an Ethel. It is however, a place to visit as people like to build little stone circles here.
Also, it’s a good spot for a squad photo.
Onwards we pressed to the famous Mam Tor.
I definitely enjoyed this Ethel approach more than the last one. Some didn’t.
Sorry Louise. Tbf, I look pretty shattered here too.
It’s a softly undulating, paved path to Mam. However, it’s simplicity to reach spawns an issue.
Crowds. Crowds of people in jeans, Converse etc, up here to spoil the tranquillity. As an antisocial bastard, I don’t like it. But with a car park right near the summit, Mam Tor always attracts folk who like hill climbs that take no longer than two minutes.
After waiting for some folks to finish having a photo with the cairn they laboured to reach, I bagged the Ethel.
Well, technically I bagged it a few years ago, but Ethel Bagging didn’t exist then so from now on I’ll count this one.
The lovely winding road that cuts passed Mam Tor and falls down to Edale.
I saw some psychos cycling up it (cychos?) – no thanks.
Lord’s Seat – (Rushup Edge)
Eager to get away from the noise, we pressed on, crossed the road and headed up Rushup Edge.
There’ll be no RUSHING UP from me! Heh heh heh…..
The silence that joke deserves is relatable to the sounds on this side of the Mam Tor pass.
Our crowd was the only one up here.
The walk up to Lord’s Seat is simple enough and takes only 20 minutes. At the top is a 4,500 year old burial mound.
Now that’s old.
Despite the sign asking us to avoid walking on the mound, we acted like hooligans and walked upon it anyway.
Dear, National Trust.
I’m collecting Ethels and I haven’t come all this way to just go “meh” and walk on.
Sorry.
Love, David.
Brown Knoll
From Lord’s Seat to Brown Knoll the route is very straightforward. Inclines are gradual and the path easy to follow. Paving stones direct you through the heather.
I can imagine this place being hellish in bad weather.
It was so peaceful up here that I started to cut myself adrift of the party, so I could enjoy the tranquillity of the place. The Peak District is such a good place to come and clear your mind, or be alone with your thoughts – whichever you’d rather.
50 minutes later (at my speed – I reckon some of the others in the group could have gone much quicker), we all arrived at the Brown Knoll cairn.
Fourth Ethel of the day checked off.
After a much needed break we resumed our expedition, climbing up onto the Kinder Scout plateau via the Pennine Way.
There are two Ethels up here – Kinder Scout and Grindslow Knoll – that can be visited via a diversion from the Edale Skyline route. However, the group decided not to detour as we were only about half way around the route and Win Hill was still just a hazy outline on the horizon. We still had so far to go and I took this information well.
Ah well. Onwards.
On circular routes like this it is nice to look back on just how far we’ve come, and the Kinder Scout plateau offers some lovely views of the Edale valley and Mam Tor in the distance.
There are some impressive rock formations up here too, like Pym Chair and the Woolpacks boulder field.
Mind your head! Also mind the special water filter bottle Brendan had strapped to my bag that I definitely didn’t smash against the rock…
Up here you can play such fun games like “What does that rock look like?” and “Do you think I’d die if I fell off here?”
Two hours into trekking over Kinder Scout and I felt Win Hill was not getting closer fast enough.
Win Hill is the rearmost peak, behind Lose Hill and an approaching rainstorm…
FFS.
The coats went on as the first drops landed. Miraculously, they soon came off as the Gods had determined that today’s showers would blow past us.
Win Hill
After over three hours of trekking along Kinder Scout, we finally descended and began the walk to Win Hill.
On the horizon, another raincloud was coming for us, whilst to our right was a lovely view into Edale valley.
Heads down and with emo music playing for Louise and I to sing along to, we soldiered on through the passing shower like brave little troops. Our bravery was rewarded with a rainbow.
In little under an hour, we all neared the top despite our aching muscles.
Here he is, the man of the moment, face full of emotion as he’s about to bag his final Ethel. Do I detect a tear of achievement?
At 6pm on the dot, 9 and a half hours after leaving Hope railway station, we bagged Win Hill.
With celebratory beverages of course.
To mark bagging 95 out of 95 Ethels, Brendan popped open a bottle of prosecco to celebrate in style.
And I duly sat in the wrong spot and got soaked.
Thanks, wind.
Job done. Four Ethels bagged and one re-bagged for myself, which takes me up to 16 – some way behind Brendan, who has vowed to never again return to the Peak District. All that was left was to nurse my aching body back to the car.
If this mammoth hike hasn’t inspired you to start bagging Ethels, then WTF?? If it has though, download the app!
#VidOnTour 