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Crowden Clough, Crowden Tower & South Ridge from Upper Booth

Start/Finish

Upper Booth parking spot (holds about 15 cars) which is about a mile west of Edale village car park which, coming from Hope, is on the Edale road just before the turn off to Edale village. The turn off for Edale from Hope, from The Hathersage to Castleton road, A625, is not that obvious and easy to miss. It is a right turn opposite a chuch on the left on the eastern end of Hope. Upper Booth is a signed right turn just before the Edale valley road starts climbing towards Mam Tor. The road is narrow with few passing places. There is also some parking further back from the main parking spot under the obvious viaduct. Both spots are free to park at. There are toilets in the Edale village car park.

Distance/Time

6 km    About 3 hours

Peaks

No peaks as this is mainly a clough and edge walk but Crowden Tower is at an altitude of about 600m.

OS Outdoor Leisure 1: Dark Peak. OS 110, Sheffield.

Introduction

This is a very pleasant walk, ideal for a short day, especially in late Autumn when the landscape turns brown. Crowden Clough is a lovely approach to the south edge of Kinder. The going can be wet and boggy, especially after rain, but it is not too bad; the views make up for it!

Route

(1) Continue walking up the Upper Booth road until the red telephone box is reached near a campsite. Continue a little further, descending slightly to a stone bridge over Crowden Brook. Immediately after crossing this bridge, go through a gate, on the right, to access the Crowden Clough path. Follow the path, with the brook on your right, through a pleasant wood, then reach open country at a stile and sign. Continue up, crossing the brook several times. The view up the clough is very pleasant indeed. Further up, the angle steepens and the path can be slippery but it soon reaches a traverse path (left to right) below Crowden Tower. Go right towards the distinctive outcrop to the right, E, of Crowden Tower. This joins the main edge path which is easily followed to Crowden Tower. The highest point is an obvious, almost level, rock which most ascend easily when dry.

(2) From Crowden Tower, walk SSW along the obvious edge path passing a rock which looks like a snail. Once past the rocks, descend down moderately steep grassy slopes for a short distance to join the traverse path (above). Follow this along the eastern side of the S ridge of Crowden Tower. Unless covered by snow, the path is easily followed. Further on, it leaves the eastern edge and cuts across the ridge to its western side. A wall blocks a direct descent S but the path goes further W and goes around the end of the wall then, more steeply, down the right hand side, W, of a broken wall to reach the Pennine Way by the old pack horse bridge at the foot of Jacob's Ladder. Do not cross the bridge but turn left, SE, and follow the Pennine Way back to the end of the road at Upper Booth then back to the start.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 12^th March, 2016.