Edale Skyline - Challenge Walk

Tackle the classic High Peak circuit: The Edale Skyline.
If you’re looking for a great day’s walking or a route that is enough of a challenge to be classified as a charity fundraising epic then The Edale Skyline pretty much fits the bill.
In fact this High Peak circuit is great in so many ways in terms of length, scenery and interest-value, that it’s no wonder it’s one of the most popular long distance routes in the Peak District.
Where to start – well there’s Roman roads, gritstone edges, weird rocks and a tough(ish) climb before the reward of striding out along one of Britain’s best ridges accompanied by breathtaking scenery.
At 22 miles the Edale Skyline is certainly no walk in the park but it is an enticing, tough but do-able challenge that is a great introduction to long distance walking. At the end you will be nicely shattered but elated nonetheless.

Itinerary

Walking the challenge..
We need to start early to bag this big one and so we congregate at the gateway to the Vale of Eden in the Peak District, in the village of Hope (an apt name perhaps for those who are feeling a bit of trepidation).
From Hope we hike via Win Hill Pike to Kinder Scout’s precipitous gritstone edges, natural wonders that will leave you staring in awe as we head west with views of Edale and the huge expanse of moorland plateau.
Soon we reach the Woolpacks (no not the pub in Emmerdale) but a group of weirdly shaped gritstone formations that would give a Henry Moore sculpture a run for its money.
We then briefly join the Pennine Way as we round the horseshoe towards Mam Tor’s iron age settlement with plenty of stonking views along the way that will help eat up those miles.
Finally we traverse the Peak District’s finest ridge to Lose Hill before descending from the High Peak into the warm embrace of Hope no doubt with the group discussing who’s buying the first drink!