A Walk from Edale to Crowden Tower

Last Monday....

I followed a favourite path..

Heading up Grindsbrook Clough....

(a nice, rocky scramble to the top)

up to the top, to the edges of Kinder.

The weather was changeable, as you'll see from the light in the photos here.

My arrival at the top of Grindsbrook Clough coincided with the arrival of some rain and hail.

My chosen path meant walking right into the hail!

I walked as far as Crowden Tower. I had a different route planned, about three miles longer than the one I actually walked, but by the time I reached this point, I'd had enough of hail in the face...

so decided to cut the route short and head down Crowden Clough, on the path below.

That outcrop of rocks on the skyline below is Crowden Tower, it's not an actual tower, built by man.

Of course, the weather passed over as I was on my way down.

There were some very bright greens when the sun peeped out and lit up the bilberry leaves.

There were curlews and grouse all around.

I heard my first cuckoo of the year here too

and enjoyed the scent of bluebells.

I love the sound of spring rain on the leaves and this ticked off one of the activities listed for my current "Get Wild" challenge, part of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's 50th anniversary celebrations. A number of staff are joining in to earn a Get Wild badge!

This path leads through Upper Booth and back to Edale, with views of the Castleton hills to the right.

Cutting the route short meant my walk was 7 miles, not the 10 miles I had planned, but that doesn't really matter. I probably wouldn't have heard a cuckoo if I'd not come down Crowden Clough, or seen the bluebells.  A good way to make the most of the bonus day off!