Winter Hikes and Adventures in the Peak District
It is really easy to hate the winter. The days are short, cold and often a boring flat grey. It makes it harder to be happy and enjoy the outdoors. This year it is different for me. I decided that I was going to continue adventures whatever the weather. So not only have I been getting out on more adventures this winter but I’ve been embracing the cold and wearing shorts every day since summer. (It is now February and I’m determined!).
This adventures episode began when I took a booking for a photography job in Stoke, I’m also a Fitness Photographer. Since I was going to be in the Midlands it seemed like a good idea to spend the week exploring the Peak District for hiking, regardless of how wet and muddy it might be!
Day 1 - Cannock Chase
A stop-off for a mini hike micro adventure in the midlands on the way north.
Driving North a day early was essential since I was doing Fitness Photography in a gym in Stoke at 5 am the next day. I realised I could get my body clock prepared by leaving my Bournemouth base super early and squeezing in a hike on the way up. Looking at the map Cannock Chase looked to be interesting.
Despite being passionate about the great outdoors locations of the UK it was my first time at Cannock Chase. Before this I was always in too much of a hurry to reach the mountains. I don’t like to read up too much on an area before visiting as discovering places for oneself is more than half the fun. It is perhaps obvious from the photos that I had the most perfect day for a hike. Cold and crisp but those beautiful blue skies that only winter can seem to bring. The low sun brought out the amber colours of the dry ferns that covered any open land that wasn’t a throughway.
The paths were very muddy, the squelchy stuff where your boots stick and you have to make that extra effort with each step. That was mostly kept to base of the valleys and it did mean the river was swelling, providing opportunity for reflection with the low winter sunlight.
That low light also added a fantastic effect to a south face hillside. I named it “Ghost Hill” for all the white ghosts of the silver birch, standing proud and lifeless against the colour saturated blue sky and amber ferns.
As usual with my adventures I squeeze the most out of the day light and was back to the van in the very last of light before sunset. Back at the van a warm cuppa was longed for and a nice surprise with a herd of small dear grabbing their supper. A nice end to a little warm up adventure ready for the road ahead.
Day 2 - Fitness photoshoot in Stoke
As mentioned in the intro I had come to the Midlands for a Fitness photography shoot at Destination Gym in Stoke. You can read more about my Fitness Photography here.
Day 3 - Enter the Peak District -Thor's Cave
The night before I had arrived somewhere in the middle of a very wet and windy Peak District. I found a campsite, got the van plugged in and got cosy for the night.
The morning was much the same, the rain so hard and visibility low, it was like being in a cloud. I grabbed a big breakfast lunch at The Yonderman Cafe. Turned out to be a great travellers stop with a variety of adventurers in there. Also my first taste of the amazing Derbyshire Oatcakes!
The rain and food stop gave me time to study the area a little for a mini adventure should the rain stop. The map showed a good trail and something named “Thor’s Cave”. Being a Marvel fan and interested in the Norse mythology (to be honest Marvel came first!) visiting an area with this name felt a must.
The rain stopped and the low cloud lifted just as I started walking the trails through the valleys.
It didn’t take too long to find Thor’s cave. A huge cathedral-like opening with an incredibly slippery and steep threshold yearned for further exploring. That probably doesn’t make sense as it is all the sort of things that would usually put people off but a challenge that involves a bit of climbing and I’m in!
The dark depths of the cave revealed a second entrance made from a wide crack. This picture window at least allowed for some light but that still didn’t reach the dark depths so the head torch came to hand (or to head in this case!). I didn’t find any heavy hammers or Tesseracts but the treasure here was the green walls of the cave. This would likely be an algal or microbial surface of some sort forming on the damp walls. I also liked that his cave was in fact a crag, a place for climbing and found a couple of anchor points in the dark. In the photos one can be seen hanging in the spot light and the other at the top of the huge cave entrance. Id love to climb that!
Instead of heading back after leaving the cave I continued up the hill and managed to right on top of the cave. Stunning unspoilt views of the surrounding countryside; a perfect place to rest and refuel. Id love to come back here on a sunny day to see how it brings out the form of the landscape. I hung around here until the remains of the day, enjoying a tiny hint from the sun that it did still actually exist before I made my way back to the van and on to find a place to sleep for the night
Instead of heading back after leaving the cave I continued up the hill and managed to reach the peak above the cave entrance. Stunning unspoilt views of the surrounding countryside and the trail I’d entered on; a perfect place to rest and refuel. Id love to come back here on a sunny day to see how it brings out the form of the landscape. I hung around here until the remains of the day, enjoying a tiny hint from the sun that it did still actually exist before I made my way back to the van and hit the road to find a place to sleep for the night.
For those interested in more info on Thor’s cave I’ve added a photo of the info sign 🙂
Day 4 - Stanage to Bamford loop Hike - The Boggy Battle
That hint of sunshine the evening before was a prank played by the heavens. I’d driven North and camped in the van somewhere wild and isolated (of course, Wild spaces are my happy places!). The rain on the van in the night is at least a soothing sound to sleep to but not so welcome the next morning. It was pointless to hike too early as the visibility was so low but I wasn’t going to give up for a bit of rain. Delaying a little in hope of some view I made a lunch and packed essentials to hike the loop. I make it sound pretty bleak but I always love it. Getting out on an adventure and facing the challenging elements makes one feel alive. I gains so much energy from it.
The rain and driving wind were so bad my camera never even came out of my back pack for this all day hike but I did use my phone instead. Looking back on the photos it looks like such a calm day but in truth it was a boggy battle against the wind and driving rain and I still loved every bit of it. That environment made me feel so deeply immersed in nature, no buildings around, a fantastic wide open wild place. Long views with nothing but nature.
So what are those big round wheels at the base Stanage edge?
Well, it turns out they were made to be mill stones to grind grain into flour.
But what are they doing there?
They were hand carved as they were quarried from the rock faces. My thoughts are that it is easier to move the finished object rather than take the whole rock somewhere, especially as it forms a wheel shape, they could just be rolled down the hill! The earliest ones date back to medieval times. If I say any more I’ll start sounding like Wikipedia so time to move on!…
I didn’t hang around too much at any point in this weather but I did love the vast wild views here. I know, I have said that already but this place really energised me. I was also excited to get to Stanage Edge as it is a very famous climbing crag. I first heard of it from watching the “Wide Boys”, Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker, their climbing films and youtube videos are quite something. Well respected climbers in the global community. They like “crack climbing” which involves jamming hands and feet into the narrow channel cracks up rock walls. With this in mind I could see why they like Stanage edge so much.
Climbing up over the edge the wind really blasted. I reached the trig point and noticed a small ruin in the distance. It had no roof but it was welcome shelter from the sideways rain. I could at least unzip my jacket and grab a snack. The views from the top of Stanage edge were well worth battling the elements.
The long loop back took me to Bamford edge, a smaller cliff face. It was a fair distance to go, I think the whole hike was 5 hours. In the summer it can probably be done in 3 or 4 but this weather was one thing, the boggy ground for this part of the walk was another! I had noticed on the map a sign for a shelter and now it was late afternoon I really needed that rest stop. Although it was a wreck I was so grateful for it’s shelter. Now 4pm, lunch was eaten quickly since it was getting dark already (hence no further photos after the shelter; I had to move fast). A few energy bars in my pocket and back on the trail up and over Bamford Edge to see Bamford lit up as the last light faded fast with the thick cloud shielding any hope of a sunset. To complete the loop I had a dark walk back along narrow winding lanes, my head torch on just in case of passing cars (there was only 1!). Finally back to the van I was absolutely soaked and muddy. I drove until I could find a phone signal and then called around to find an open campsite; much needed tonight to attempt to dry all my gear.
Day 5 - to be continued!
Thank you for reading this far. This adventure was a little too big for one blog post so I have continued the adventure in the next post.
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