A 2-day linear trek taking in the mountain summits of western Bleaklow, the northern edges of Kinder Scout and a traverse of Win Hill above the Hope Valley.
The approach from Glossop is via the Yellow Slacks and Shelf Moss route to Bleaklow Head and Higher Shelf Stones. The Pennine Way (PW) gives an easy traverse to Mill Hill and the Kinder plateau, taking the northern edge line of Ashop Edge, Seal Edge and Blackden Edge to Crookstone Hill. The final section passes Hope Cross and traverses Win Hill for a descent to Bamford.
Compared to the popular southern edges of Kinder, the northern edges are much less trodden, wilder and somewhat more taxing and time consuming. There is a path to follow the whole way, almost always clear, but it involves a lot more weaving through gritstone outcrops and boulders that present excellent rock formations on the plateau edge.
The very dry conditions gave a good opportunity to make the traverse to Bleaklow’s secondary summit Higher Shelf Stones, our last visit being over 20 years ago, and the nearby aircraft wreckage of the RB-29 Superfortess "Over Exposed" that crashed here in 1948.
Regarding this tragedy, we just discovered a firsthand account by a member of the recovery team of the operation carried out here in bleak November moorland conditions by the MRT in conjunction with American military personnel.
The account is teeming with fine detail, albeit grim and gruesome at times, that gives a powerful insight into the practical and personal aspects of the recovery using period equipment. An evocative and rivetting piece, highly recommended.