Grindsbrook Clough, Edale, Derbyshire, England

When the Pennine Way was first opened, this was the way that it took you up onto Kinder Scout and then the long distance path marched straight across the boggy morass to give itself a very bad name. Thankfully, some sense seems to have prevailed since the bad days of the 1960's and 1970's and a less arduous redirection around by Upper Booth and Jacob's Ladder to follow the edge of Kinder Scout to reach Kinder Downfall before dropping downhill again to cross the Snake Road between Glossop and Sheffield.

The first photo of Grindsbrook Clough that appeared here dated from the 2001 August Bank Holiday Monday. Since then, I have followed the path all the way onto the moor and followed its edge until meeting up with the Pennine Way for a return to Edale. That was in December 2004, and it wasn't so bad underfoot given the general wetness of the year in question. Though the path looks very inviting above, I can assure you that it takes on a much rougher aspect as you go further along, a consequence of a narrowing opening and steepening gradients.

That first excursion to try out a pair of then new Columbia trail shoes sensibly stuck to lower reaches on a clouding August bank holiday Monday with the purple colouration. The photo you now see above shows the scene from Grindslow Knoll of an early evening in early June on a trot from Hope to Edale via Win Hill and the edge of Kinder Scout. Conditions underfoot were sound, and it was too early for a sight of flowering heather being unmissable like what greeted me on that first perambulation.