Walk • Trek • Travel
A photographic record and journal of our walking, trekking and travelling adventures.
Great Ridge Circular
Great Ridge Circular

Wednesday 07 March 2018

This was another of our YHA stays that we had booked. On this occasion, we had booked the Castleton YHA which neither of us had ever stayed at before and probably never will again.
We arrived on Friday evening in plenty of time and we were looking forward to relaxing before the weekend walking but, plain and simple, there were just too many unsupervised children running amuck in almost every corner of the building for that to be possible.
The following morning we met up with some friends and started our walk from the rear of the YHA, Loosehill Hall, and heading up the path marked on the OS map towards Loosehill Farm.
From the farm, it is a steep climb up the side of Loose Hill to the summit. The going was a little muddy at first, and we had to pick our way up the hill weaving in and out of as many of the muddy bits as we could.
There were plenty of others on this route today, and by the time we reached the summit, there was a small queue of people waiting to take their summit photos and relying on the people behind them in the queue to take it for them!
But it was not long before we persuaded the people waiting behind us to take our summit photo.
We then walked along the ridge to Back Tor, Lee had told us that we were walking the route the wrong way around as the wind would be in our faces and he was spot on. Fortunately, the wind was not too bad and did not hinder our progress along the ridge.
Before long we were at Mam Tor (517m) and looking back along the Great Ridge to Loose Hill. We didn’t linger here for too long because of the wind but the views were good in every direction although we could see some rain on the horizon.
We left Mam Tor and dropped down to the road and up the other side along the path above Rush Up Edge to Lord’s Seat (550m) where we found a spot out of the wind for lunch and a coffee.
After lunch, we continued along the path until it met with the Byway and then the road before making our way, via the path alongside Rushup Edge Farm, to Bull pit and then around the bottom of Eldon Hill.
We eventually found ourselves on the Limestone Way which we followed to Cave Dale and then into Castleton.
Mam Tor from Loosehill Farm
Weaving in and out of the mud on Loose Hill
Waiting our turn for a summit photo on Loose Hill
Loose Hill summit photo courtesy of an anonymous person awaiting their turn!
View from Back Tor
The Great Ridge from Mam Tor
Heading up Rushup Edge to Lord’s Seat for lunch
Rushup Edge Farm with Eldon Hill Quarry in the background
Cave Dale, Castleton
Are you tired of being stuck in the office? Bored of being chained to a desk? Counting down the days until retirement?
Me too!!
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