It is a super hill, evocative and as the central hill of the Mam Tor to Lose Hill line, a determining feature. Stepped layers of Dark Peak Gritstone look out northwards and when hit by sunshine the rock face shimmers. Whereas Mam Tor before and Lose Hill after are on a direct line and covered in grass Back Tor kinks out from the ridge to the north and is steep enough on the north face to disallow grass from taking root. I banked that thought and walked on, soon exerting a little more effort to climb Back Tor.īack Tor is an irresistible climb. Hills not only raise us in height, they raise us in spirits. Up on the hilltops it was quite a different story most people spoke to me as I passed, nearly all saying hello and how lovely it was to be up on the ridge, enjoying the day and enjoying the company. Each of us would have gone about our own business. If I had met them in the valley, strolling through the streets and browsing in the shop windows of Castleton and Hope I guess few pleasantries would have been exchanged. I had to set off first.Īs I walked contemplatively towards Back Tor I reflected on the significant number of people I had left behind on the path. And there was on this day but I will leave that part of the walk until my story reaches it. Surely the section between Mam Tor and Hollin's Cross is every time I go on the ridge itself, or look up from the valley, there seems to be a steady stream of people walking both east and west along the spine. The Great Ridge which separates the valleys of Edale to the north and Hope to the south is possibly the most walked ridge in all of England, even beating Striding Edge in the Lake District for numbers in footfall per annum. This time the plans were all made and I looked forward to a) renewing my fond acquaintance with the Great Ridge and b) continuing the walk this time to the summit of Win Hill.

Eleven years on since that moment I had looked across the Peak District landscape with envy and disappointment at opportunity lost I was back. When I had first walked the Great Ridge between Mam Tor and Lose Hill I had looked across the Edale valley to the distinctive raised peak of Win Hill Pike and wished I had time then to climb it. The second of three walks during a long weekend in March 2015, this one was long planned.

Mam tor and the great ridge walk