Peak District walk: Jacob's Ladder, William Clough, Kinder Downfall (14 miles)

This is a very beautiful Peak District circular hike, offering very rewarding views. We will also enjoy a beautiful sunset at the end of the walk.

Featured photo of this event:

• At the top of William Clough by John Clift is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Planned route:

• GPX
• Komoot

Main viewpoints:

• Upper Booth
• Jacob's Ladder (ascent)
• Swine's Back
• Kinderlow End
• Kinder Reservoir
• William Clough (ascent)
• Kinder Downfall
• Views to Kinder Reservoir
• Kinder Low
• The Woolpacks
• Crowden Tower
• Grindsbrook Clough (descent with scrambling)

Notes:

• In the Komoot link mentioned above you can find out more about this hike: photos and information about each viewpoint, length, specific route, ascents, descents, etc.
• This walk includes an easy scramble while descending at the end of the walk. Even if you have never done a scramble, you will be fine as no special skills are required.
• Make sure you do some hillwalking in the weeks before this event, otherwise you will feel exhausted and might not be able to complete the walk. This hike requires an adequate level of fitness.
• This is a hilly walk. Make sure you understand the elevation gain and distance mentioned in the walk description. Ask yourself if you are able to complete this walk.
• Be aware that if you are very slow, the rest of the group (including the walk leader) might not wait for you. The walk needs to be completed within the expected time window as some people have a long journey to do before being at home. Hence we will keep a reasonably fast pace all day, without having long breaks.
• If you think this hike is too long or hard, you are welcome to join and make it shorter. If you look at the route you will see that it is possible to skip Kinder Reservoir & Kinder Downfall by taking a shortcut from Swine's Back to Kinder Low. You can also swap the Grindsbrook Clough descent with the more easy and comfortable Grindslow Knoll path. If necessary, I can explain you better during the day.
• It might be useful to have the hiking route on your phone, so that in case you need to take a shortcut and/or can't keep the same pace of the group, you know where to go. However there are always people in the area and you could ask for some help. We won't be in a remote place.
• If you have knee pain when walking downhill, try using hiking poles.
• Fit and friendly dogs can join. But please keep your dog on a lead when we find livestock.
• Please don't come with flat trainers and/or jeans. You need comfortable walking trousers and shoes with good grip (so that you minimise the risk of falling down and potentially getting injured).
• The route​ is planned in advance using Komoot. The walk leader typically does not recce the walk before the event. It is possible to find muddy terrain and/or slippery paths.
• It might be very windy and cold when we are on top of the hills. So you will need to bring some warm clothes with you.
• Be aware that in case of extreme weather conditions this event might be canceled or postponed.
• Any important news or updates before the event will be posted in the comments section. Make sure you check them. You can also enable automatic email notifications in your Meetup profile's settings.
• The main walk leader usually wears blue shoes and red backpack, you should be able to recognise him.
• ​We have a WhatsApp community which you can join after attending at least one event.

Weather forecasts:

• Peak District @ Met Office
• Kinder Scout @ Mountain Forecast
• Kinder Low @ Met Office

What to bring:

• required: walking clothes, hiking shoes, enough food and water for a full day
• recommended: raincoat, warm fleece, comfortable backpack, gloves, phone, wool beanie
• optional: hiking poles, hat, cap, suncream, sunglasses, camera, torch

More details:

• Start Time: 10:00am
• Meeting point: Edale Car Park, Hope Road, Edale, S33 7ZQ
• Length: 14 miles / 23 km
• Elevation Gain: 2,700 feet / 800 mt
• Difficulty: Hard
• Duration: around 7 hours

Public transport in the morning:

• train from Sheffield (9:14) to Edale (9:46)
• train from Manchester Piccadilly (8:45) to Edale (9:31)

Public transport in the evening:

• trains from Edale (16:30, 17:30, 18:30, 19:30, 20:30) to Sheffield
• trains from Edale (16:47, 17:48, 18:47, 19:47, 20:48) to Manchester Piccadilly

Terms and Conditions:
Anyone joining this walk is responsible for their safety and health (including guests). The group does not have any insurance policy covering injuries. If you RSVP to this event, you must agree to these conditions.

If you have any questions, please contact the event organiser and/or write a message in the comments section.