Swamp hike 2024

After teaching, I set off to the Peak District for the annual Swamp hike. There was congestion near Manchester. There was a fuel stop that required a bigger detour than I expected on the basis of what my satnav was telling me. And there were very slow, very big tractors on the small roads near Edale. But I got there. Even though it took me almost 4 hours. 

My friends were already in the pub. And this was a literal stone’s throw from the campsite they had booked. There was absolutely no parking space by the pub, but one of my friends came out and showed me where to park on the campsite itself. And then I could join them. I could do with a pint after a busy teaching day and a gruelling drive!

There were only four of us; some of the regulars couldn't make it. But we had Roelof, Viking and Sleutel. When I realised that, I was wondering if that would cause trouble; they are all a foot taller than me, so it was turning into the tale of the sausage dog and the three Dobermans. Uphill all would be well; but on the flat, and downhill, I might struggle to keep up. But that was a worry for later. Now it was just time for being glad to see each other, have a pint, and have a pub meal.

The pub

Not hiking food

After the meal I pitched my tent, and we all brushed our teeth and went to bed. And from our tents, we could all hear the wind pick up quite considerably.

The next morning that wind was still strong. Not ideal! And given that we were in a village anyway, we thought we might not bother with camping stoves in high winds, but try to find coffee elsewhere. When I was trying to park my car somewhere in the area I noticed that the café of the station was open from 8 am. We went there! And had a great start of the day.

On the campsite 

When that was done I just paid for my car to stay at the campsite for another night. And then we were off! In the sun but also the heavy wind. The path was clear and well-maintained. Initially, we would first head south so we could go over Rushup Edge, but in these winds, none of us wanted to be on top of a ridge. We headed straight for the Pennine Way, which would take us over the Jacob’s Ladder to the edge of Kinder Scout. A beautiful route, going from bucolic to bleak. And surprise surprise, when we got to the top of Jacob's Ladder, it was again so windy it wasn't fun anymore. So instead of turning right onto Kinder Scout proper, we went straight ahead and headed for the reservoir on the other side. That was much better! And we had lunch with a view over the reservoir. 

It started sunny

Sunny but windy! And with clouds approaching 

Jacob’s Ladder

Reaching the ridge, Viking clearly struggling to stay upright 

Proper swampy terrain

View from the lunch spot

By then the wind had abated, so we headed for William’s Clough, which would again get us to the edge of Kinder Scout. By this time that was fine, but daylight would soon fade. We looked at a little saddle underneath the ridge, and decided that might be a good spot. We first stocked up on water and then we headed there. It was fine camping spot! A bit misty, but that was atmospheric.

In the Clough

Hike selfie: Roelof, Sleutel, Viking and me

It was still early, so we first had a beer. The men had carried actual beer all this way! And then Roelof cooked his famed butter chicken (with fake chicken) in the dark. The pan fell over and some of the sauce and ended up in the grass, but it was still a fab meal! Even festooned with some fireworks down in the valley, although these were tiny from that distance. And shortly after that we all went to bed.

Relaxing with beer

Butter (not) chicken! 

My tent was comfortable, but my sleep was disturbed. Some unidentified creature crawled into my ear. I hate that! It's not the first time that happened to me. I think it got out because at some point I couldn't feel it anymore. And from then on I had a nice night.

The next morning the mist was back. I had breakfast with my leftover lunch; my breakfast would last! The lunch needed to be eaten now or never. And we agreed on a route back. Initially, the idea had been to go back to Roelof’s car, but we could just as well go back to mine. It was a lot easier to find a nice route to there. We agreed to go up to Kinder Scout, traverse it, and go down through Grindsbrook Clough. 

Our little tents in the morning when i got up 

Two curious sheep appeared, and made short thrift of the food spillage of last night. They liked butter chicken as well! And then we were off. Soon we were on the edge, where it was very atmospheric, and very quiet.

On our way to the plateau

Brief appearance of the sun

Amazing outcrop

 

We got to Kinder Downfall, and there headed to the interior of the platform. That meant the going suddenly wasn't as comfortable anymore! On the edge, the path is clear and firm and wide. But now we were heading into a peat landscape, transected by endlessly many streams, cut into the slippery subsurface. The path wasn't always obvious. We really relied now on navigation with phones! In no time it gets very difficult to navigate by map when you leave the edge. And we were moving really slowly. All these gullies we had to descend into, and then climb out of, complicated things. And Roelof had a stomach ache and was struggling. 

The landscape on the platform 

We were glad when we got back to the edge, where there again was a clear and solid path! It's also very busy. But that was OK. We followed the path until we got to the ravine that carried Grinds Brook to Edale. And that was basically a scramble! In the beginning, at least. We were moving slowly again. But then the path got smooth again, and we could march back to the pub. 

Descending the misty but busy gulley

Further down it looks more hospitable 

We decided to first have pub lunch there, and only then do the logistics. And that was the right call. Roelof had suggested we take my car to get his, bring it to Edale, and then redistribute. But we checked just how long that would take, and reconsidered. We’d just all pile into my little Corsa, bags and all, and go back to where Roelof had parked up. And that is indeed how the adventure ended! It had been short for me, but worth every second. I wouldn’t mind doing some more Peaks next year!

 

Back where it started!