Edaupp one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Edaupp here.

Some steep climbs which then offer stunning views. Potential for cattle, steps rough ground and paths shared with bikes. No services along the route. Plotting is good on recorded rights of ways but fails on the permissive section so has to be failed see Edaupp-2.

I walked from Fairholmes, Upper Derwent Visitor Centre. The place was busy even on this September Wednesday, it may have been the late summer weather but I guess it's busy most days based on the large car park, slick operation at the cafe and extensive picnic benches. For me this bustling location is remote and isolated, having walked in from Hathersage my only way out is to walk another Slow Way. The bus shelter proves my point where the timetable offers no buses Monday to Saturday only a Sunday service.

A notice at the start of the walk records a public path closure with as usual 'No alternative route'. All well and good for those setting out but my other option is to return to Hathersage the way I came. The notice does give some hope "Access will be maintained whenever reasonably possible". I give it a go.

In this direction the permissive paths are well signed so easy to follow away from the plotted route. Not so good if coming from Edale hence the need for Edaupp-2. It's a steep climb and at times has steps along the narrow path, signs state no cycles and I didn't meet any but riders do appear to treat any path as open to bikes.

The permissive path meets the closed bridleway further north than plotted and here there is the distant sound of forestry work, the reason for the closure, but turning south I have open fields to one side and I'm soon at Lockerbrook Outdoor Centre where notices make clear the plotted route is not a path.

It's downhill from here along a track used by traffic to the centre so although it's subject to the closure it is open. I guess the closure was really the wooded section further north. At a crossing of paths I continue downwards and after passing another Outdoor centre at Hagg Farm the Snake Pass road is crossed, no issues using eyes and ears to reach the path opposite.

It continues down to a bridge over the River Ashop. It's now another climb to a point just north of Hope Cross then dropping again along a peaceful bridleway to Jaggers Clough, a ford here may offer a challenge after heavy rain. This is a lovely spot and far less busy than the similar bridge crossing at the foot of Jacob's Ladder on the Pennine Way.

The stream offers a chance to freshen up but as always is short lived as departure is another, albeit short, climb. Wow what a wonderful view at the top, the ridge from Lose Hill to Mam Tor and beyond, from a path new to me, always a delight. It's now a gentle descent so an easier climb if starting from Edale. The short section of road is not an issue and the alternative to the YHA would involve another climb.

Good to see a screen showing, what I assume to be, live train information but no the tail end of a station announcement warns this is not to be relied on. There will be a good number of disgruntled passengers if the train fails to show.

Pleasant route - a combination of farmland and woodland. Relatively easy to follow throughout, although worth noting that the route plotted through the woods from Lockerbrook (the last mile or so) has changed slightly and some of the paths have been rerouted. No access issues that I noted other than this. One short section on road near the start and one crossing of a busy road (A57/Snake Pass).

Out of choice I would normally use the paths on the edge of Kinder rather than the farmland through Edale, but this would add a significant amount of climbing to the route and maybe make it less accessible to all.

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