The undergrowth is thick with shrubs but this popular track has clearly seen many visitors with the path clearly worn and accessible to anyone on foot with even the mildest of fitness levels. It feels refreshing to walk an unsealed path in nature and brought back lots of great memories about our life back on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. It was there that our familys love of of mountains and hikes were founded, in fact when we first began we almost lost 4 year old Mackenzie over the side of Mt Ngungun as our curious and energetic little sprite scrambled faster than we could keep up. It wasn’t long after that we had to have her tethered to us with a specially made set up from the mountain store to keep her safe.

Summer holidays in 2021 still posed many restrictions so a holiday minus flights, pre-testing and other challenges felt like a wise decision. The decision to visit the Peak District was an easy one with its competitor the Lakes District being 6 hours as opposed to the 4 hours. 6 hours is a very long drive in England and often results in about 7-8 hours of travel in a hot unairconditioned car.

We arrived and looked for a place to park with many people parked on the verge of a relatively narrow road, but it did leave enough space for a car to drive past. Probably best to take the first space available if its busy to avoid having to turn around and drive back. The entrance is certainly not signposted with anything grand, but is a step over opening so accessiblity is a not possible for anyone with poor mobility as is the walk up.

It was a relatively easy ascent with identifiable pathways and only a few areas of rocks and step ups to navigate. We managed well although with Long Covid Syndrome, I did have to stop to catch my breath a few times and took it slower that I previously would have. The walk through the low lying shrubs led us past plenty of sheep and the views were spectacular even before we got to the top.

In my mind I was going to find somewhere quiet at the top to sit on a rock and think whilst the sun set, and apparently many others had the same plan but their idea of quiet and mine were significantly different. The most distracting however are the bugs that hover over the rock edge and I then wished I had brought bug spray. Despite the distractions it was the most incredible sunset I have seen for quite some time and I would return in a heartbeat, and it has the instaworthy “hanging rock” that fools people into thinking you have posed on a rock with a long drop when in fact it is relatively safe.

If you would like to do this walk please make sure to wear sensible shoes, hat/sunscreen, take water, and find a toilet before you get there! Please be kind the the environment and take your rubbish with you.

Ascent: Approximately 217m

Distance/Time: 1km/60min return from New Road

Cheers From Derbyshire, Tams