|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kinder Scout (Edale), Peak District 8th - 10th February 2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kinder Scout is a moorland plateau in the Dark Peak of the Derbyshire Peak District. Part of the moor, at 636 metres above sea-level, is the highest point in the Peak District and the highest point in Derbyshire. It is accessible from the villages of Hayfield and Edale. Kinder Downfall is the highest waterfall in the Peak District, at thirty metres. It lies on the River Kinder, where it flows west over the edge of Kinder Scout. The waterfall was formerly known as Kinder Scut, and it is from this that the plateau derives its name. Although usually little more than a trickle in summer, in spate conditions it is impressive. In certain wind conditions (notably when there is a strong west wind), the water is blown back on itself, and the resulting cloud of spray can be seen from several miles away. Below the Downfall the River Kinder flows into Kinder Reservoir. The rock formations which characterise the edges of the Kinder plateau are formed from a type of sandstone called Millstone Grit. The blanket of peat which covers much of the Kinder plateau was formed as a result of extensive waterlogging which began as a result in a change in the climate and tree clearance by early settlers about 6,000 years ago. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nadine, a member of our hiking club, who lives in North London and works as an architect, had asked me via Martin for a lift on this occasion, though she is normally in the habit of journeying by train to our hiking trip destinations. She took the train up Friday after work and I fetched her at Royston station. We were all booked to stay at the Cheesehouse in Homestead, The Farm, South View Lane, Bamford, Hope Valley, not far from Hathersage, where we had stayed on previous occasions. We arrived to discover that Peter Mathews had rearranged the accommodation without consulting anyone. Nonetheless, I was sharing a room upstairs with Martin, Vanda, Nadine and newcomer Clive, I think. We drove from Homestead to the car park in Edale. Unfortunately, though I had purchased a car park ticket from the ticket issuing machine, I had not purchased an all-day ticket by mistake and upon my return discovered, to my dismay, that I had been given a fine, a piece of paper having been neatly tucked under my windscreen wipers by some observant and officious parking attendant, no doubt. We made our way from the car park up the road past the local church to the Old Nags Head pub (the official start of the Pennine way), as we have always done. A short way up a stone path, we turned off and headed down to cross a bridge which then leads one up to a stile, where several options are presented one. One can take the hillside to the right all the way up to the plateau (as we had done on our previous walk in 2007). On this occasion we swung left and along a path following the stream known as Grindsbrook, that took us up the valley to the summit of Kinder Scout, at around 600 m. There we paused to take in the view and what better way to celebrate than enjoying a nice cup of tea. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
After our return from having dinner at the pub up the road from the Cheesehouse, Nadine had a surprise in store for us. In the kitchen she prepared Feuerzangenbowle, a traditional German alcoholic drink, sometimes part of a Christmas or New Year's tradition. Feuerzangenbowle is prepared in a bowl, similar to a fondue set, which usually is suspended over a small burner. The bowl is filled with heated red wine mixed with orange juice and spiced with cinnamon sticks and cloves, similar to mulled wine. The Feuerzange is a metal holder for the Zuckerhut (sugarloaf), a conical lump of sugar around seven inches long, which is mounted on top of the bowl. The sugar is soaked with rum and set alight, melting and caramelizing. The rum should have at least 54% alcohol per volume in order to burn properly. More rum is poured with a ladle until all the sugar has melted and mixed with the wine. The resulting drink is served in mugs while the burner keeps the bowl warm. The largest Feuerzangenbowle of all time was prepared in December 2005 at the Isartor in Munich. 9000 litres were brewed in an oversized copper cauldron. The earnings were donated to charity. |
|
|
|
Farm guests at the kitchen window during breakfast, Sunday morning. |
|
|
|
[UK - index] [Home Page] |
|
Links to other websites: |
|