A hike in the Peak District National Park, from Edale to Chinley

The day after arriving in the Peak District, at my sister’s house, we set out on a crisp spring morning (a chilly 7°C) with my parents and sister’s partner.

Claire, Mike, Mum and Dad setting out on our walk, after a quick train ride from Chinley to Edale

We took the train, from Chinley to Edale, so we could hike back across the hills, covering nearly 400(m) of elevation gain in 12km (nearly 8 miles).

In the hills of the Peak District.

Edale is a small village at the start/end of the UK’s first and most famous long distance walking path – the Pennine Way. In 2010 my sister walked (jogged) the entire 267-mile walk in a fortnight, from the Peak District National Park along the Pennine ridge through the Yorkshire Dales and over Hadrian’s Wall, up into Northumberland, across the Cheviots, finishing in the Scottish Borders (snapshots of her experience, with my Mum and Dad supporting her, are on the blog).

My sister on the day of our walk.

Dad helping Mum through a ‘Kissing Gate’ at the start of our walk.

Our walk started out by following the Pennine Way through the Vale of Edale via a climb up Jacob’s ladder.

Walk from Edale to Chinley

Jacob’s Ladder

Ascending Jacob’s Ladder towards Kinder Low trigpoint

It was a good climb up that Jacob’s Ladder!

Mum and Dad, Claire and Mike, enjoying the scenery on the way up Jacob’s Ladder.

I admired the waterfalls and mossy rocks along the way (I have a bit of a ‘thing’ for moss and all its differing textures and varying shades of green!).

Nature in all its beauty.

After our climb we set out along the peaty ridge-line – which was paved with a stone-slabbed footpath most of the way.

Thankful for the stone slabs across the peaty ground.

Peaty goodness!

We left the Pennine Way behind at that point, instead heading South then West, to skirt Brown Knoll towards South Head.

Jumping around the sheep and lambs

Admiring the lambs along the way, and the stone walls and daffodils (at least I was – on my quick 10 day escape to the UK from autumn in NZ!).

Moss, stone wall and daffodils – spring loveliness in the Peak District.

We arrived back in Chinley mid-afternoon and enjoyed a lovely meal at my sister’s house, followed by an evening watching old cine-film clips from our family in the 1970s and looking at old photos. A perfect end to a wonderful day.