Day 30 - Edale to Crowden

Breakfast a bit to be desired, kids were still there and huge queue to get anything. Pain au chocolate and croissant were the most appetising. 3 new ladies were all from Malaysia, Lily, Honey and Brenda and 2 other ladies had walked to Kinder Scout yesterday, they gave £7 between them. No rain yet(was predicted for today) but very windy, initial path from youth hostel over grassy fields of sheep, wind behind me. Through Ollerbrook Booth then into Edale. Pennine Way starts opposite The Old Naggs Head. Ominously, mountain rescue were doing a collection. Nice route through several fields via flagstones and down to Upper Booth. Enjoying this - no worries! National Trust shelter/information at Lee House with very friendly chickens. Then sandy/stony track slightly uphill packhorse stone bridge and steep steps (Jacobs Ladder named after Jacob Marshall, packhorse driver who scrambled up slope to smoke pipe whilst packhorses took longer zig zag track. Lovely views back down to valley from top. Guy coming other way hardly moving due to wind and dressed for the Arctic! Some people going my way in shorts and t shirts! Gore stuff keeping the wind out. At outcrop rocks called Edale Rocks difficult to see were path went. Then path turned into wind and boy was it windy! Rocky path so difficult to run on and could see Kinder resevoir below and Manchester in the distance. After 1.5 miles or so, got to where Kinder waterfall should have been in full force but due to lack of rain it had totally dried up which was actually good news as all surrounding peat was spongy and bone dry. Again difficult to find track on other side but when did pick up met loads of hikers going other way, many thought I was a real fell runner, praise indeed! Steep downhill to path crossing road at Ashop Head with Snake Pass then up to Mill Hill where road of flagstones laid over Featherbed Moss for next 3 miles. Put on gloves and buff as now getting cold. Into ferocious headwind so case of run for a bit then walk to be able to breath! It's nothingness out here but cotton grass and peat. Flagstones brought in by copter to prevent erosion of fragile soil. Crossed A57 Snake Road and continued uphill on other side, crossing another packhorse route before entering Devil's Dyke, shallow trench between peat fields which then followed and eventually entered the stream so got a bit boggy. Up onto Bleaklow plateau to Bleaklow Head where again difficult to find path and needed to use compass! Started to drop down to eventually meet the stream - part of the path was rugged, part flagstoned. Crossed river to then head steeply uphill then along rim of Torside Clough. Mega MEGA windy and although dropping gradually, all my energy was spent on staying on my feet , the weight of the backpack helped but still got blown over twice. Rugged steep downhill to disused railway track then followed dam to cross between Torside and Rhodeswood Resevoir before track through conifers led to A628. Further track to Crowden Youth Hostel for welcome cup of coffee and recounted windy adventures with others including David. No mobile reception.

Miles 18.94 time 5.18