Blackden Brook and Kinder Edges

 

Today I finally attempted to do something I have wanted to try for a while now. Complete a full circuit of the Kinder Plateau along the edges. Something I also wanted to do was to try another ascent route. I've been looking for a while now for information on the ascent of Blackden Brook but wasn't finding anything online. All I knew about it was that it was possible! Not really knowing what to expect we set off from Snake Pass and made our way up Blackden Brook. Our exploration felt like un chartered territory, well apart from the narrow track we were following which at times became rather narrow with some nasty drops. As expected we didn't see anyone else on our ascent and after plenty of boulder hopping and traversing of the brook we made it to the top to very clear views from the dissipating clouds. Now it was time to follow the many edges of the Kinder Plateau. It wasn't long before we reached the south side and was greeted with a cloud inversion trapped in the Hope Valley. After a lunch break looking out to the Great Ridge we pushed on passing many cliffs, cloughs and rock formations. By the time we reached Kinder Low we were skeptical as to whether we had time to finish all the edges with enough daylight to get us back down Blackden Brook safely. At 6pm as we reached Fairbrook Naze with sore feet and aching joints and knowing that we only had about an hour left of daylight we made the decision to finish our circuit about 3km short and descended Fairbrook. It was a good thing we did too as daylight ended as we reached Snake Pass and we still had to complete a km of road walking to get to the car. (WARNING not the safest of road walking either)