Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
The walk starts high, at over 500 m, where the Pennine Way crosses the Snake Pass, and makes a circuit onto Bleaklow, the second highest of the Dark Peak moors and a wilderness of peat groughs. It follows the Pennine Way north, then climbs to Higher Shelf Stones (622 m), near which lies the wreck of a B-29 Superfortress that crashed in 1948, and goes on north to Bleaklow Head (633 m). The return is by a more easterly line. It is on path nearly all the way.
It is 8.1 km with 140 m of ascent; allow about 2½ hours. The grade is Easy because it starts high and climbs little, but this is open peat moor.
Navigation is hard in mist: there are few landmarks among the groughs, and the Pennine Way is flagged only in places. Carry a map and compass, check the forecast and use your judgement; winter snow makes it far more serious. There are no mapped water sources on the route.
Parking at the start is free and roadside. The nearest station is Glossop, about 5.5 km away in a straight line.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Bleaklow is the second highest of the Dark Peak moors, a wilderness of peat groughs
- The wreck of a B-29 Superfortress that crashed in 1948 lies near Higher Shelf Stones
- Starts high, at over 500 m, where the Pennine Way crosses the Snake Pass
- Navigation is hard in mist; the Pennine Way is flagged in places
Summits on the way
- Higher Shelf Stones 622 m
- Bleaklow Head 633 m
Getting there
Start: Snake Pass summit · Free parking. 53.43286, -1.86892
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Glossop: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
