Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
The walk starts from the Edale car park and makes a circuit. It climbs Grindsbrook Clough onto the plateau, follows the southern edge west to Kinder Low (633 m) and makes a short detour across the peat to the highest point, Kinder Scout (636 m). It drops down Jacob's Ladder on the Pennine Way, which starts at Edale, and returns through Upper Booth. About three-quarters is on path, with track and lane on the way back.
It is 14.6 km with 444 m of ascent; allow about 5 hours. The grade is Hard: the head of Grindsbrook Clough is steep and rocky, and the top is rough peat.
Kinder is a peat plateau rather than a peak: in mist it is featureless and easy to get lost on, so carry a map and compass, check the forecast and use your judgement. Winter snow and ice make it far more serious. The plateau was the scene of the 1932 mass trespass that helped win the right to roam. There are no mapped water sources on the route.
The car park charges a fee. Edale station is about 150 m away.
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
- The highest point in the Peak District, a peat plateau rather than a peak
- Scene of the 1932 mass trespass that helped win the right to roam
- Up Grindsbrook Clough, along the southern edge to Kinder Low, down Jacob's Ladder on the Pennine Way
- Edale is the start of the Pennine Way
Summits on the way
- Kinder Scout 636 m
- Kinder Low 633 m
Getting there
Start: Edale car park · Pay and display. 53.36470, -1.81508
By train: Edale station is 0.1 km from the start.
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Edale: 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.
