There is not a lot that intimidates the mature me. However, as I grow old my mind constantly challenges my body. I accept that I must be less physically capable each and every day with 77 years under my soles. Climbing a hill is not a problem but climbing a big hill needs consideration. So it was with Lord’s Seat. As we had previously run over Brown Knoll, I wanted to finish the entire route over Rushup Edge. It can be done more easily from the road and car parks on the south but that is less of a challenge. This hill really belongs to Edale and that must be the start. We waited for a calm day although it proved rather warm. The appealing route was up from Barber Booth. So, we started our run from Edale car park.

Towering

The run to Barber Booth falls somewhat and looking up from that hamlet to the summit was truly intimidating. I knew it was a full 1000 feet climb. We took the path that joins the Chapel Gate Track and followed that to the col. The views across to Kinder and Jacob’s Ladder are joyous. On the col you trend left and along the ridge to the summit. This spot is marked by a chieftan’s grave, a tumulus. He, I doubt it was a she, wanted to look down upon their Iron Age encampment on Mam Tor, which is so obvious from this spot. Is there one chieftan interred here, or many? The Mam Tor encampment was abandoned by 600 BC, and way before the Roman’s arrived.

Lord’s Seat

The descent to Mam Nick was sheer excitement. We used the lane for a short way down towards Edale and then right on the path beneath the Iron Age walls on Mam Tor and across to Hollins Cross. An easy though poor path took us down and across to Greenlands and thence down the lane to the car park. The route was 7.5 miles and 1200 feet of climbing overall. This is an exciting route, so different to the less challenging routes on the White Peak. Ann and I now feel able to tackle these gritstone paths and intimidating climbs, those that typify the Dark Peak