The Rosko Chapters - Ep 12 - Stanage & Hathersage
- Ben Mellor
- Mar 1, 2025
- 3 min read
So this weeks walk I was really looking forward to. I'm not out this week to conquer any peak as such, but to visit n area of the peak district that I've talked so much about in my younger years but never visited, Stannage edge.
Stanage Edge, a premier gritstone crag near Sheffield, is a historic British climbing venue with over 2,000 routes spanning over a mile. Pioneered in the late 19th century, it became a hotspot for postwar development, notably with Joe Brown’s Right Unconquerable (1949), and is famous for hard traditional climbing and bouldering. Joe Brown became a figure that I admired when starting out doing multi pitch routes in Snowdonia. and I'm embarrassed to say that he first came onto my radar, not through research, but when i turned up ill equipped at Capel Curig in Snowdonia and had to visit his shop for some extra layers.
I plotted a nice route across the edge that circled back through the rolling hills North of Hathersage. Little did i know what a picturesque outing this was going to be.
we got up early for this one as i knew, with the weather forecast looking good, that there will be a lot of people heading out for the hills today. We managed to park just by Carhead Rocks and we quickly got underway. It took all of 15 minutes to get to the top of the ridge. it was kind of bittersweet. I like the challenge of a hard earned slog up awkward terrain but happy to be there at the same time. Also, the views definitely didn't disappoint. the orange hue of the dead bracken and leaf stripped trees seemed to make the landscape look very vintage. I took a moment with Rory to take it in and started to hop across the rocks and take a few photos along the way.
I did venture into robin hoods cave pictured below. However, I didn't hang about in order to keep Rory entertained with the passing people above.
We moved North west along the ridge for 3km, passing the trig point and I very happy to be making good ground and playing about with the drone along the way. The edge is a lot longer than the section that we'd travelled so far. i was dubious when planning the route that we hadn't taken the full edge in but now I'm here, and I'm pretty content with the amount we had crossed as it was quite a similar landscape throughout. I followed the route south down past the edge and descended into Hathersage.
we meandered downhill for a good 30 mins taking in the landscape. Cutting through farmers fields and through small wooded areas. It felt like a proper adventure through different terrain. The one thing I did worry about though was the amount of descent we was getting through. so far I'd only done 15 mins uphill and 1hr 30 downhill. Nevertheless we trundled on through winding public pathways until we stumbled across a very picturesque church! Rory was amused, the path cut through the churchyard, I don't think he had seen anything like this church before so closely. It's amazing how the things we see daily and take for granted are so awesome for little people!
We stopped for some lunch shortly after the churchyard and I sent the drone up. some how, and I have no idea how, we had walked through the ground of a beautiful looking manor! I still to this day have no idea what it was called. but it gave us great amusement while the drone was flying.
after lunch we started the ascent back up to the car. after walking for near 8km with 3 stone on my back I really resent this, no reward at the top of a nice trig point, just a car park was the prize. It seemed to last for ages and is also on tarmac..... we got there in the end as the road way opened up and the car came into view. This is the only part of the walk I think io would change. perhaps going off piste but this is always a big risk with a child on your back. Any way. I didn't let it dampen my spirits, another cracking day was had with the lad and some beautiful scenery. what more could you want on a Saturday!
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