1000m: Crown Above Dovedale

Conquer the crown of Dovedale to become a king! That is what the legends of the past aimed to do, including Thor and Oden. We follow in their footsteps with this challenging hill walk of 1000 metres ascent. It is an exhilarating hike around the tops of the hills surrounding Dovedale, much more than stroll down the valley. We shall follow some permissive and unmarked paths across Access Land, including steep and scrambly terrain. 

This time of year sees the white peak at its best: glistening white limestone outcrops shining in the low winter sun, with views uninterrupted by leafy trees. This is hopefully the first of a series of seasonal, challenging walks exploring the White Peak. Along the way, I'll point out some features of the history and landscape.

Our route begins at the village of Thorpe. We climb steadily over Thorpe pastures top (308m), then cross a gully which is scrambly in places. Excellent views down to the River Dove can be seen here. We pass above Sharplow Dale and Pickering Dale before descending to the Mammoth's cave then rising steeply over the Nabs and Bailey Hill (340m). We then descend to Milldale Bridge.

Crossing the valley, the afternoon will take us over Hall Dale (260m) then a descent and rise through the woods over Bunster Hill (329m). Excellent views again here over Dovedale and Thorpe Cloud. The descent is steep, after which we cross the Dove on our return to Thorpe, taking in the popular Thorpe Cloud (287m) on the way. The whole circuit forms a crown, and you will be a king for completing it! 

This is as difficult as hill walks get and is pretty much the same as a mountain walk, and certainly good preparation for one, We may adjust the walk according to weather conditions, and there will be an opportunity to miss a couple of the peaks if you're tired, but please come ready for a challenge. A recent OutdoorLads hill walk would be excellent preparation! Look out for more challenging hill walks with the 1000m and 500m heading coming soon!

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