Edale SKYLINE - Hike the best views of the Peak District (20 miles & 4,000 ft of ascent)

The Edale Skyline is a classic loop in the Peak District that all hikers and runners should do in their lifetime. Amazing views with variety viewed in all directions. You walk/run the skyline of Edale and descend into and out of the Hope Valley. (Please help the channel to grow by donating a coffee here } https://ko-fi.com/amblingtrails Being a loop you obviously can start at any point, however, I decided to take the train as it was better to start directly on the loop to start from Hope station. Some start from Edale station but that entails a climb up Grindbrook before you are even at the start line. Others start at Mam Tor if they are arriving by car, this also requires quite a steep climb from the car park before beginning the hike. I decided to do the loop anticlockwise so that I could begin one of the climbs immediately, which was from Hope up to Win Hill. The alternative of a clockwise version would have seen a relatively flat start walking through Hope Village and then up Lose Hill. Given I was travelling in winter, I considered the walk back through Hope at the end was safer to do on tired legs and in possible darkness rather than descending the steep slopes of Win Hill and heading directly into Hope Station. We begin the hike at Hope station heading out of a small gate and immediately into some small fields following a northerly directions. It's not long before we are scrambling over a stone stile onto the fells and ascending Win Hill. Although there are clear blue skies and the sun is strong in the sky a biting wind is creating a wind chill below zero. I shelter behind some rocks to describe the walk I am intending to complete and then a further few steps and I am touching the trig point of Win Hill. Onwards I travel in the general direction of Crookstone Hill but first I view the famous Hope Cross which was placed in its present position in 1737. This has four place names on the cross of Hope, Edale, Sheffield and Glossop. Further along the trail we spot a wild camper in the lee of Crookstone Hill. Once we have gained the top of the hill we appreciate the stunning views on offer. We are now on the norther leg of the loop and begin to cross the various streams such as Jaggers Clough and Grindbrook. As we begin to finish this part of the loop we now witness all the eroded grit stones that create strange shapes, one of which is known as Ringing Roger. Kinder Low is the turning point and it is here we meet the Pennine Way which just a few miles from the start at Edale. This is also near Edale Cross but we ignore this and head on our journey heading south and come across the trig point of Brown Knoll. Now the path is on good going as slabs have been laid to protect the moorland and these stone slabs stay with us for nearly all the rest of the route to Lose Hill. As we turn and head in an easterly direction we come across two abdoned cars which look totally out of place on the moors and certainly do not look capable of moving given the surrounding terrain. Now we cross the road that travels over mam Tor whist we travel to its top. From here it's down in the dip into Hollins Cross and we are reminded of the fact that it is here we cross paths with the Limestone Way, which has began in Edale and is heading to Castleton. From here we climb up to the top of Lose Hill, the sun begins to set and the first rain drops of the day begin to fall, so we now hurry to our conclusion at Hope Station.