Standing at Kinder Gates gives me the same feeling as when I enter an empty church. I feel a sense of peace, quiet and solitude, bathing in the warm embrace of the surrounding moors. Getting there is a bit of an adventure however you approach it. This time I followed the river from Kinder Downfall, which is straightforward other than the exposed mounds of peat that you can either choose to walk over, or pick your way around them by treading on slightly firmer terrain.
Another option is to sit and observe which route others choose to take, but on this particular day I was out running to check what the National Trust have been up to with their plans to build a flagstone path. Other than lots of large white bags and maybe a few more gulley blocks, I didn’t notice any other changes. This means business as usual for the fell race that I’ve entered. From Kinder Gates I lolloped across the plataeu to Crowden Tower, passing two men having a very casual conversation while paused on the moor. You think you won’t find anyone up there but you’d be surprised!
Join us for a walk up Kinder Scout to find the ‘Dog Stone’. I spontaneously recorded half of this interview while we were walking uphill together. Hopefully this means you’ll feel more immersed in the experience by listening to the river, our footsteps in the squelch, and a natural flow of conversation. I wanted to capture Kirsten’s vibrant, fun energy and playfulness with her dog while we walked.
“You can’t just make the assumption you’ll be able to do something later, you need to go and do it today.”
Tune in to hear about Kirsten’s interest in archaeology and folklore, her book inspired by the Peak District, and what makes her wild about Kinder on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Kirsten Amor is a Sheffield-based writer, editor, and photographer obsessed with nature, history, and adventure sports. She is a former archaeologist and lifetime climber, hiker, and runner. Subscribe to her Substack to follow her adventures.
One of the most common worries is being left behind and making everyone wait. This worry is so strong that many people won't ever join a walking group, or experience the absolute joys of walking with new people who may become friends.
Another thing that can put people off is walking with a large group, which can feel really overwhelming when actually you want to enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside with the safety net of sharing the experience with others.
This is why I'm leading Beginner Walks up Kinder Scout with small groups of maximum 10 people. We'll intentionally walk slowly, savour the experience, support each other, and maybe even get you to experience your first mountain! I'll keep everyone together so that you don't feel rushed or that everyone is waiting for you.
The January edition has sold out, but there are still tickets available for February!
Date: Saturday 28th February
Distance: approximately 4.5 miles
Ascent: 340m with steep sections
Meeting time: 8:45am to set off for 9am
Meeting place: Edale village car park
This guided walk might appeal to you if you are:
slowly building up your fitness
curious about mountain walking but you don’t want to take on too much too soon
wanting to try out walking on rocky terrain at an easy level
new to the area and looking to meet people
nervous about walking on Kinder Scout alone
Suitable for beginners who want to walk at a steady conversational pace over a short distance. The walk is steep going up and down but we will walk at a very steady pace and take plenty of breaks. There will be some rocky terrain where you may need to use your hands a couple of times but this is at an easy level and your guide will support you if you need it. There is one wooden stile to step over a fence.
If you have any questions please email: sarah@sarahventurer.com
You may have heard that three sections of new footpaths have been planned across the Kinder Plateau; Seal Edge, Crowden Tower to Kinder Gates, and Edale Head to Crowden Tower. The development involves the laying of approximately 2km of gritstone flags, pitched footpaths, and clapper bridges.
As part of this project, the landowner would plant up to 8000,000 plugs of Sphagnum moss with the intention of stabilising, re-vegetating and re-wetting the degraded areas of habitat to restore the functionality of the peatland habitat.
Thank you for being part of my Wild About Kinder community in 2025! I’m getting more podcast interviews lined up, I’m guiding walks including a couple of dates with my friend Ilaria for Edale Skyline (women only) if you’re looking for a challenge. The dates are 24th April 2026 and 24th May 2026.
If you have a Kinder story to share on my blog or podcast then please get in touch: sarah@sarahventurer.com and if you want to book me for a 1-1 or group guided walk with your friends, family or colleagues let me know some dates and I can reserve one for you.
I’ll see you just around the corner in 2026!
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