It was going to be an easy access walk from Doctor's Gate to the Boulton-Paul Defiant site at Near Bleaklow Stones with a return depending on whim and weather . And all started well , with an impressive break-through for the sun near Hearn Clough . Add to that kestrels , and a close view of a short-eared owl , and the cloud over the tops wasn't much of a turn-off .

An interesting trip , which developed as it  went along . The broad premise was to go up via Crowden Clough , and head initially for the Downfall via Kinder Gates . The rest would be largely dependent on how the going was .Ascending the clough it was soon obvious that very little water was coming down it .

An interesting trip , which developed as it  went along . The broad premise was to go up via Crowden Clough , and head initially for the Downfall via Kinder Gates . The rest would be largely dependent on how the going was .Ascending the clough it was soon obvious that very little water was coming down it .

One of the quickest ways on to the tops is the path to Alport Castles from the Westend Valley , and it also has the great advantage of being excellent underfoot , and giving the option of multiple routes over Westend Moor , or up the Alport . All I had firmly in mind was a trip to Bleaklow Stones , and a probable return via Grinah/Barrow Stones , so it was the obvious choice .

I haven't been 'proper' walking for a while after a slight back problem , so this is a bit of  reintroduction , and purposely close to easy escapes . The downside is the amount of reservoir track required to make up the circle . You can come off down Howden Clough and see the old valve reservoir for the dams  , but that can be trickier than you think , and doesn't knock much distance off .

This is one of those trips that you never bother recording because they are so familiar - a walk along Stanage Edge is just one of those things you're always doing if you live round here . Today though I had the GPS with me , the weather was exceptional (apart from a fairly stiff 'Stanage breeze' on the top) , so here it is .

I was going to go over to Shiny Clough and work my way up to the Stones from there , but cloudbase and a heavily waterlogged moor  made that feel more like a challenge walk than a pleasant day out . So I veered south-eastish from Bleaklow Head , spent some time watching the clouds roll by at Fork Stones , and then worked my way up to Bleaklow Stones , where I did the same .

I've usually walked in the southern part of the Dark Peak , largely because living in southern Sheffield makes the Snake and Hathersage roads the most convenient ways out . This time I thought I would see if I could tie the northern Bleaklow edges into a walk starting from the south .The Pennine Way makes for easy access , and was deserted early in the morning .

A pretty hot day for the UK , no rain  for ages , and clear , if possibly hazy air -so pretty good conditions for a walk taking in the Etherow / Derwent  watershed line . It's normally a pretty squelchy outing .But today it was rather bouncy , and frighteningly crackly dry . Tinder springs to mind as the analogy , as the warning notices at the gate down to Slippery Stones underlined .