The Magic Mountain

Yesterday, my daughter asked me "Dad, if you could only ever climb one mountain for the rest of your life which one would it be?" - ouch, tough question.

Now, I don't want to seem like I am blowing my own trumpet here but I've been to the top of over 500 different hills and mountains in the UK, some of them many times. I have climbed all kind of pointy bits of landscape from Dartmoor to the North of Scotland, been out in every kind of weather and seen some amazing things - so, as you can guess, I had a lot to choose from. In typical dad fashion I stalled and gave a generic answer about "all mountains being special, etc, etc, etc" but last night I had a really good think about it and finally pinned if down to just one.

Before I give away the winning mountain's identity I wanted to give some of the reasons why I chose the one I did and how it encapsulates my views on adventure and the love of the British hills.

The official Government definition of a mountain is a summit of 600 meters (a little under 2000 feet) or higher and the one I have chosen checks in at 633 meters, so, it only just qualifies. Like the mountains of Britain in general its small but this also makes it accessible. If you choose to, then you can get to the top and back with a relatively simple walk of 5 miles, with a total ascent of less than a thousand feet from a major UK road. Alternatively you could spend all day making your way to the top, scramble up waterfalls, climb weird rock formations, watch mountain hares running around, sit amongst the heather, picnic by its little streams and hardly ever see another person. You can make it as simple or as hard as you feel comfortable with - the perfect hill for adventure.

Any guesses yet?

Like every bit of high ground in the country, you need to respect it and be prepared. Yes, in perfect conditions you could wander to the top and back in an hour and a half, but, when its tough it gets really tough, really quickly. I'm a navigation geek and like I said I have been all over the country with a map and compass in my hand but this is the hardest place I have ever had to navigate. The "summit" is really a plateau which stretches for 7 km from west to east and 6 km from north to south and in that area are only two major footpaths, the rest is a collection of odd rocks, peat, heather, streams and bogs. Wander from the path without a map and you're in trouble - I should know, I'm in the mountain rescue team that covers this area and we spend a lot of time searching for lost walkers, even ones who are well prepared. But, if you know how to handle a map and compass then this is real adventure territory.

In this country we seem to believe that everywhere is a bit tame, that we don't have real mountains like the Alps or Himalayas - if anything does qualify then you need to go to Scotland or maybe even Wales. There are plenty of people who wouldn't believe there are any adventures to be had in England unless you go to the Lake District but this hill isn't in any of these places. But, I'm trying very hard to convince you that adventures can be had right on your doorstep. The place I am describing is within an hour's journey of six major cities; Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford, Liverpool and Derby.  Enough of the suspense, have you guessed where it is? Hands up all those people who said Kinder Scout ... sorry, you're wrong, it is in fact Kinder's little brother, Bleaklow.

In typical British fashion I have gone for the plucky underdog, the one that always gets overlooked, the one that always gets ignored as the crowds head to neighbouring Kinder Scout for this, in a way is part of its appeal. You can go to Kinder on any day of the year and there will always be loads of people milling around Kinder Downfall or walking along the Pennine Way. Bleaklow is different, it  is like a members only club that only a select few know about. Sure, lots of people traverse Kinder and carry on along the Pennine Way to then cross Bleaklow and, hopefully, get all the way to Kirk Yetholm in Scotland at the end of 267 really hard miles but even though they pass the cairn at the highest point they have never really experienced what Bleaklow has to offer - that's the least interesting way up. Bleaklow is an odd mountain, the top doesn't have great views, in fact if it wasn't for the big cairn with the pole sticking out of it then the summit is hardly distinguishable from any other bit of the plateau, all the action is around the edges and the approaches.

Fancy a bit of romance?

Whatever style of walk you want then I bet you I could recommend a way up that contains those elements:

Woodland? head up Middle Black Clough, across to Blacklow Stones and then along to the top.

A scramble? Go up Wildboarclough

Big dramatic valley? Take the Doctor's Gate Path

Wide airy moorland? Try going up Lightside, along to Dog Rock

An easy stroll? Park at the Snake Pass summit and walk along the Pennine Way

A really tough day? Alport Bridge, Westend, Grinnah Stones, Bleaklow Head and back down the Alport Valley

History? Try finding some of the plane crash sites (there are a lot of them - more about them in future blogs)

Romance? Take your beloved to the Wain Stones, also known as the Kissing Stones

Part of the B29 bomber crash

Bleaklow is the mountain that has it all.

There are probable quite a few outdoorsy types who are reading this and maybe sneering a little bit - they probably think there are much more worthy mountains to choose, each having their own personal favourites and I'm not going to argue with them. It's a personal choice after all. That's the point of all this really, its up to each of us to find our own adventures and these don't have to be miles away from home. Bleaklow was my favourite mountain for all of the reasons listed above but most probably because its the one I know best and so I have had the longest time to learn its ways and little hidden nooks and crannies.

Bleaklow is my mountain, its my home territory, I can see it from my living room window (or not see it when the clouds roll in). I have been up there in thick snow, blazing sun, torrential rain, howling gales, in the dark, watched the sunset and rise, rescued people, taken up groups and friends. I have been up it so many times I couldn't even begin to put a number on it and its always different, always exciting, always an adventure.