Over the Shivering Mountain

1 Take the tarmac ginnel from the back of the car park, then turn left along Hollowford Lane. The route you are about to walk as far as Hollins Cross is a former packhorse route, and one that would have been used by workers making a daily trip between Castleton and Edale Mill.

2 The lane climbs the hillside north of the village, and passes an outdoor centre. Abandon the lane where it turns sharp left and becomes an unsurfaced track to Woodseats Farm. Go through the gate ahead onto a sunken stony path that leads the route through the shade of hawthorn trees to reach a gate on the edge of the moor. From here you traverse left across the steeper rugged ground of the upper slopes to reach the high pass at Hollins Cross. Here there's a view recorder and monument to rambler Tom Hyett.

3 You now have the fields of Edale spread beneath your feet. The spire of the village church looks minute compared with the rock-crested heather slopes of Kinder Scout. You may hear the whistling of the Manchester train as it hurries through the valley on its way to Sheffield. Follow the ridge path left (west veering left and further southwards) to the summit of Mam Tor. From the summit continue along the paved path to the Mam Tor Nick car park.

4 Through the car park turn left along the A625. Follow the road round the right-hand bend, then take the cross-field path on the left past Winnats Head Farm. Beyond the farm descend the narrow lane into the spectacular limestone ravine of Winnats Pass - a 1 in 5 (20%) gradient. It is not necessary to walk on the tarmac through Winnats - there's a good path which descends the grassy slopes beneath the crags on the left all the way down to Speedwell Cavern.

5 On the far side of the road, opposite the Speedwell Cavern building, a footpath takes the route through the National Trust's Longcliff Estate. It skirts the slopes, and roughly follows the line of a dry-stone wall on the left to terminate at Goosehill Farm.

6 Here continue along the lane, Goosehill, which heads back towards the centre of Castleton. After crossing Goosehill Bridge over Mill Stream, turn left down a tarmac path that follows the stream banks, emerging at the main street opposite the car park.