I have run, walked, and climbed at Stanage for more than 50 years. I have even skied off the top of the crag in memorably snowy winters. From my house, Bamford Edge and Stanage form the distant eastern skyline. It is, by far, my favourite place in the Peak District. The edge is 6-7 km long, about 20m high at its highest, and set so well back from the valley that you hear no road noise. It runs roughly north-south, with the ‘Popular End’ at the south, and the much quieter High Neb and North End beyond the Long Causeway – the Roman road from Sheffield to Brough and Buxton. Carhead Rocks is a much smaller outcrop – an edge in miniature – below the Popular End, overlooking Hathersage.
The End Slab at the north end of Stanage. Kinder and Bleaklow spread across the horizon, with the top of Win Hill visible in between.
The Wobbler area at the north end of Stanage.
The Apparent North buttress at the south end of Stanage, with almost-finished grindstones. There are two trig points on Stanage, one towards the north on High Neb, and one on this buttress.
Stanage Plantation and the Popular End from the path up to Carhead Rocks.
Carhead Rocks, looking south.
The Hope Valley from Carhead Rocks. The cement works is obvious, with Mam Tor sunlit to the right. Lose Hill is above the foreground boulder, with Win Hill to its right. The dark horizon on the far right is the back of Bamford Edge.
Derwent Edge (the distant dark skyline on the left) and Stanage from Carhead Rocks. The Plantation is on the right. The Long Causeway runs down from the lowest point past the trees on the left. The highest point, middle left, is High Neb (Neb = nose).
Carhead Rocks – an edge in miniature.
Imposing – but actually small – buttresses on Carhead Rocks.
Basin 24 with #23 in the background. There are nearly a hundred of these basins to provide drinking water for the grouse. They are in a big arc along the north edge of Stanage round to the Rivelin Reservoirs.
Marble Wall at the north end of Stanage. The climbers are on First Sister (VS 4c).
High Neb, which is north of the Long Causeway. The climber is on High Neb Edge (HVS 5c).
The view south from the vicinity of High Neb. The Long Causeway, descending from Stanedge Pole, is clearly visible.
Almost all of the 6-7 km of Stanage is visible from the south end, curving away to the right of the image. Bleaklow is the righthand skyline with Kinder Scout on the left. Mam Tor and Rushup Edge are on the far left of the picture with Win Hill left of centre.
The Hope Valley from the Popular End of Stanage, with Mam Tor in the centre of the skyline.
The Popular End of Stanage, looking north.
The top of Flying Buttress, with Mam Tor, Lose Hill, Win Hill and Kinder on the skyline.
A typical Stanage buttress. There are three of the Top 50 routes in the Rockfax guide to Eastern Grit on this buttress – out of some thousands in the guide. The shadowed corner on the left is the superb Inverted V (VS 4b) – climb the crack and exit under the overhang on either side. Next to this is Robin Hood’s Right-hand Buttress Direct (HS 4a) – not difficult, but definitely intimidating. On the right-hand corner, up the crack above the tree, is Bishop’s Route (S 4a).
Stanage Plantation and High Neb on a stormy December day.
Lose Hill, Win Hill, the back of Bamford Edge, and Stanage from Carhead Rocks.
The very-well worn paved path, a packhorse route, through the Plantation and up to the Long Causeway.
High Neb from the paved path.
Looking south to the Plantation from the paved path.
The top of the paved path.
Boulders and tors between the top of the paved path and the Long Causeway.
The Popular End from above the Plantation.
Robin Hood’s Cave.
The Popular End.
Belaying on the top of Flying Buttress.
Win Hill, Kinder and Bleaklow from the Flying Buttress area.
The southern end of the continuous crags at Stanage.
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