Scrambles in the Dark Peak

BY TOM CORKER AND TERRY SLEAFORD

Here is a great little Cicerone Guide book! I regularly see on walking forums, one particular question being asked again and again. 'Are there any good scrambles in the Peak District?' The replies are usually few and vague. Here is the answer. Tom and Terry have highlighted many scrambles in the Peaks. Mostly in the Dark Peak and ranging in ability. The maps are well detailed and the routes show multiple variations so you can customize and plan your day as you like. If you spend a lot of time in the Peaks then you will most likely have walked past a clough or gully and thought to yourself 'Is this climbable?' This book has answered several of those questions for me and I'm looking forward to testing those routes in the future.

here's an example Fairbrook

LED Lenser P7

Quickly switch from spot to flood beam with one hand works really well.

Luminous Flux = 200 = very bright

Range = 210m

Burn time = up to 130 hours

Its rock solid, comes with a case and a wrist strap.

Very useful for camping or to illuminate the path ahead.

Very reasonable price. check out on Amazon but be weary of fakes on Ebay

Berghaus Arete 45

Very basic pack in terms of storage. One large top pocket and two side pouches. This could have benefitted from a sleeping bag compartment and a rain cover would have been nice. This pack does have plenty of loops though for ice axes, carabiners and other equipment. The shoulder straps and waist belt are comfortable with further loops and the compression straps are large and work well. I like a pack of this size. Its ideal for me when i want to be carrying waterproofs or another layer although I wish it had more than just the one means of access to the main compartment. It also doesnt have much of an air flow system to reduce sweaty back discomfort but it is lightweight and otherwise comfortable. Ideal for climbing with all the loops.

The North Face Terra 25

I am impressed with many elements to this pack. There is a nice large front pocket that is ideal for maps, small side pockets, a large top pocket with key clip and mesh pouch and it comes with its own rain cover. It also has a sleeping bag compartment opening which I have found useful even though i doubt i'll ever be using a 25L pack if i'm carrying a sleeping bag. My only real complaint about it is the shoulder straps. The Terra series goes up to 65L and it seems to me that they have used the same straps on all of them no matter what size. I feel that these straps are far too big and and chunky for a small pack. It kinda feels like you are wearing a parachute. I do prefer it with the backplate removed as it feels far too rigid and the main comparment narrows too much. I'd imagine the larger bags feel a lot more comfortable.

Osprey Aether 70

Yet to be fully tested. I bought this recently with the intention of doing lots of wild camping next year. So far I am very impressed with the comfort of this pack. The top hatch can be removed and used as a bum bag. A nice feature but I doubt i'll use that. The waist straps can be custom moulded at limited outdoor stores. The main compartment has a front opening which is very useful if you want something from inside without having to take everything out of the top first. It has a large sleeping bag opening at the bottom so is easier and quicker to pack and Stow On The Go Trekking pole attachments which is also very useful as you can strap on your poles without having to take your pack off. Just a shame it didn't come with a rain cover.

Eurohike Walking Pole

Antishock walking pole. Not a big fan of antishock poles as they constantly make me think they are going to collapse on me. Dont know why, I just prefer a pole that is rigid and not giving the impression that it is collapsing. I found this pole to also be a little bit squeaky when the anti shock kicks in and it didnt take me long to lose the snow shoes.

Leki Sierra

This pole is a little bit heavier than others out there at 10.5 oz but i really like the wooden knob as I think it gives it a slight old school feel. The best part about the wooden knob though is that it can be unscrewed to reveal a camera mount. You can use your trekking pole like a monopod! I dont have a lot of use for this feature unless I am shooting video at a distance or really zooming in far for a photo. I got it mainly for my trip to the Himalayas to get sharp shots of the famous peaks. I like the feel of the spongey thermo grip over the usual rubber ones and it always felt very sturdy with the super lock system.

Mountain Equipment Wet and Dry Kit Bag

This bag is simply big and tough. It has an internal sack attached to separate wet and dry kit. I used it on my EBC Trek to seperate my clean clothes from my steaming used socks :)

It also has 3 huge zipped mesh pockets so pretty much everything other than clothes has a space. Each morning the sherpas would make great use of the side compression straps so that they could carry several bags each on their backs. One feature I found very useful when on foot is the backpack straps and chest clip. Very very useful when walking and reasonably comfortable considering you have 100L on your back.

Petzl Snowalker

for glaciel touring and snow slopes. This stainless steel axe is very lightweight and comes in three lengths which helps us lanky types. The rando leash that you see in the middle of the pole came with it although I dont think it is long enough so I bought another from DMM which I have attached to the cut out profile head.

Petzl Tikka Plus

Good quality headtorch