Edale Skyline in January: Fog, Wind, and Unplanned PR
- bootsandbanter
- Jan 25
- 7 min read
PR in January: I Thought I’d Lost My Hill Fitness
Date: 24 January 2026
📍Route: Hope Train Station → Lose Hill → Back Tor → Mam Tor → Rushup Edge → Brown Knoll → Kinder Low → Woolpacks → Crowden Tower→ Ringing Roger → Crockstone Out Moor → Hope Cross → Win Hill → Hope Train Station
📏Distance: 31.6 km
⬆️Ascent: 1,306 m
⌛Time: 6 h 55 m
Weather: 3°C, feels like -4, fog + savage wind (no views until km 20)
Mood: Determined to find out if I have lost my hill fitness of long hours and non-stop moving.
The Edale Skyline is a challenging 20-mile (32–33.5 km) circular walking and running route in the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, England. It encircles the Edale Valley, taking in five major summits: Win Hill (463m), Brown Knoll (569m), Mam Tor (517m), Back Tor, and Lose Hill (476m). The route is renowned for its dramatic views, rugged moorland terrain, and iconic sections like the Great Ridge, Ringing Roger, and Kinder Scout plateau..
The Plan (I Wasn’t Chasing Anything)
I didn’t set out to chase my October PR. This was meant to be a solid winter outing, a big day in January, and basically a test of whether I still have any hill fitness left. Winter doubts I guess.
I even thought I was aiming for something like 8.5 hours, nothing dramatic… but somewhere along the ridge, the Skyline turned into a personal challenge. Again.
I arrived in Hope train station after 8:00. It was cold at around 3°C. Earlier I checked the forecast and it said strong winds and feel factor -4. Of course at valley level it felt fine initially. I knew that would change very quickly.
I brought my fav 10L Montane backpack again as I know now it serves me perfectly for a big hike like that in a terrain that is so familiar. 2 litres of water in hydration bladder, 1 sandwich, 500 ml of Boost isotonic and couple of small snacks. I always pack extra even though I know I won't eat it.
Hope Station to Lose Hill (57 Minutes Of Instant Seriousness)
For this hike I layered up properly, because it’s January and the Peak District forecast can turn feral with absolutely no warning. I went with a fleece, a down vest, and a rain shell jacket, just in case the weather decided to escalate into rain halfway round.
But the second I hit the base of Lose Hill, the jacket came straight off.
I know myself. I know how fast I heat up, and I was not about to spend the next 30 km in sweaty layers.
Also, starting from Hope train station means you go from 160 m to 476 m pretty much straight away. That is not a gentle warm up.
I reached Lose Hill in 57 min, 4.1 km… only to find it had been fully claimed by around 10 women who were basically orbiting it like it was a sacred monument. I’m not even exaggerating, they were literally hogging it, like the trig had been reserved for a private event and I’d turned up without an invitation.
In the end I did the polite thing and asked if I could grab a quick snap of my hand and the time, and to be fair… one of them actually moved and let me do it.
So I got my photo, my timestamp, and I escaped before the trig got claimed again. 📸🤣
Lose Hill to Mam Tor (Plodding Through The Clag)
From Lose Hill to Mam Tor, it became obvious the day was going to be a full no-views special. Lose Hill confirmed it, and after that I just… plodded on.
The cold was properly bitter, hat on, hood on, gloves on. As I went along I could hear people passing and complaining about the lack of views, which is fair enough…
…but honestly? I wasn’t bothered.
First, I know those views by heart. Second, I’ve never done an Edale Skyline in full clag before, so this was basically a brand new bonus feature added to my ever-growing collection of “Mira’s Mountain Madness Experiences.” 🌫️😅
I did catch myself wondering though…if it’s like this, is Mam Tor still going to be as busy as usual?
I reached Mam Tor in 1 hour 40 minutes, 7.5 km. It was busy… which was expected. But what actually shocked me was how many people were still heading up to it.
I passed at least 30 people hurrying their way up while I was heading down, and I honestly had a little moment of disbelief. Mam Tor doesn’t even need good weather. Mam Tor just needs to exist and people will go up those steps.
Rushup Edge to Brown Knoll (Bog Theatre)
After Mam Tor, I knew the next 6 km would be flow. That lovely section where your legs finally settle into a rhythm and you can just get on with it.
I’ve done it loads of times… but I’d never done it in full clag before, especially that stretch from Rushup Edge to Brown Knoll. Everything felt muted and surreal, like the moorland had been switched to “low visibility mode.”
A few weeks ago I read someone’s post where a guy apparently sank to his waist around Brown Knoll because he stepped off the flagstones. Which obviously made me very excited to visit this place in January… like a normal person. 😅
And yep, it did not disappoint.
It was proper wet bogs on both sides, the full Brown Knoll experience, just waiting to swallow the overconfident.
But what really stunned me was the colour out there. The grasses growing in the bog had this reddish hue, and against all that grey clag it actually looked… beautiful.
Weird? Maybe. But I think it only felt pretty because:
it contrasted so perfectly with the fog, and
I was safely on a solid path, not sinking into the moor. 🤣
I reached Brown Knoll at 2 hours 49 minutes, 13.2 km.
The Kinder Turn (When the Skyline Stops Being Funny)
The next 7 km after that were just… steady plodding. No drama, just movement.
Up until then I’d been mostly OK with the wind because it was either coming from the side or helping from behind, which I’ll happily accept.
But I knew. I absolutely knew.
The moment I turned at Kinder Low, the game was going to change.
And it did.
Kinder Low: Welcome, confident hiker. Now let’s exfoliate your face… and your confidence. 🥶💨
The wind came straight at me like it had been waiting all day for that exact moment. Instant tears, frozen cheeks.
Somewhere after Crowden Tower, heading toward Grindsbrook, I ate a sandwich… on the move obviously. It was very much a “bite, chew, walk, survive” situation.
And I just kept plodding on.
Then, finally, around km 20, the views opened up at last. Actual views. Peaks existing again.
Km 24 (Why Did I Start Jogging?!)
At around km 24, something strange happened.
On Crookstone hill I started jogging for 2 km before Hope Cross and a bit beyond.
Not because I had to. Not because it was sensible. Just because I felt like it.
And the worst part? I actually liked it a little.
Why am I enjoying pain at km 24? What is wrong with me? 🤣
PR Maths Mode (Win Hill Decision Time)
At some point, I realised I had a chance of beating my October time.
In October, I got to Win Hill at 6:28 hours. Today, I got there at 6:26 hours.
And the moment I saw that… everything changed.
I did a quick snap .A quick video. And I was like:
GOOOOO. You have 3.5 km to cover still. JOG. Downhill.⏱️💨
Because once I know I have a chance, I absolutely will not let go. That’s not motivation. That’s stubbornness.
The Bull Field (No Bull)
I knew I still had the Bull-in-a-field section to cross, and I was praying I wouldn’t have to negotiate my way through livestock diplomacy when I was already half frozen and in a hurry.
Thankfully… no cows. No bull.
The relief was unreal.
The Final 800 m (Mud From Hell)
My shoes had been nearly perfect all day. Dry. Stable.
And then, in the last 800 m…
BOOM.
Farm fields. Mud. But not normal mud.
This was sticky slimy mud fused with some kind of leftover summer root vegetables, like the entire field had become a cold, sticky stew.
My shoes suddenly felt ridiculously heavy, like I was dragging bricks. And all I could think was: No f*****g way am I letting THIS slow me down. I was just praying not to fall or I would finish the Skyline looking like a pig.
Then I looked up, saw Hope Station car park.
🏁 The Finish: PR by 3 Minutes (in January?)
I finished with a PR by 3 minutes.
In winter. In January. In fog. In headwind. After 5 hours of nothingness and wind abuse.
I sat in the car for 15 minutes afterwards just staring into space like a freshly rebooted system. Then drove home in 1 hour 15, had a hot shower, and just… stood there thinking:
How did I do that?
💚 Reflection: I Thought I’d Lost My Hill Fitness
This was my first big hike since my last Edale Skyline, and I genuinely thought I’d lost my hill fitness and my ability to move non-stop for hours.
I’ve still got the engine and I’ve definitely still got the stubbornness.
The Peak District gave me fog, wind, and mud soup…and I gave it a PR.
Fair trade. 😅🐐⛰️
🔍 Final Thoughts
I used to think big routes were only for good weather and long summer days. Definitely not for short winter daylight.
Now I know better. I can do more than I thought.
Hill fitness? Still there.
Common sense? Missing, presumed lost in the clag. 🐐⛰️
You tried to break me, but I’m taking your minutes.
Peaks
⛰️ Lose Hill (476 m)⛰️ Back Tor (438 m)⛰️ Barker Bank (426 m)⛰️ Hollins Cross (388 m)⛰️ Mam Tor (517 m)⛰️ Lord’s Seat (550 m)⛰️ Brown Knoll (569 m)⛰️ Kinder Low (633 m)⛰️ Win Hill (463 m)
