Chrome Hill Revisited

Saturday 12th November 2005

I am looking back on my walks in the Peak District from 2005 and despite walking up Chrome Hill at the beginning of the year I couldn’t resist returning for a second time. I was determined to do the walk because I hadn't done one since September thanks to a busy time at work and to a lack of walking boots after my pair of less than a year had gone back to the manufacturer when the sole cracked on them. With many options for a walk available to me I got up too late for most of them and eventually decided to head back to Hollinsclough and repeat the great walk that had started me off on this great year of awesome walks around the British Isles. I was particularly keen to re-walk it as now I had a camera to record the event pictorially. I had not taken a camera on my earlier walk, but I had bought a camera for my week in Ireland the previous September so I was now ready to go.

However, although I had a camera I did forget to bring a map for the walk, but as I was following January's route exactly I didn't think I would need one since the route was easy to remember. I had planned on wearing my old worn out boots for the walk, but in the event I forgot them as well so instead I was wearing my trail shoes and these did fine even though they aren't waterproof, which wasn't too much of a problem (and now, in 2020, I would always use trail shoes for such a walk and would never consider wearing walking boots in the Peak District). Parking in Hollinsclough again I headed up the road and already I had views across the Dove valley towards Chrome Hill that looked fantastic in the sunny weather as I realised that I have a lot of affection for this fabulous hill.

Following January's route I crossed the River Dove and headed up onto the backbone of Hollins Hill along the edge of the steep drop above the Shallow Brook valley. Hollins Hill is not a particularly picturesque hill even though it is the highest of the three visited, but from the top I had clear views of Chrome Hill and the ridge of limestone that defines the hill and that is what makes it such a fun walk. Descending Hollins Hill I swung around the top of the Shallow Brook valley and began the interesting ascent up Chrome Hill over the limestone ridge, lingering over every step and upon every outcrop as I slowly made my way up to the summit. The ascent is not too steep and enabled me to enjoy every moment, unfortunately the clear blue skies that had greeted me when I set off had now become smothered by clouds which spoilt the many photos that I was taking.

Coming down the other side of Chrome Hill I now had a view, under overcast skies, of another limestone ridge that is smaller, but narrower. Parkhouse Hill is just as much fun as Chrome Hill and I had a great time climbing it again. In front is a big pillar of rock, and in January I had gone around, but now, after a year of challenging scrambles throughout the country, I felt like attempting it. Circling around I ascended from the back and soon quite easily managed to get to the top, although getting back down was a little more difficult, so it is important to remember not to climb anywhere you can’t successfully reverse your steps, but I survived this time to climb up to the top of the hill. Although smaller than Chrome Hill the steepness of the ridge made it just as satisfying to reach the top.

After descending steeply off the end I joined the path that follows the River Dove and headed back to Hollinsclough just as the sun came out once more, which enabled me to take a sun-lit picture of Parkhouse Hill to end the walk. Even though this walk had not taken me much longer than three hours to do, I still enjoyed it as I rarely do in the Peak District these days. A lifetime of walking in this National Park has made me over-familiar with the area and it can’t compete with the fabulous new places I was discovering at this time, but there are still one or two spots in the Peak District that are special.