Route: Mam Tor and Lose Hill
Area: Peak District, High Peak
Date of walk: 5th March 2026
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 5.1 miles
Ascent: 1,200 feet
Weather: Sunshine – and a cloud inversion
Mam Tor, meaning ‘Mother Mountain’, stands at 517 m (1,696 ft). It is also referred to as the ‘Shivering Mountain’ because of its propensity for landslips caused by unstable lower levels of shale. It is an ancient hillfort and burial site which was first inhabited 4,000 years ago
Mam Tor had been at the top of our wish list on this visit to the Peak District. It’s a very popular place and so we planned an early start. However, we were disappointed when we opened the curtains to the sight of thick fog and almost no visibility. The forecast was for a sunny day and this gave us cause to hope that there may be a cloud inversion higher up. Without ado we set off on the short journey from our base at Rowlands Farm to the National Trust car park at Mam Nick. As we drove uphill the mist gradually thinned to reveal clear skies with a sea of cloud in the Vale of Edale below us. Our hunch was correct – marvellous!
We followed the easy path uphill out of the car park and crossed the road to arrive at the paved path up to Mam Tor. There were good views back to Rushup Edge and Lord’s Seat, where we’d walked yesterday. It was an easy ascent and we were at the top in under 15 minutes. The clouds below and the swirling mist made for a wonderful sight, click here for a short video
We then continued along Great Ridge, one of the finest walks in the country, aiming for the far point at Lose Hill, some 2.5 miles away. We’d assumed that the cloud inversion would soon be burned away by the sun, but it persisted, and this caused us to revise our intended route. Our original plan had been to follow a circular route by descending Lose Hill and returning via Castleton. However, there seemed no point descending into thick fog with no views when we were enjoying such fantastic conditions on the ridge. So, on arriving at Lose Hill, we decided to keep to the high ground and retrace our steps back along the Great Ridge – you can’t have too much of a good thing
Thanks to our early start, and to the thick fog at valley level which would have deterred many visitors, we were privileged to enjoy one of the classic walks in England in relative peace and quiet and in magical conditions. It had been a red letter day
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
As we drove from our base at Rowlands Farm in the valley below we stopped the car as we emerged from thick fog to the sight of a cloud inversion
Leaving the National Trust car park at Mam Nick, which gives us a good leg up and ensures we'll be at the top before the crowds arrive - as does our early start
The start of the walk up Mam Tor, which is very easy and perfectly safe as long as you keep to the obvious path
A paved path assists progress and helps to prevent erosion from footfall
Looking back to Lord's Seat on Rushup Edge, where we'd walked yesterday...
The Vale of Edale below on our left
We approach the top of Mam Tor
Summit of Mam Tor and our destination, Lose Hill, at the end of The Great Ridge
An ethereal scene in the Vale of Edale below
From Mam Tor we set out along The Great Ridge, feeling privileged to enjoy a classic route in such conditions, and hardly anyone else around
Lose Hill in the distance. We'd decided by now that if the inversion continued we'd return the same way, but if it cleared we'd descend to Castleton (somewhere down there on the right) and follow our planned circuit
Swirling mist as we carry on along The Great Ridge
Looking back to Mam Tor
We head towards Hollins Cross
Hollins Cross, the lowest point of The Great Ridge, and a place where 5 paths intersect. Descents can be made into the Hope Valley or the Vale of Edale from here. We continue along the ridge
Into the void...
Back Tor looms out of the mist, with Lose Hill beyond
Back Tor
It's a fairly steep but short and straighforward climb to the top
Clouds are still shrouding the Vale of Edale
Looking back along Great Ridge
We follow the path up to the top of Back Tor
More views back along the ridge...
The top of Back Tor, with Lose Hill beyond
The Vale of Edale below is still covered by clouds
The easy path to Lose Hill
The hill has two other names, Losehill Pike and Ward's Piece. At 476m, it's about 40 metres shorter than Mam Tor
Looking back
Summit of Lose Hill (pronounced 'Looz'), marked by a well built cairn which indicates the surrounding places, very few of which we can see
Hope Valley and Castleton somewhere down there. There was no point returning that way, as was confirmed by a couple of fellow walkers who'd ascended from Castleton in thick fog
We were well content to gaze at the surroundings and enjoy Great Ridge for a second time...
Heading back to Back Tor
The Vale of Edale on our right...
Low cloud over Hollins Cross
We arrive back at Mam Tor, here looking down to the Mam Nick road
The mist finally starts to clear in the Hope Valley. From here we retrace our steps back to the National Trust car park, and the end of a fantastic walk
