Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Axe Edge

03.07.19  Hind Low (SK 080 689)

Hind Low (SK 080 689)

Hind Low is easily accessed from its west, however its summit is now a truncated top perched over a vertical drop down in to a quarried basin.  I’d driven past the western route to its summit after I’d surveyed Booth Top and on my way to Sheffield six days ago, and now on my way home and having just surveyed Chelmorton Low I wanted an easy walk and an interesting summit to visit and survey before the continuation of the drive back home, and with increasing warmth the walk to the summit of Hind Low proved ideal.

The route to the top

A public footpath gives access to this hill from the west, and although its route seems to disappear soon after leaving the minor road where my car was parked on the grass verge, a path of sorts makes its way up between a grassed field to its south and the lip of all that remains of the land before the drop down to the quarried basin below.  I left this broad track to crest the lip of land and look down on a grey flatbed of desolation that had been formed by the activities of the quarry and thought this must once have been a beautiful unspoiled hill, one amongst many that have been quarried in to almost submission in this part of the Peak District.

Part of the Buxton Quarry

The route to the top was awash with wild flowers and small brown and also blue butterflies, with so many flitting from one flower to another that I was careful where I trod.  In its upper part the wind flowered track led to a collapsed wall which I used to bi-pass the increasing amount of nettled undergrowth closer to the quarry edge.

Looking down at the route to the summit from the collapsed wall

A perimeter fence led toward the remaining high point of the hill, with slabs of land looking delicately balanced seemingly waiting to collapse with fissures through the undergrowth leading to the fence, I trod carefully and eventually reached the remaining high point which is beside a large fence post, this gave a convenient position for Trimble placement.

Looking across at the remaining summit of Hind Low

The fissure in the ground beside the summit seemingly ready to crumble

As the Trimble gathered data I stood below it and waited in the sun for the customary five minutes of data to be gathered and stored.  During this I looked at the adjacent field and wondered about clambering the barb wired fence leading in to it for a quicker route back to my car.

Gathering data at the summit of Hind Low

Once the Trimble was closed down and packed away I opted for the middle route through lush undergrowth between the manicured field to my left and my inward route following the quarried edge, and soon regretted my choice as copious amounts of nettles bit in to my exposed legs.

Looking back at Hind Low

I had contemplated an ascent of Hen Cloud, a name that has fascinated me for many years and a hill I have yet to visit, but with the drive home and lots of things to sort and organise before visiting north Wales over the upcoming weekend and with increasing warmth I decided Hind Low would be my last hill of the day, and when back at my car and changed I headed back to Wales with fond memories of blue skies and good hills in the Peak District.

LIDAR summit image of Hind Low (SK 080 689)

Postscript:  Since the survey of this hill, the LIDAR (Light Detection & Ranging) technique is being used to produce accurate height and position for hills.  Subsequently this hill has been analysed via this technique, and it is this result that is being prioritised in preference to that produced by the Trimble GeoXH 6000.

Survey Result:

Hind Low

Summit Height:  446.8m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SK 08092 68944 (LIDAR)

Col Height:  403.2m (LIDAR)

Col Grid Reference:  SK 07728 68960 (LIDAR)

Drop:  43.6m (LIDAR)

Dominance:  9.77% (LIDAR)

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet