1. This walk starts from the National Trust's Mam Nick car park. The car park is situated on the A625 Rushup Edge road between the A6 at Chapel-en-le-Frith and just above the Winnat's Pass from Castleton at grid reference SK 123 831.
2. From the car park take the route out of the back of the car park up the steep and rather large steps. The path turns right and ascends towards the direction of Mam Tor.
3. After around two hundred metres of ascent the path reaches the minor road that passes over the col between Rushup Edge and Mam Tor.
4. As the path meets the road you will see a gate on the right hand or eastern side of the road, walk through the gate and ascend the steps of the well laid path that takes you to te summit of Mam Tor.
5. The summit of Mam Tor is surrounded by a complete and extensive ditch and rampart of a historic and grand fort, thought to have been of the late bronze or early iron age. Not too much is known of the actual dates of the fort or the people who either lived in it or protected it, it is the second highest such fort in Britain and could well be one of the oldest.
6. The oldest remaining features on the summit are two bronze age burial mounds, one is just before the summit and one is under the actual summit itself where you will also find a stone trig pillar.
7. The hill is also known locally as the Shivering Mountain. The best analogy of Mam Tor is a cake with layers of gritstone and shale. The layers are formed from a river delta that existed in the area around 300 million years ago. The hill is named the shivering mountain as it has even recently, shifted itself in directions that have forced the outer walls of the hill to crumble away in front of us.
8. The movement is caused by heavy rainfalls that find ways between the different layers of rock creating an unstable situation leading to the landslides. To this day the mountain still moves at a pace of around a metre every five years. Its landslides can be serious and in 1977 the main A625 road was closed forever after more or less disappearing as another major landslide completely destroyed the road. The wrecked road still exists and is a real eye opener.
9. From the summit of Mam Tor descend the obvious path that heads off down its north western flank in the direction of the ridge. The path from here is very straight forward as it follows the crest of the ridge.
10. The path drops down to reach the col between Mam Tor and Barker Bank known as Hollins Cross. If you look to the right across the Hope Valley from here you will now see the Peveril Castle above Castleton and the huge gash of the Peak Cavern.
11. Carry on along the ridge path and ascend up and over the small brow of Barker Bank. As you come over the other side of it another impressive hill scarred by a dramatic landslide will come in to view straight ahead, Back Tor.
12. The rough and disturbed cliffs of Back Tor make a cracking photo from this angle. Keep going along the obvious ridge path and ascend the loose but short climb to the top of Back Tor.
13. From Back Tor there is now a straight forward final ascent to Lose Hill. The summit of Lose Hill has an impressive tumulus with a topographic view finder on the top. From Lose hill there is a full panorama stretching from the Kinder Plateau over the beautiful Edale Valley to the west then round to Win Hill directly to the East.
14. The only blot on this beautiful landscape is the huge chimney and buildings of the Blue Circle cement works that lie just behind the villages Hope and Castleton in the Valley below. Looking back along the ridge you can see the greatness of its stature and location that give it its well deserved title.
15. Lose Hill and Win Hill, the pointy mountain directly across the valley are said to have been named after an ancient Saxon battle that took place in 626. Rivals King Edwin of Northumbria and King Cuicholm of Wessex took there forces to the hills, Edwin on what is now known as Win Hill and Cuicholm on what is now known as Lose Hill.
16. When battle commenced Cuicholm's greater numbers were too over powering for Edwin and Edwin ordered his troops to retreat. Sensing victory Cuicholm's men surged forwards, only to be crushed by boulders sent down the hill by Edwin's men. The hill that Edwins men fought from therefore known as Win Hill and hill that Cuicholm's men who lost the battle chose is now known as Lose Hill.
17. From Lose Hill simply follow your footsteps back along the ridge over Back Tor, Barker Bank, Hollins Cross returning to Mam Tor, who's fragile south eastern aspect you will get a good view of one the return leg.
18. Follow the well laid path south west off the summit of Mam Tor to the road and then follow the path that leads down to the steps at the back of the Mam Nick car park.
19. Before returning home I would highly recommend driving through the stunning Winnat's Pass and experiencing the many warm and friendly outdoor shops, cafe's, restaurants and pubs in the picturesque Castleton villages.
20. On your way there just half a kilometre east along the road from the Mam Nick car park, turn left towards the Blue John Cavern. At the end of the road, which is the old route of the A625, you can park up and take a look down at the old abandoned subsided road.

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