Shining Tor routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 2 measured routes up Shining Tor, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Shining Tor routes, easiest to hardest

Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.

Shining Tor route times by Naismith's rule

The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.

Each Shining Tor route

Pym Chair via Cats Tor

A flagged path follows the wall along the ridge south over Cats Tor to the trig point. It starts from Pym Chair parking, above the Goyt Valley. 3.1 km one way with 122 m of ascent. About 0h 50m to the summit and 1h 25m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Easy.

Errwood Reservoir

You walk up past the Errwood Hall ruins and climb moorland paths onto the ridge north of the summit. It starts from Errwood car park, Goyt Valley. 5.2 km one way with 345 m of ascent. About 1h 35m to the summit and 2h 40m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Shining Tor route GPX

This page doesn't offer a GPX download. To get a GPX file for a Shining Tor route, use the Peakify iPhone app: open Shining Tor, plan the route in the route planner (or import a GPX you already have), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.

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Before you pick a route

The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Shining Tor today and the Shining Tor 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Shining Tor routes

The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.

Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.

If you are new to Shining Tor, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.

Questions about Shining Tor

What is the easiest route up Shining Tor?

Start at Pym Chair and follow the flagged ridge path south over Cats Tor.

How much time does each Shining Tor route take?

Pym Chair via Cats Tor: about 0h 50m up and 1h 25m there and back. Errwood Reservoir: about 1h 35m up and 2h 40m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.

Can I get a GPX file for a Shining Tor route?

Not from this page. In the Peakify iPhone app, plan the route in the route planner (or import one), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.