The Trinnacle

At the top of Raven Stones, on the edge above Dove Stone, a cluster of weathered gritstone pillars rises roughly 30 ft out of the moor, split by narrow gaps with nothing but air behind them. At around 900 ft of altitude, the drop-off framing behind the rock is the whole point: reservoir water below, the clough cutting in from one side, and rolling moorland stacked up behind. It reads very differently from the flat, easy loop around the water lower down, which is why people keep making the climb.

Most routes start from the reservoir area below and take 2 to 3 hours return, with a stiff pull of several hundred metres of ascent onto Dovestone Edge. Longer circular versions of around 8 km stretch to 3 to 4 hours, taking in Holme Clough, a small waterfall and Greenfield Reservoir on the way back down. This is a strenuous, rugged hike on rough moorland paths rather than a stroll, and the ground can be boggy and slippery after rain.

• Park authority advice is clear: climbing on the rocks is not advised at any time, in any conditions.
• The gaps and edges are a dangerous scramble with a real risk of serious injury, and the exposure is severe.
• There are no facilities and no quick emergency access at the formation. A callout here can mean Mountain Rescue volunteers and a long wait.
• You can enjoy the formation and the views fully from solid ground nearby, and that is the sensible way to do it.

Access is on foot only, from the reservoir car parks about a mile of walking and climbing away, so plan the whole outing rather than treating it as a quick stop. Photographers do best in low side light early or late in the day, when the pillars cast shadow across the moor and the water below picks up the sky.