A clear path leaves the car park heading down hill, away from the road, across a small patch of open ground. Follow this path into the trees. Turn right onto a track we reach inside the trees.

This track very quickly reaches the drive that leads to the National Trust visitor centre. Turn right onto the drive, and follow it away from the centre, towards a minor road, with open fields to the left and trees to the right.

Cross over this minor road onto a signposted footpath that runs north west along the length of a narrow band of trees, running parallel and to the left of the main road

Follow this path until it emerges back onto the main road at the point where it crosses Burbage Brook and turns sharply to the left. At this point our first target, the crag of Carl Wark, is clearly visible on the northern skyline. Cross the road (carefully!) to reach the pavement on the far side, cross the bridge, and then turn right onto the footpath that runs along the left hand bank of the brook, heading towards the crags on the skyline. A maze of paths cross this part of the hillside, but keep aiming for the right hand edge of the crags, and it is impossible to go too far wrong.

At the foot of the crags we have two choices of route. It is possible to bypass the Carl Wark to the left, following the clear path that runs around the western flank of this feature, but a much more interesting route is to scramble up the southern slope of Carl Wark to reach its rocky summit.

From here our route on is obvious. Higger Tor now dominates the northern skyline, with a clear path running straight from the northern tip of Carl Wark to the base of the tor. Follow this path, then climb up the crags to the southern tip of Higger Tor.

From the top of crags it becomes obvious that the crags only run around two of the three sides of the tor - the southern and eastern, while to the north only a gentle dip separates Higger Tor from the higher moors beyond. Our next target, the southern end of Stanage Edge, is now visible on the northern skyline.

Follow the path that runs north close to the eastern edge of Higger Tor. At the northern edge of the tor, the path dips down into the gap between the tor and the rest of the moors, and then splits in two. Take the left hand branch, which heads along the highest part of this minor ridge, heading towards the distant crags. After a short distance this path reaches a minor road opposite a small roadside car park. Cross this road, and continue in the same direction along a footpath that leaves the road just to the right of the car park.

After about a quarter of a mile, this path reaches another minor road. Once again cross the road and continue on in the same direction, on a very clear path that begins by heading straight towards the crags, before curving slightly to the left as it gets closer.

This path brings us to a point just to the left of the southern end of the crags of Stanage Edge. The path itself continues on to the left for a short distance after it reaches the foot of the crags, before climbing up to the top of the crags on a couple of well-worn routes. Just before reaching this point, it is worth taking a diversion to an old quarry, where it becomes obvious why the local stone is called millstone grit, for a number of abandoned heavy millstones remain in the quarry.

At the point where we reach the top of the edge, two paths head east - one running around the top of the edge and one that runs a little further to the left, cutting off a corner. Both paths lead to the correct place, but the path that runs around the top of the edge, visiting a trig point on the way, offers the best views. Follow this path around the southern edge of the Edge, until it rejoins the alternative route. From here the route onwards is very obvious - a very clear path drops down the eastern flank of the edge, and heads almost due east through the heather.

After just under half a mile this path reaches the road we crossed earlier, at the tip of a sharp corner where it turns through ninety degrees. Ignore the right hand branch, and follow the road that continues on in the same direction as our current path.

We follow this road past a car park, and then across two bridges over small streams. At the second bridge the road turns to the right, and runs towards another small car park. At the near end of this car park, turn right onto a footpath that leads into the valley of Burbage Brook, with Higger Tor to the right and Burbage Rocks to the left. Our aim is to follow the path that runs along the top of Burbage Rocks all the way back to the main road we crossed back at step four.

The main path here follows the line of the brook down the valley, so the moment we leave the road, look for a smaller path that leaves to the left, climbing up towards the edge of the rocks. Here we have a choice of two paths - a large path that runs a little way from the edge, or a smaller path that runs along the rocks. This smaller path offers better views, but the two paths soon merge, so either route is fine.

There is only one gap in this line of crags. Here our path drops down to cross a small stream. On the far side of the stream it then turns slightly to the left and climbs up towards the next line of crags. Just before we reach the next set of crags we reach a crossroads in the path - head straight across this. Soon afterwards, the path reaches the start of the next set of crags - turn right, and follow this path as it runs south west along the top of crags, before eventually dropping down to the main road.

Just to the right of the point where we meet the main road, a gate leads into the woods on the opposite side of the road. Cross over the road, and pass through this gate. We are now back on the path we used at step 3, so we turn left onto the path, and retrace our steps back to the car park - head along this path until it reaches the side road - cross the road and head along the drive that leads towards the NT visitor centre and restaurant (well worth a diversion); turn left onto the track that leads into the woods just before the centre, and then left again onto the footpath that leads back into the car park.