I parked at Heatherdene car park and walked to the dam and the down to the road at the foot of Parkin Clough. From here up Win Hill is an excellent little work out up the sometimes very steep forest path. On a summer day the top is always busy. A bit of indecisiveness on my part meant I decended almost to Twitchill Farm but then took a right on the path that goes up and along Hope Bank the long NW right of Win Hill. Somewhere round about 167865 I noticed some people on bikes emerging from the woods on the right on a path not markred on the OS map. In a spirit of exploration I thought, Hey, let’s try going down that way towards the reservoir. Bad idea. It was soon clear this was a track exclusively for the more adventurous kind of mountain biker and there were places were it was impossibly steep and slippery for a walker. I wasn’t carrying my pole which did not help. I carried on taking great care but at one point care was not enough and I took a nasty slip which left a large ugly graze on my lower back. I brushed myself off and make it back down to the reservoir and then the long trek alongside it back to the dam.
0 Comments
I parked at Curbar Gap. Easier than Grindleford Station yesterday. PaybyPhone. They have a machine if you don't have the app. And NT and RSPB membership is good. The path to Curbar Edge goes out the west of the car park up past a picnic/play area to two gates. Then it’s an easy walk with lovely views all the way to the Grouse Inn along Curbar and then Froggatt Edge not forgetting a pause to look at the stone circle. Meadow Cranesbill were out in force. Reaching the road a path leads downhill to a car park then back up to the Inn avoiding having to walk on the busy road. Then the same path as yesterday up towards White Edge but right at the branch instead of left, heading towards White Lodge. .But not quite. Just before the Lodge there is a path uphill to the right which leads over the nascent edge and onto Big Moor. It’s a lovely walk across this to the B6054. There is a path on the moor side of the wall so you can avoid the road going SW to pick up the track to Barbrook Reservoir. But I took the road side to avoid a huge herd of cows that had picked just hereabouts to cluster. There is a side path so you don’t have to walk on the road. Reaching the gate to the Barbrook track I plunged boldly through the cattle and was a bit relieved to reach a fence after about half a km and escape them through a gate. They didn’t eat me. Now it was a long walk south to the A621. A bit past Barbrook is a smaller body of water where people were happily swimming. I was tempted to join. Reaching the main road I avoided walking on itg much by taking the track oppposote towards Ramsley Reservoir and then the minor road back to the A621 just before the turn for Curbar Gap. Nearly home now, up the gentle track to Wellington’s monument, passing the famous Baslow Edge Highland cattle grazing low down near the road, then back along Baslow Edge to the carpark. I parked at Grindleford Station which took a while. You need to download the Ringgo Parking App only you can’t as there is no signal. So I had to ring their robot telephone service which took ages as the signal was so bad. Be easier to park up the hill at Longshaw but then the walk wild end with a big climb instead of getting it over at the start. There is a path up through the woods just right of the Station Café. This quickly leads to a road where there is a continuation path a it off to the left. This climbs steeply up through woodland then a bit less steeply over some pasture to the track connecting the Grouse Inn with the Longshaw Estate. I turned left on this and followed it to the road. Here I ignored the path just across the road and a bit to the left. Instead I turned rights and walked almost to the inn where there is another path that leads up towards White Edge. As it gets closer it branches and I took the right branch signposted White Edge. It was windy up here today, a welcome relief as it was very hot. An easy track leadsd along the edge and then turns right down to Curbar Gap. Right a bit down the road themn a path off left leads to Baslow Edge. After a bit this branches. The left branch goes direct across the moor to the Eagle Stone and Wellington’s Monument. The right branch which I followed stays close to the edge. When the edge runs out there is a track down into Baslow where I flowed School Lane to the main road then over the bridge by the church and north up Bubnell Lane. Where this turns west there is a path that leads invitingly acrss fields, As it approached Calver it branches. I stuck to the right and and the river. The path goes ujnder hthe main A623 road at Calver and carries on past a campsite towards New Bridge. At New Bridge I crossed the road and kept heading north staying on the west side of the river. There were some people swimming just here and it looked like heaven so I jumped in myself. It was heaven. Rejuvenated, I kept going up the Froggatt Bridge and on through Horse Hay Coppice to Grindleford. I was tired now. The rejuvenation had worn off and it was a slog up the hill past the Maynard back to the car. I was glad Ihadn’t left the big climb to the end of the day. With Jeanette. Jeanette came to visit all the way from Australia. Well Ok I maybe wasn't the only reason. She wanted a shortlist walk., Which this is. Monsdal Head to Ashford over the fields to the west. Coffee in Ashford. Back again shorter way over more fields to the east bringing us straight out at the Packhorse Inn where we had a table booked for lunch. There had been a dry spell so it seemed a good time to do this hill and thereby polish off my Ethels, I parked in the car park by Nether North Drain about a kilometre from the top of the Snake Pass. There is a path of sorts from here that follows grouse butts to near the top of Over Wood Moss. There is a deep clough between here and Alport Moor and it was rough goong steeply down and out of it. Climbing out I found another path heading roughly west. I followed it for a bit then struck off over the moor to the top of Alport Moor. A path can be followed up a ridge known to the Ordnance Survey map just as The Ridge to Bleaklow Stones whence a path can be followed to Bleaklow Heak and so back down the Pennine Way and the last wee bit of Doctor’s Gate, quite a long way home. Ethels done, . WIth Helen, Day 2 of our little break in the eastern suburbs of `Helsinki, Kallahdenniemi is the other peninsula sticking out into the Baltic from Rastila.It is nicer than Ransinniemi. We stopped for lunch at the Sofia Culture Centre. The woods round the headland are beautiful. We sat around and watched an Arctic tern driving for fish. From Earl Sterndale. The approach over the shoulder of Hitter Hill is very cow intensive. Or was today. I did PArkhouse the easy way up and down east ridge. Still the steepest bit was very steep and I didn't muc h relish coming down it. Turns out I didn't need got as there is an easier way off road to the north. Back through the cows and home, |
|










RSS Feed