Click here to eThere is roadside parking on Langsett Road North south of Bridge Hill. After a bit of a fale dstart I crossed the bridge and headed along the rverside path through Beeley Woods,. It is quite busy here. This is where Oughtibridge goes jogging and walks its dogs. After about a mile the path goes down to skirt the graffiti-covered works and Rocher Bridge.  The bridge here is dangerous and closed to all traffic. But I had already crossed it when I met the notice telling me this. From here it is a short steep climb to the main road, right a bit and then steps lead up to a path over fields to Stockarth Lane. I followed this very quiet road – it changes its name to Mowson Lane after a bit – uphill top the edge of Worrall where another path off to the left skirts the end of a park leading to Worral Road. This took me into the village. Right down Haggstone Road then left into Towngate Road and between two churches. The road becomes a path across fields then quite steeply downhill to another church and a cemetery. Here I followed Burton Lane bac towards Oughtibridge but went off left on a footpath through the ground of a farmhouse and cross more fields to descend to Wheel Lane. Entering the last field there were signs warning me there was a bull in it and that cow with calves can be aggressive.  But tis cold January day there was no sign of bovine peril. Now I followed Wheel Lane back to my start with a short detour through Sensicall Park.
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About halfway along the north side of Underbank Reservoir on the A616 there is a big layby on the north side of the road. A path leads through the woods for a short way to pick up a path through the woods that runs parallel to the busy main road. This is the line of the old Stocksbridge-Langsett Railway built in the 1890s to support the construction of the Underbank and Langsett Reservoirs. Before long this turns right down to the road on the other side of which it continues to the dam which I walked across. At the south end of the dam is a path that does a sharp zigzag tgo meet the end of Cross Lane that climbs gently uphill into Stocksbridge to a junction. Here I went right onto Green Lane which goes steadily uphill to pass Green Farm which is a horse riding school. From here I kept steadily up some more on a path called Peg Folly on the map to turn right on a road on the edge of Whitwell Moor,. This quickly leads to a car park where there is a  confluence of paths. Mine went northwest a short distance before turning to the northeast and heading downhill. Today this path was muddy and sometimes unpleasantly slippery. I regretted leading my walking pole in the car. Where another path branches right towards Wind Hill Farm just after some big  jumbled rocks  my path turned slightly to the left and carries on down to a bridge on another tarmac road near the e=reservoir. I followed this into Midhopestones and up past the Olde Mustard Pot pub, over the A616 to where a path to the left gives access to a bridge carrying the old railway path I started out on and so back to the layby.   .

With Helen andAnastasia. We parked in the big car park and walked through the village and along Cove Lane into Grass Wood. We walked through the wood visiting the top which is the site of an ancient Brigantian Hill Fort. Round and back to the road then along the riverside path back to the village with a long break to go for a swim in the rover. Then Sunday lunch. 

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.    

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.  

You get to High Wheeldon from Earl Sterndale by the low road or the high road. I took the low road out and the high road back. 

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,      
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With Teemu, Pilvi, Nemo, Vilma, Erik and Areni. We went for a walk from the Punkaharju Hotel. I didn't pay close attention to opera route. For once someone else was finding the way and I just let myself be happily led. Forest. Lakes. Beautiful Finland.