View from Oban Bothy

View from Oban Bothy
Showing posts with label Walkies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Walkies. Show all posts

Sunday 12 March 2023

Two Crosses Circuit Challenge 2023

An East Lancs LDWA production

It was all Judith’s idea, she made me do it. That’s my side of the story anyway.

We met up at around 7.40am (the one in the morning) on a slightly damp Sunday, at the event cetre in Tottington – halfway between Bury (where all Black Puddings is made) and Rambottom (not a ram in sight).

It wasn’t damp enough to need wet-legs. Gaiters, on the other hand (or leg) were pretty well essential…..this being the muddy West Pennine Moors.


Signing in



Alma & Dave in catering mode


The Start

At 8am we set off on the 17 mile route, almost enthusiastically – ‘almost’ because we were both tired and decidedly unfit.




The first checkpoint at Turton Tower (5.8 miles) always seems a lot further away than I remember from previous years. Norman’s usually ample supply of Jelly Babies was twindling…although that was more than likely because we were lagging behind most of the rest of the field.


Viv, Caterer Extraordinaire!

The most important checkpoint at Bartridge Barn Car Park (7.6 miles) never fails to impress – the food on offer is just tremendous….although having said that, the lack of Greek Salad and the delicious trifle were both missing this year. There was a very good reason for this though: Viv, caterer extraordinaire, has been very busy at home recently. She promised me that things will return to normal next year!





Orrel Cote Farm, CP5

On to pass the Strawbury Duck, where we didn’t stop for a beer, and then to CP5: Orrel Cote Farm. Orange cordial, more Jelly Babies, and Jaffa Cakes were taken on board.


It was after leaving here that it all went horribly wrong. Maybe we were yakking too much (most likely), or maybe we were just a bit tired, but somehow we went off route. This was an Embarrassingly Bad Thing: Judith and I have done this route many times so there really wasn’t any excuse….even more embarrassing, some walkers were following us!

A bit of map work soon got us back on route, through Crowthorne village, and on to pass the maggot farm.

Bull Hill came into view, although we overshot our turn-off.

Getting to Bull Hill involved crossing the morass of squelchy, muddy, peaty badlands: Black Moss & Wet Moss. The Good Thing was that a ‘safe’ route was marked with pole-mounted little flags. We still got muddy.

The Naughty Corner checkpoint was next – if you know, you know. Judith fortified herself with something alcoholic whilst I relied on Jelly Babies and Liquorice Allsorts.


The Maggot Farm

Julie Spence's photo of us at the Naughty Corner CP




Wobbling off uphill (Judith, not me) we traversed the MOD firing range of Holcombe Moor – we successfully avoided being hit by stray bullets, and didn’t pick up one piece of unexploded ordnance.

My, we’re good!

Peel Tower, above Ramsbottom



Just some of the 114 East Lancs LDWA steps....


...and a bridge too!

Next came Peel Tower, and then the descent by the new, shiny, much improved Redisher Woods 114 East Lancs LDWA steps ….much credit to East Lancs LDWA for getting this section sorted. In years past this descent has been, er, challenging.

Somewhere in my collection is a photograph of a certain young lady’s very mucky derriere following her unintentionally fast descent down what was then a ski-slope of mud.

We could see the spire of Greenmount Church, just a couple of hundred meters from the finish, in the distance.

On the homeward straight now, we could almost taste the soup (and Manchester Tart) waiting for us as we crossed Greenmount Golf Course.

A couple of minutes later, after checking in, we were sat down, tucking into the most delicious leek & potato soup, followed by equally delicious (and the capitals are important here) Manchester Tart…all washed down with lashings of ginger beer....I mean tea.

Our little diversions meant we ended up walking a little further than the 17.3 miles…not much though. Well not too much.

A good day out for both Judith and I (thanks for dragging me round!), we both needed the stretch, plus it was really good to catch up. She was very good company, not giving me that much of a hard time at all….even when I screwed up the nav.

Our next catch-up will involve a beer (or two) as well as a walk. And we’ll know exactly where we’re we going. Probably Frodsham’s Helter Skelter unless Judith’s got any better ideas.

Where we ended up walking:


Thanks to EVERYONE at East Lancs LDWA for putting on another brilliant event, I’m looking forward to 2024…and the return of Greek salad, and trifle.

NB: Not all the photos are mine, quite a few were purloined from the East Lancs LDWA FB page - including the Julie's photo of Judith and I at the Naughty Corner CP.

Friday 3 February 2023

Challenge Training Raining Friday 3rd Feb 2023

Andy and Martin had travelled up from the flatlands of Cambridgeshire to get some hills in their legs.

The TGO Challenge is only a matter of 3 months away so hill training simply cannot be delayed.

Unfortunately their arrival in Edale was delayed by stupidly heavy traffic – as was mine….and Edale is, relatively speaking, on my doorstep.

Anyroadup at shortly after 11am we headed up to the Nags Head for a quick selfie before following the ‘old’ Pennine Way route up Grindsbrook and onto Kinder Scout.

That's me smiling.

The weather wasn’t as good as it might have been in fact a letter to the Peak District National Park folks may well be in order – all the photos I’ve seen show either glorious sunshine or beautiful snow covered hills, NOT persistent rain, muddy paths, and general grot. In their defence, they didn’t mention the excellent company I enjoyed today.

Whatever…

At the top of Grindsbrook we continued through the slutch to Crowdon Tower then to Pym Chair. The original Plan (always good to have A Plan) was to go over Brown Knoll, on to Rushup Edge then back down into Edale….but we weren’t expecting so much of the wet stuff….and it’s accompanying views.










Plan B was put into action: Edale Head > Jacob’s Ladder, then following the ‘new’ Pennine Way route, back into Edale for coffee and buns. The excellent Penny Pot Cafe provided said coffee and buns – both were excellent.

A good day out, if a little damp….okay, VERY damp. Thanks to Andy and Martin for inviting me out – it was just what I needed!

Where we went:

 


Around 8 – 9 miles with 1600’ ascent

Sunday 7 August 2022

Five Go Adventuring Again 7th Aug 2022

….An After Eights Production

The sun was beating down, although there was a freshness in the air as five walkers gathered at The Carrs car park, Styal, ready for a 9am (the one in the morning) bimble around the gentle paths and quiet lanes of Cheshire.

When we realised that other After Eights walkers weren’t going to be joining us because they’d stayed in bed or just couldn’t be mithered coming out on such a glorious morning, we hot-footed our way over the footbridge then headed SW through the housing estate (Wilmslow residents will likely object to this part of their town being so described.


Oh dear. How sad. What a shame.

We were soon away from the estate and walking through pleasant countryside, by Morley Green, Morley, and then to follow the River Bollin for a short while, before walking SW along the North Cheshire Way, which at this point runs alongside Manchester Airport’s runway.

 
Morley Green




Rounding the SW end of the runway, stopping occasionally to look at the stream of aircraft taking off, we found a nice spot to sit down, have a cuppa, demolish some scones, and watch yet more aircraft depart.

One the western side of the runway walk trundled NE to a nice spot where we could stop for a leisurely lunch consisting of another cuppa, butties, and more scones – I was determined I wouldn’t be taking them all home with me.

Leaving our sunny spot, we descended steeply down a track which took us back down to the River Bollin and soon the that magnificent piece of engineers, the River Bollin ‘Foot Tunnel’ under the runway.

A photo call was, er, called:







Kay and I had recced the route a couple of times with a view to minimising the amount of tarmac we’d have to use. We were quite successful , but it did mean that the we had to retrace our steps on a short section of the outward leg. No matter, it was less than a mile, and doing a route in the other direction is really like, well, another route.

Hennyway, back to Morley, then north to cross the busy A538 which delivered us nicely into the National Trust’s Styal estate.





Posing outside Quarry Bank Mill

 Cunning Mr Heron waiting for his tea

The heat of the day was begining to tell so the bench seat & straw bales outside Quarry Bank Mill offered a welcome rest for tired legs.

On the final leg now, following quiet paths through woodland that offered us welcome shade.

The paths became busier as we approached the car park – where I was hoping to be able to buy myself an ice cream. No such luck, oh well.

So that was it, we Famous Five had enjoyed a nice walk of just under ten miles, not far, but quite enough on such a hot day.

Me? I had a ball! Great fun, great company, lots of laughs, quite a few scones, a nice walk...and it didn't rain!

Thanks to everyone for turning up, not complaining, for eating my scones, and thanks to Kay who’s help was invaluable in planning, plotting, scheming, and for helping make it happen.

Where we went:


 

 

 

 

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