My adventures with walking, backpacking, running (hobbling?), cycling, amateur radio, traditional folk music and song...and loads of other stuff.
View from Oban Bothy
Monday 18 March 2013
Tuesday 12th March, Timperley at 5.50pm
Taken with my Lumix DMC-FS40.
By the time I’d grabbed the Lumix G3 – perhaps just 30 seconds later, the sun had gone and the moment had passed.
Monday 11th March, Mobberley – Peover circuit.
We kicked off from St Wilfrid’s church at around 10.30am – it was more than a bit cold, the ground was frozen hard in places. The forecast was for the temperature to remain around zero all day and for sporadic snow showers. That forecast was accurate, the first snow shower hit around half an hour into the walk:
At Peover Hall the sound of rumbling stomachs was enough to call a temporary halt to proceedings. We found a suitable spot for hot drinks and a bite to eat. It was Sods Law that, 5 minutes after sitting down to enjoy lunch we were enveloped in another wind-driven snowy squall. No matter, it just meant we spent less time sitting around and more time walking.
20 minutes later, the sun started breaking through – after another 10 minutes I wished I’d put sunglasses in my pack:
Frozen fields followed as we headed towards the outskirts of Knutsford:
Looking East (which is A Good Thing) afforded grand views of the snow-covered Peak District,
….well the views were good until another snowy squall appeared on the horizon:
Fortunately this squall did nothing other than obliterate the view for a short while - it dumped it's load of white stuff on someone else.
Half an hour later we were back at the car in Mobberley. We had walked around 16 miles with around 450ft of up. And down.
It had been a good day out.
This is where we went:
Confession time: this is the route Steve and I did in June 2012. It covers the same ground – it was just t’other way around….and I couldn’t be mithered doing a new map - ‘cos it’s late and I want my bed.
More photos here.
Sunday 10 March 2013
Saturday 9th March, Hare Hill Trespass
A very busy few days, down to family expansion, music & singing rehearsals and subsequent performances had severely limited my opportunities to get out. It was Sod’s Law that the first chance for stretch was on a cold, wet day.
Alderley Edge has been a sacred site since before Jesus was a lad. King Arthur and his knights are said to sleep somewhere beneath the sandstone cliffs – waiting to defend England in it’s hour of need. Wandering through the woodland that covers much of the red sandstone escarpment of the Edge it’s easy to imagine Arthur and his mates lurking underground, just waiting….
Parking the car in the NT Car Park on the Edge, we set off walking east (east is good) and gently downhill (gently downhill is even better than east!) leaving the Edge behind, I struggled to find some of the footpaths that were clear on the map but a bit vague on the ground. A consequence of these vague footpaths was that we missed the village of Mottram St Andrew, situated in the golden triangle of Prestbury, Alderley Edge and Wilmslow. No matter, it just meant that there was less tarmac to contend with.
Not to worry, nobody noticed us. I don’t think. Entering the gardens we had a meander around, admiring the well kept gardens.
Around 6 miles with 400’ (ish) ascent:
It was a short walk and the weather was crap, but it was still good to get out.
Thursday 7 March 2013
Tuesday 5 March 2013
1st – 3rd March, Convivial Coniston Coppermines. Magic!
What’s all that about then?
Milly, who is Gill (it’s a long story) booked Coniston Coppermines Youth Hostel for an Outdoors Magic meet. I think a total of 28 turned out for the meet, 22 cosy hostellers and 6 cool campers.
An mid-afternoon departure from Timperley had me driving through Ambleside at around 5pm. The views across Windermere were stunning enough to make me stop the car for a few minutes to play with the camera:
Ping pong curries for all had been
I should point out that Maria is a TGO Challenge Virgin, TGOC2013 will be her first crossing. She’s made of the right stuff and is going to have a ball. Not that I’m jealous. Oh no, not me.
Hrmph.
I hit the sack at around midnight, leaving revellers downstairs. I wasn’t bothered by the noise from the dining room directly below me – I was too knackered.
Next morning dawned bright, clear & cold, and the plans made the previous evening were put into action – but not before Chewie had provided bacon butties for all who wanted them. That was pretty well everyone!
Lunch was taken close to the very busy summit of Coniston Old Man. It was a bit worrying to see ill-clad walkers on the top, it was freezing and there were areas of slippy compacted snow. I’m sure they give the local MRT business they’d rather not have.
The top of Coniston Old Man
Dropping off the top, Skip spotted a rather enticing gully – just waiting to be explored. So that’s just what we did. A delightful stream, bordered with juniper bushes – just out of reach of hungry sheep, provided our route down:
Somehow we managed to squeeze 5 walkers and a doggy into Skip’s already full car – even so, 15 minutes later we were all back at the hostel – drinking tea and putting the world to rights.
Around 8 miles with 2700’ of up:
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