It was a bloody freezing Saturday morning, but it was dry, and snow lay on the ground, only one thing for it – go for a walk!
The Plan (it’s always good to have A Plan) was to park up at Nelson Pit in Poynton, then walk into Lyme Park via the back door, and walk the Cheshire Hare & Hounds Tally-Ho! championship route, a short 6-7 miler.
I really was cold and very windy, we were later to discover that with wind-chill it was –14degC. I was wearing my Buffalo top for the first time in a long while – and was very grateful for it. Joules was well wrapped up with a Paramo top over multiple layers.
We entered the park by ‘Windgather’ and followed the tracks to the disused quarry by Knott, a little bump of a hill.
The track was frozen solid, compacted snow had been polished to a mirror finish by countless pairs of boots. Those braver than us, ie nearly everyone else out that day, walked without poles – there was much slipping and sliding. The track split at Hase Bank Wood, we took the uphill option towards Paddock Cottage.
Enter YakTrax and MicroSpikes.
To describe that uphill track as being slippy was an understatement, but we were able to wander uphill safely. We’d have been stuffed without our aids to traction.
A couple of hundred metres short of Paddock Cottage we came across Ian, sitting on the frozen ground, with one foot at a funny angle. He’d slipped and broken his R ankle – we were subsequently to discover, in 3 places. Ouch.
I was carrying winter kit so managed to help a little bit - thanks to Chrissie for flogging me the Bothy Bag a couple of years ago!
The cavalry, in the shape of Kinder MRT soon appeared and they took over in a very speedy and efficient manner.
By the time the MRT had done their stuff we’d been sat out in the icy blast for nearly 2 hours, rather than continue our walk we thought it prudent to turn back and go home.
Not Hartlepool
Oh well, we got out although we damned near froze our wotsits off. I hope Ian’s broken ankle heals sooner rather than later – then he can get out (or in) doing his indoor cycling before long.
Thanks to Kinder MRT for their service – I know they’d been having such a wonderful day out playing in the frozen waters of the R Goyt on a training exercise. It must have been such a wrench to get out of the icy water ...
https://www.facebook.com/KinderMountainRescueTeam/posts/3858199857577756
WoW!
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