DGH and JRH Walks- 2022

 Lyme Park- Bowstonegate, Dale Top and Cluse Hay Our last walk of the year; less ambitious as it was not that clear what the rain would do. In the end, we enjoyed a dry and slightly different walk of a bit under four miles around Lyme Park. We parked at the top by Bowstones Farm and followed the path more or less south outside the wall of the park. Clear division between Lyme Park (right) and agricultural land The track looped around to the south west, giving us a view of the dreaming spires of Manchester. Dreaming Spires of Manchester Further on, we had a nicer view, the dovecote on Cluse Hay, one of the key buildings in the park. The dovecote on Cluse Hay After the dovecote we headed across and through the woods of Knights Low to reach the usual uphill route to Bowstonegate and the car. A pleasant walk and a satisfying end to our bumper year for getting about in the countryside- at home and abroad. 3.7 Miles, 250m ascent.

  Cutthroat Bridge, Derwent Edge and Strines Moor The forecast was fair- no significant rain predicted- and we thought that it was worth going a little further afield than we had recently. After a couple of minutes, we agreed that Cutthroat Bridge, along Derwent Edge and over to Strines would be a good walk. We hadn't remembered that we'd started the year with much the same walk on the New Year's Bank Holiday , so there was a nice symmetry to the choice! We had some lovely low, winter's light but as it was a little chilly, not many pictures were taken. Ladybower and Win Hill in the background Bamford Edge to the left of Jacinta The Edale Skyline and Kinder Plateau all the way to Fairbrook Naze The Cakes of Bread We stopped by the Strines Inn for a hot drink and to eat our packed lunches surreptitiously... An enjoyable winter walk of 10.2 miles with 470m ascent.

  Old Glossop and Dog Rock It was a thoroughly chilly day and, as it was very icy, somewhere where we wouldn't have problems parking (or leaving our parking spot) was important. Parking at Old Glossop fitted the bill, and there was a choice of walks. Our original thought was to stay on the level and walk up towards Mossy Lea Farm but the track was icy and very slippery in parts. A quick reconnoitre of the path up Lightside (towards Dog Rock) showed it to have fresher snow and less packed ice underfoot so we decided that was the way to go. We were well equipped- Jacinta was putting her thicker Patagonia down jacket to good use. Matching jacket and hiking poles The air was clear, and colours vivid as we made our way up Lightside. Working our way up Lightside After Lightside, the path levels out until the final ascent a little before Dog Rock. Approaching Dog Rock- smog of Manchester in background Just before dropping down to Dog Rock. Dowstone Clough in background We had a quick brea...

  Pym Chair to Windgather It was a cold and raw day, and despite that, we really wanted to get out to clear a few cobwebs. We made our way to Pym Chair but decided, rather than trudge up to Shining Tor, to walk down to Windgather as it had looked spectacular as we passed. It was a shortish walk- there and back- and, as it was really cold, we only took a very few pictures. On reaching Windgather, we found a hardy pair climbing in big mits! A brisk 2.1 miles, 60m ascent.

  Western Edale Circuit The forecast was for low-level cloud/mist and possibly clear tops so we abandoned our original plan to do the "Frisky Cows" walk from Castleton. We'll definitely save that for another day. An obvious alternative was to walk from Mam Tor and over Rushup Edge, and then see where we went to from there. On further reflection, starting from the Mam Tor car park would mean that the final stretch of the walk would be uphill so we took the sensible option of starting from Edale and having a coffee in The Penny Pot . As with our walk last Friday, we walked up to Hollins Cross. Although the mist was blowing in and out, we still managed to have some typical views. On the way up to Hollins Cross- Grindslow Knoll in the background At Hollins Cross we turned right rather than left as we had last week. As we made our way up towards Mam Tor it became more and more misty. Into the mist on Mam Tor Having walked over Rushup Edge we stopped at the junction of the path...

 The Great Ridge, Lose Hill and Kinder The forecast was for a dry and sunny day and it certainly didn't disappoint. There was lovely sunshine all day and this only changed as the sun went down, just before 4pm and we were virtually back at the car. We made an early start- stopping for a coffee and a warm-up at the Penny Pot. Warmth at the Penny Pot We walked up, a pleasant walk under Cold Side (the landslipped side of Mam Tor) and up to Hollins Cross on The Great Ridge. Walking past Cold Side. Back Tor and Lose Hill in the sun ahead Arriving at Hollins Cross. Edale, Kinder and Grindslow Knoll in the background We had brilliant views all around, including back to Edale, across to Kinder and Grindslow Knoll, and to Mam Tor. Mam Tor, with the closed road below We then made our way to Lose Hill which is a great landmark. It felt easier going up this side than the other and it was a pleasant walk. We stopped for a snack at Lose Hill and made our way down to the outskirts of Hope an...

  Team Outing: Skiddaw and Outlying Fells Paul and Michael had departed on Monday, so today's team was Julian, Andrew, Greg, Chas and David. We started out from a handy parking spot on an otherwise very narrow lane- it looked as if it had once been a small quarry. We made our way up past Little How and along The Edge with Ullock Pike as our first objective. Ullock Pike silhouetted to the right, Skiddaw in cloud to the right The clouds were drifting in and out but Skiddaw was consistently shrouded in a lenticular cloud. Skiddaw with nebulous covering On reaching the top of Ullock Pike we had a short break and took in the views. Ullock Pike summit- Carl Side is the next top on the ridge Carl Side was the next Wainwright and we had a brief stop there. We'd seen and heard a shepherd working his flock of Herdwick sheep and they arrived at the top shortly after we did. A collie and his herdies The shepherd called the sheep towards us and they didn't give a jot about five humans- ...