South Pennines – Page 5

Springy walks 2016

Stoodley Pike from Withens Clough 14th February

Fantastic bright day with deep light resolution.

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Crimsworth Dean 25th February

Evening walk.

Erringden 27th February

Bronze NNAS course.

Crimsworth Dean 6th March

Chilly hill circuit, snow on the ground

Brynarth near Lledrod 12th and 13th March

Walsden and Quaker graveyard 25th March

From Todmorden along the canal and then up. Great walk for friend’s new hip!

Hardcastle Crags circuit 6th April

Great route, just a small problem with horizontal hailstones. Evening walk. Too difficult for photos!

Top Withins 10th April

Reccy for the Brontes by dark, a night walk I’m planning for the South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival in September, hoping to make the most of the Bronte festivities this year. I may even have to re-enact Heathcliffe and Cathy by semaphore.

Widdop towards Burnley 17th April

I was looking forward to this so it was irritating that it was marred by 2 off road motorbikes and a quad bike, all without plates, using bridleways and also a footpath. They were busy illegally churning up the paths and the moor and bog. I had planned a circuit but they were on the same route as me so I went out and came back the same way.

P1040749 — Widdop reservoir, last bit of sun

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Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map and use a compass with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Foggy fun 13th December 2015

Photos of the walk on Flickr

It started off badly when I found I’d forgotten my compass! I walked a circuit from Lydgate near Littleborough.

First went south quickly reaching the motorway and crossing it. Here I headed east and this was fine for about 1 km but then the right of way had no path under it. Sometimes this is alright but today after all the rain, the bog was too much especially when it went over my ankle and into my boot, so I headed up to a clear bridleway which I could follow up to the mast just near Windy Hill. This was all ok but by the time I got to the mast the fog had descended and the mast was barely visible although I was right next to it.

Then it was back across the motorway and a long quite dull stretch northwards to Blackstone Edge. It was even more dull as there was nothing to see except the flagstones in front of me. This is part of the Pennine Way and Cath and I walked this in September. I don’t remember there being flags then but I may be mistaken in this.

From Blackstone Edge it’s a short hop to the Aiggin Stone, this was also barely visible and what light there was was disappearing rapidly. West down the Roman Road where I promptly fell over, turned my ankle, knocked my pride, and managed to land on the soft bits. My wrist feels a bit weak but will probably be OK tomorrow.

Down through the soggy, boggy bits back to the car. The whole walk took just over 4 hours but felt much longer in the fog.

Map and …. the lack of compass was not a problem as I had backup of GPS on my phone and an electronic compass on my watch, however I have returned my emergency compass to the bag.

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Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map and use a compass with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Through the wind, through the rain, the snow, the wind, the rain: 22nd February 2015

After last week on the west side of Widdop I wanted to head east then up and around White Hill. It started to rain as I left home and as I approached the car park layby, it was a sleety blizzard. Whilst I got my boots on the boot of the car practically filled with sleet.

Fairly quickly I decided just to visit Lower, Middle and Upper Walshaw Dean reservoirs instead of my circular route. It was soon clear that walking into the wind and sleet would be very unpleasant even if I did it at the start of the walk. So I kept the wet stuff to the side and back and went to the end of the 3 reservoirs and then returned the same way. It’s a very clear track. White Hill was a proper whiteout with thick fog as well as snow on it so I think my decision was quite sensible. Walking back was probably as horrid a walk as I’ve ever had with what felt like pins of snow flying into my face. I should have put my contact lenses in although my specs were some protection against pins in the eyes so should have dug out my goggles as well. I was wearing a hat with a big bobble on it, the bobble pushed up against the hood of my anorak which then kept blowing off in the wind.

It was lovely to get back to the car where I had a bite to eat and some delicious if rather expensive Charbonnel and Walker hot chocolate! Then I went and bought a bobbleless hat at Springfield Camping.

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map and use a compass with me and my navigation partner, Cath.