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.
