The Trig painter
Up on the aptly named Big Moor earlier doing a loop around Peak Edges; White, Curbar and Froggat. As always, breathtaking scenery, vast sky and the freedom of the ban on dogs off leads lifted as we head into Autumn. I mean every which way you look, dazzling views. We approached the trig point on…
Flat Stanley, Thor and the Peak crowds
Headed to unexplored Peak terrain about seven miles from Buxton. Hartington and Hulme End tipping into Staffs. The scenery is stunning, (iphone camera flattens hills and erases immense space, though not sheep and lamb action). We set off for a loop around Wetton taking in Thor’s Cave. These outings are haunted by memories of a…
Sir William Hill and step over stile smarts
Few words needed here. Just beauty, silence, space, and developing step over stile smarts from the scruffy one. “Been a long while waiting for a day like this”, said one of the few people we passed. Practicalities: 6 mile round loop (park on Sir William Hill road or bus to Eyam and walk up to…
‘Eyam a celebrity’
A circular walk from Eyam [eem] to Middleton Stoney earlier. A weekend of leaked WhatsApp messages showing government ministers grotesquely gaming the pandemic. Eyam is the famous Peak District village where residents chose to isolate for 14 months in 1665 after a plague contaminated package was sent to a tailor there from London. Food/supplies were…
Bamford, stone circles and the edge (of the A57)
The pin in the book of circular walks was stymied by full car parks at Derwent Reservoir late morning. Turnaround and drive back towards Bamford, park wherever and wing it. Walked up from Ladybower reservoir, following a path through wood woods before reaching an eerily enchanted wood with moss covered boulders, and a carpet path…
Cathkill Dale, sinkholes and timetabled cows
A funny one today. A 10 mile loop from Monyash, across numerous fields and stiles. Stiles. Squeeze and step – just working this out…squeeze a narrow stone post space though the wall. Step, slabs built into dry stone walls to climb up and over (right handed in layout). There was manicured scenery at the start:…
Jacobs Ladder, Dylan, Dougall and Brian
Day 5/18 of UCU strike days and the sun was shining. A good day to walk off work angst in the Edale Valley (or above it). A walk in three parts. 1. Up Set off along an idyllic valley, wide path, easy on the upwards, parallel to a stream. The path and stream eventually merged…
Shatton, a byway and Hope
Still, 14 months after moving here, weekends largely involve sticking the pin in Peak District walking books/websites. Roughly within a 10 mile radius, no mountaineering or ‘scrambling’ (vivid childhood memories) and a circular gig. Today, the pin fell on Shatton. In a week in which I, and others at work, felt pretty shat on, that’ll…
Lightwood wintering and ‘edges’
Lightwood was the walk menu for recently de-balled Sid this weekend. A decommissioned reservoir turned nature reserve (what does this mean?) with careful planning and ongoing care in Buxton. This is in the hood. A daily walk. Out the house, Sid standing up, front paws on the wall by the front door ever hopeful to…
Lose Hill and Windy Wappins
New Years Day, woke with a rainbow over Lightwood. Late morning was a walk up to Lose Hill and part way along the Great Ridge from Castleton. It was a muddy kind of day with a fair bit of slip sliding away on the way up. Proper windy too with mild peril to Sid’s chest…
Shining Tor, rainbows and the radio antennae
Back to Shining Tor today, 2 miles from Buxton in the Goyt Valley. A steady ascent to 600 metres on a slabbed path apparently airlifted from abandoned mills in the Pennines to save the environment being ruined by walkers. The views along the way take in pretty much every Peak in the Peak District, Manchester,…
Mrs Atkinson, the bell and the edge
The weekend ‘pick any one of a 1000 walks within 15 miles’ delight I’m not sure will ever wear thin. Today Hathersage (pronounced HATHsuge I think after chatting with a few locals) and a walk to Stanage Edge. Thick fog and no knowledge about the destination. A long week and some rage and sighs to…
Wild boar, dinosaurs and alpacas
Today was largely about a five mile round schlep from Wildboarclough to Shutlingsloe Hill and back via Macclesfield Forest. I blink at these names, heady still on the freshest of fresh air. An elderly man with a walking stick and wide brimmed hat was making his way steadily down the almost vertical in places path…
Baby steps
Back to everyday blogging. A leap I didn’t anticipate or think about before today. Where to start? Peak life. Where the weather turns on the spin of a coin, tiny frogs scramble out of the pond in mid September and there is a freshness to the air that defies description. Today a five mile walk…
My Peak Life 