Castleton / Lose Hill Circular – (Derbyshire Dark Peak) – 29/04/13 – 5 Miles – Helen (Molly)

So what is it I always used to say at the end of each new piece ? Oh yes, ‘walks since last blog entry’. So in this case I will start with that, as there have been quite a few since I last put something on here. The trouble being that they have been of the small (5 miles or less variety), been walks that have featured here in the past (think Chatsworth, Baslow, Chander Hill etc.), and been walks where I didn’t think it necessary to bring a camera. So yes I have been neglecting this blog of late. Although to be fair to me, none of this has been helped by the depressing cold/winter, my change of job, and that fact that we haven’t been able to leave Luther (the oldie Labrador) home alone for too long. Anyway to get things moving again we (the Royal we doncha know) will start with a walk of 5 miles, that we have done before, only on this occasion we did bring a camera (Helen’s). So parking at Castleton this time (with Pevril Castle looking down on us and suggesting another day out) we set off through a series of fields, making both of us feel somewhat sluggish (not Molly though you understand). Now Helen had convinced me via the BBC website that this was going to be a nice day. Well no actually, having underdressed I found myself shivering through this first part of the walk. So having exerted ourselves in the cold for half an hour, we decided to stop for lunch on a stile in sight of the abandoned road, at the bottom of the shivering mountain (so that’s how it got its name), whilst watching some lambs butt heads and bleat over a lick bowl. With lunch over we then had to start climbing up onto the ridge at Odins Mine, and that soon warmed us up. What also warmed the cockles was the fact that as this walk was during the working week, there wasn’t that many people up there with us. Unfortunately for Molly though the preponderance of sheep meant that she had to be kept on the lead a lot of the time. Thus our climb took us along and through Hollins Cross, Back Tor with its Aztec Pyramid type steps to the lonely tree (where the wind tried to blow us off) and eventually to the summit of Lose Hill. On our approach to which, we saw what appeared to be a dead sheep in the field, with two small lambs watching the carcass from nearby. Feeling somewhat impotent in what we could do, given that there were other sheep in the field, we just hoped that a shepherd would be keeping an eye on his flock. From Lose Hill we began our descent to Castleton, which initially seemed to be taking us somewhat in the other direction, but after more negotiation of the flocking woollies we hit town, with just one small amount of sheltering from a shower. Castleton (home of the Blue John retailers) strikes me as something of a tourist trap, which nonetheless didn’t stop us trying the coffee and cake in one of it’s many teashops. So no thanks to the BBC weather centre it all turned out rather spiffingly (including Molly’s collar –in joke).

Froggat Edge Circular – (Derbyshire White Peak) – 02/02/13 – 6.14 Miles – Helen (Molly)

With the winter in full grip, we seem to becoming less and less adventurous of late with our walks, and this was another one we have done several times before. However in order to add a bit of variety we decided to do this in an anti-clockwise direction. Despite the cold winter sunshine, other people were also of the same mindset meaning we couldn’t get into the car park but had to park along the road instead. So one steep rocky climb, and we were up onto Froggat edge, but then made a right turn down to the full car park, in order to pick up Curbar Edge and then rejoin Froggat (anyone think this doesn’t make sense please correct me, as this is how Helen explained it). During the course of which I helped an elderly man back onto his feet (with his missus on the other side), after he had slipped on the mud (they eventually caught up with us again as we were having our lunch, before then retracing their steps). As clear and sunny as it was, the biting wind made sure you remembered what time of the year it was, whilst we continued along White Edge. So when we finally descended from that, we were grateful to find a wall to shelter behind to have our lunch. As well as the usual cobs etc., we all enjoyed (especially Molly) slices of my light, spongy, one day old, stale coffee cake. Thus suitably fed we walked a few yards along the road past the Grouse Inn, before entering a field full of Mole holes. There we carried on through the Longshaw estate before, rejoining Froggart. Given the amount of (how can we put this politely) fecal matter on the ground we did wonder whether dinosaurs still walked the earth, but the cause was eventually revealed as we passed through a small herd of shaggy long horned cattle (meaning we no longer needed to dwell on what passed through them). Then after Molly had posed for some edge photos we descended to the car, before returning home for tea.

Somersall (circular) - (Derbyshire) - 22/01/13 - 5 Miles - Helen (Molly)

Lets face it in this weather you can't really go anywhere of note in the car, so this was a standard door to door one, that we have done on many occasions before. What was different this time of course was the whole Winter Wonderland backdrop. A less cheerful sort than myself might complain of the: cold, snow blindness, extra work involved in lifting your feet up, and the difficulty in keeping your footing on any sort of gradient, but you know I am not one of those people. Anyway joining me on this expedition was Biggles sporting her new line in flying goggles, and Molly the easy to spot labrador. In fact near the conclusion of this ramble Molly managed to spot some loose sheep that we hadn't encountered in these parts, but returned to us and the lead when called. Biggles meanwhile childishly tried to shake some snow off the branches onto my head, which prompted me to get my snowball retaliation in much earlier.

Chatsworth (circular) - (Derbyshire) - 05/01/13 - 5.42 Miles - Helen (Molly)

Considering we are in January this was a very mild and sunny day, which would explain why so many people had the same idea as us to be out walking. So parking on the usual blind bend where all the other walkers do, we set off on the vast open spaces that make up some of the Chatsworth estate. Molly certainly seemed to have a extra pip in her stride, although she did her usual snooty female act whenever we encountered any other dogs. Having negotiated the gate that takes you into Stand Wood (which overlooks Chatsworth House), we made our way to the waterfall that may or may not supply all the electric and water display needs for the house (alright I can't remember what Helen said about this). Our half way point was the hunting tower, where we enjoyed our coffee and biscuits, and where Molly enjoyed a brief quarrel with a lady bulldog (the bitch). Now unusually for Helen this was pretty much an out and back ramble, but no less enjoyable for that. So with the GPS coming in at 5.42 miles, it was not a bad little stroll to start off 2013.

Best Walk Award and Annual Review 2012

So okay not a vintage year by any means. Certainly the time available for walking has suffered this year due to my weekly commute between Osterley and Chesterfield. The upshot of which being (apart from one walk last January) I had to give up walking with IVC (which I really miss). Also what I thought would be a ready made replacement (The Ramblers in Sheffield) turned out to be anything but, given the entire membership seemed to be made up of retired people. Yes there are younger ramblers groups in the locality, but one has to be a car driver to really make use of them....................................................................................................................................................................................... Walking on my own has also mainly fell by the wayside, due to me prioritising my Kettlebell's workouts during the working week, and then not having enough commute free time to myself left. I have done some good Peak District walking with Helen this year (as well as our North Yorkshire holiday), however we have been restricted to an extent due to Luther no longer being fit enough to come with us, and too frail to be left alone for too long. For my part I am becoming more and more phobic about walking through cattle, which has started to become a source of tension between us................................................................................................................................................................................................. Finally I have wrestled with the idea of calling a halt to this blog. One cannot always come up with interesting things to write (did you before then I hear you say), and it is also a bit of a bind. However there is no doubt it allows me to remember walks/holidays that I would have long forgotten otherwise (which i enjoy) and as such the only outlet I have for both writing and photography these days. So until such times as I buy a video camera and change the whole format, it continues for now. However it is not helped by Blogger itself, which cannot seem to make paragraphs using its own CHROME browser (this explains all the dots)............................................................................................................................................................................................ So as I say not a vintage year, although for various reasons I am confident that 2013 will have a lot more walking in store...............................................................................................................................................................................................So for 2012 I am cutting down my awards (cost of all the gold plate you see) to just one WALK OF THE YEAR which for 2012 is Beacons Horseshoe – (Powys) – South Wales -13/06/12 – 14.5 Miles - National Trust Working Holiday which for me is as good as walking gets in terms of scenery, physical challenge, and that great to be alive feeling only a walk like this can give you.

Monsal Head (Circular) – (Derbyshire) – 06/12/12 – 5.25 Miles – Helen (+ Molly)

Given that this walk has been covered on this blog on several occasions, I won't make a point of repeating myself too often. Suffice to say it was a cold and icy one. This was illustrated by Helen who immediately slipped over backwards, as she descended down from the steps at Monsal Head. As this was midweek, there were very few cyclists along the Monsal Trail, which allowed Molly to roam free for most of it. However it was far too flooded down by Water Cum Jolly to walk along the waters edge when we reached it, so we walked along the side of the hills looking down into the valley and the water below. Having linked up with the trail again we began the steep climb via Brushfield which eventually took us back along the viaduct, and up the steps again to Monsal Head. There Helen took some pictures of some geese we had met earlier who were noisily looking forward to Christmas. Walks since last blog entry: Chatsworth Circular: 4.75 Miles

Chesterfield Trans-Pennine Trail (Circular) – (Derbyshire) – 11/11/12 – 9 Miles – Helen (+ Molly)

Regular readers of these scribblings will note there hasn’t been many entries of late. Well since the last major instalment I have acquired a bit of powered transport of the two wheeled variety, which has been the main focus for me during this period. Anyway I am now looking to concentrate once more on the two footed moving option. This particular walk I had created earlier in the year, the only admendment this time being to start it a little further along at the car park opposite Chesterfield’s Crooked Spire, and thus cut out most of the back alley first mile (and eventually back). However given that it was £4 for 5 hours on a Sunday, then that decision will have to be under review. Anyway a crisp and sunny Autumn day found us picking up the Trans-Pennine Trail from the back of the railway station and after a bit of road walking this took us through Tapton golf course. Once out of there and making our way through Tapton farm we passed by two gorgeous miniature ponies before beginning a climb up towards Brimington. Having planned an early lunch, we partook of this on a seat in some playing fields, before finding a footpath that eluded me last time, which would avoid having to follow the trail’s suggested route through a housing estate. Back on track and passing alongside Brimington Common, we then made our way along a sheltered but bright wooded section, and continued off the T.P. trail with a sharp left that followed Trough Brook, and eventually took us through the park and lake that is alongside Ringwood Hall hotel. . A small amount of road walking followed before we picked up the Chesterfield canal (which once again meant we were on the T.P. trail). Coffee, tea and cake followed at the perfectly sited café, before continuing on the towpath for the 3.5 miles back to Chesterfield. The Sun was by then very low in the sky creating an incredible light as it shone through the trees, creating mirror like reflections on the water. However we had to keep a wary eye out for cyclists in case Molly got tangled up with them, and eventually for muggers, vandals and Pit Bulls on the arse end, last half mile to the station (lets hope the Waterside development improves this eyesore soon).