Tuesday, 27th August 2013
This was an 11.5 mile walk organised by Andy as part of some “unfinished business” him and Shaun had when they didn’t complete their White To Dark Way long distance walk because Shaun injured his ankle. As it happened, Shaun couldn’t make this one either because his ankle is still playing up.After getting up at ridiculous o'clock I saw an amazing and surreal foggy sunrise over the Humber Estuary as I drove over the bridge to meet up with Andy – designated driver. It's a pity you're not allowed to stop because it would have been a fab photo (of the sunrise, not of meeting Andy, that was pretty nondescript!).
I abandoned my car at the meeting spot and off we set to pick Ed up. Then we spent far too long snarled up in traffic before having a quick pit-stop at a roadside truck stop for bacon sarnies and a cuppa. I felt human after that.
We got to Hathersage train station to find Pete and Aiden waiting for us. So, it was on with the boots, the mandatory group photo, then we set off:
Once we'd got off the roads we spotted our first White to Dark Way sign:
Our first proper view of Stanage Edge:
Amongst the ferns and still not seeing a way up onto the top. Can you see the rock climbers on the right?:
Pick a path, any path, make your own way in fact, through the never-ending field of ferns. This was quite a steep uphill slog and still no obvious way to the top.
Last pic of ferns. Nearly there:
Aha! THAT's how you get to the top:
We found a spot for a summit snack and was plagued with flying bite-y things so we didn't stop long, though I've never had people crowd round me when I light a cig before in the hope that the smoke kept the bite-y things away (it didn't work). It's only after looking at the pic that you can see why there were so many flying bite-y things - look at the oozing black goo down the side of the rocks - their home:
We carried on, doing what must have looked like a sort of weird morris dancing style ritual as we wandered along slapping ourselves and flapping our arms. Ahh, you can't beat a spot of self-flagellation.
Andy pointing out the route him and Shaun took before reaching this fateful ankle squishing spot:
Woo hooo! A trig point pic. Win Hill is a bit more noticeable now to our left:
I rather like this pic of Win Hill, framed by rocks and heather with a hazy Kinder Plateau (I think) in the background:
We wound our way down off Stanage Edge, crossed a busy main road and came across this sign:
What it doesn't tell you is that you still need to cross the runnel and go bog hopping. Fortunately, Pete showed us the route across the bog we shouldn't take and I just stood there like a pathetic girl trying to find a way across.
Peek-a-boo, and more ferns:
Andy's favourite type of trail - through woodland:
Our first glimpse of Ladybower Reservoir in the hazy sunshine:
We had a refreshment stop at the Ladybower Inn. Can't believe I didn't get a pic of that.
Then it was onwards and around the reservoir to tackle this, our final climb of the day, Win Hill:
I only took this pic 'cos I was actually at the front for a change. Don't they just look so happy to be having their pic taken on the steep climb up:
Not much further, just through those trees.... my [beep]. If I can just refer you back to the pic of Win Hill taken from across the reservoir and the considerable amount of treeless climb above the treeline:
I guess I was too busy counting my footsteps to get any pics of "above the treeline", but we made it. Pete and Aiden dashed off to catch the earlier train back home and left Andy, Ed and myself to our own devices. A trig point summit pic, with Stanage Edge in the background:
We stopped and had a snack and had flying ants to contend with this time!
Hazy views of the two "prongs" of Ladybower Reservoir from the top of Win Hill:
Hazy summit view towards Lose Hill:
A little clue left for us as to what direction we should take (cheers Pete and Aiden):
View looking back to the "Pimple" of Win Hill – well above any tree line isn’t it?:
Heading down across fields now back to Hope train station for our free train ride:
I thoroughly enjoyed the day but, by ‘eck, I was glad to get home and get me boots off!
Thanks for looking 😊