Roaches walk, 8th Oct

Whilst others enjoyed the isolation and tranquillity of Bryn Hafod, six of us gathered below The Roaches for a canter around Ramshaw Rocks, Gib Tor, Gradbach, Dane Valley, Hangingstone and Roach End before finishing along the rocky crest of The Roaches in low cloud. Few others were encountered along the way except around the Scout Camp at Gradbach and along the final ridge where , somewhat bizarrely, we met a party of three descending in the mist from the trig point, casually dressed and carrying a white suit bag and a wooden stepladder. Despite the often grey sky we remained largely dry though the going would have to be described as ‘soft’ for much of the way. As always the Dane Valley was beautiful, lacking only a little sunshine to reveal its full glory. True to form the walk came in at 13.7 miles rather than the advertised 12 which I can blame entirely on the guidebook from which I lifted the route.
Steve W