Bleaklow by bus – meet report

[Geoff Nichols]

Bleaklow by bus – meet report

Five of us got the bus out – which was only 10 minutes late. We disembarked on the snake summit at 11.0 in drizzle. The route to Bleaklow was shared by Spine race participants; the 200 who had started on Saturday were well on their way to Kirk Yetholm and the 300 who had started this morning bustling by us. They had to make it in 6 days. For £875 they get 5 rest stations with minimalist shelter for a bivi bag and the reassurance their progress is being tracked. The race also runs in the winter when the record was set in 2024 – 72hours, 55 mins and 5 seconds for the 265 miles! From Bleaklow we saw nobody else all day. A minor navigational hitch and then down The Ridge towards Alport Castles, weather brightening up all the way. In fact, it was glorious. A steady sub-spine pace got us to Fairholmes with 20 minutes to spare for the 4.15 bus home. By 4.35 we’d given up waiting and started hitching. Two of us got a lift back to Crosspool. The other three got the bus which arrived just later. A good route taking us to unfrequented places. 17km. On Sundays this 257 bus goes on to Glossop, Hayfield and round to Castleton, so offers the possibility of more walk/bus combinations. Thanks to all for a lovely day.

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