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John BarnardParticipant
Eight people gathered at Cutthroat Bridge on Sunday evening for a rather hastily-arranged moonlight walk, including 5 survivors of the previous night’s ceilidh and 2 former members (who might even re-join). Apologies were received from a few others, with excuses including prior engagements and failure to recover from stripping the willow. We headed up to Whinstone Lee, the newly-risen full moon behind us, but views of the sunset were disappointing, as the disc had already disappeared behind Kinder Scout, and there was no colour to the clouds above. We traversed round above Ladybower reservoir before climbing back up to Derwent Edge, where we saw the full glory of the moon to the east. In the fading twilight we continued up to the Wheelstones, where we paused for warming refreshments, including tea, coffee, and Talisker (thanks, Max!). Despite the promises of Linda’s App there was no sign of any Northern Lights, and so we headed back down, the track illuminated all the way by the moon. Torches were only needed to avoid the mud on the final climb back up through the trees above Cutthroat Bridge to reach the cars. Thanks to all who came. JB
John BarnardParticipantCongratulations to Mike; his award seems to be for his charitable work with the Abbeydale Rotary Club. There is a short piece about him in the Spring 2024 issue of the Dore Newsletter (p.3) [https://dorevillage.co.uk/documents/download/a2673dcf-1806-4855-b614-227fd6cfa6fb]
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John BarnardParticipantHear, hear! How about instituting an annual award for the best meet report? (Does beg the question of what happens to meet reports if the communication proposals at the AGM tomorrow are agreed… I’m afraid I won’t be there!)
I also note the unreliability of the 257 bus that’s supposed to go over the Snake on Sundays! I was talking to someone yesterday (who *would*qualify for the 20-30 walking group) who was spitting tacks about similar problems with the 272 that’s supposed to go out along Ecclesall Road to Castleton.
JBNovember 6, 2023 at 5:36 pm in reply to: New National Park pay and display locations to go live #21458John BarnardParticipantI’ve just been past the “Derwent Overlook” laybys (the big ones just before you get to the Fairholmes visitor centre below the dam) and it appears that, if they were planning to introduce parking charges there, they’ve changed their mind. I can’t remember if they’d actually got round to installing pay-and-display machines, but there are none there now, and the new sign now seems to have the line about pay and display more effectively obliterated than it was. The PDNP website (https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/planning-your-visit/parking/parking-locations) also now clearly says that parking there is free. The same web page also now shows the Hooks Carr and Dennis Knoll laybys below Stanage as free, though the Hollin Bank (Plantation) carpark remains Pay and Display.
The road beyond Fairholmes up to Kings Tree at the top of the Derwent Valley is also now open again Mon-Fri (they seem to have finished the work they were doing on the inlet just above the Derwent dam over the past couple of months, and have re-landscaped the area where the crane was). Unsurprisingly after the recent rain, water is now cascading over the tops of both dams.John BarnardParticipantShould we be bringing contributions of cheese, biscuits etc. and/or wine (or buying the wine at the pub bar). Does the cheese need to be French?
John BarnardParticipantDefinitely not planning too early! We once had Muir Cottage (the Cairngorm club hut above Braemar) booked for an early Easter weekend about 5 years in advance! It got included at the bottom of every meets list (produced three times a year on paper in those days) so that we wouldn’t forget about it!
John BarnardParticipantIs there a way of checking what details you have submitted on the Membership Renewal Form? Or do you have to start again if any change is needed (I think I may need to make a minor adjustment to the emergency contact details)
John BarnardParticipantIt might be an idea to have a full list of the WhatsApp groups on the website (at present it mentions only Walking, Climbing and Cycling) with brief details of what each one is intended to cover.
John BarnardParticipantI’m afraid this plan may get disrupted by rail strikes planned for 1 and 5 October: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/sep/16/rail-strikes-october-conservative-conference-train-operators-walkout
John BarnardParticipantThe Wikipedia article on “Where Eagles Dare” mentions a stunt double for Richard Burton, but not for Clint Eastwood, though it says that the actors privately dubbed the film “Where Doubles Dare”. Famously, in “The Eiger Sanction”, (which he also directed) Eastwood did all his own stunts, including the scene where he cuts his rope, to be held on another rope from the mid-station window on the Eiger railway (filmed in situ). In his Paul Nunn memorial lecture at Sheffield Hallam Univ some years ago, John Cleare, who was the mountain cinematographer on the film, described the incident, telling how there was more slack than intended in the system, and Eastwood fell further than planned. This was the days of Whillans harnesses, and Eastwood was heard to shout up, in a squeaky voice, “which side does Whillans dress?” I hope all partipants in yesterday’s meet have suffered no ill-effects (modern harnesses should ensure that!), and look forward to their future Hollywood appearances.
John BarnardParticipantAnother library book I’d recommend is Frank Smythe’s “The Kangchenjunga Adventure”, about the 1930 German-led international expedition to climb the north ridge of the world’s third highest mountain (a route eventually climbed by Doug Scott, Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker in 1979, making only the third ascent of the mountain). It’s very readable and full of the most wonderful self-deprecating humour, problems with special integrated-crampon boots that weighed half a ton, etc.
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John BarnardParticipantAfter the previous week’s failure to achieve a quorum, nine of us turned up at the Cutthroat Bridge layby, in dry if not blue-sky conditions, and (after doing the up-and-down to the bridge itself) set off on the track towards Jarvis Clough. We then followed the (unmarked) track servicing the unusual sunken (but well-maintained) grouse butts towards Stanage End. We kept to a left-hand variant above the butts, which was dryer underfoot than the right-hand one and successfully reached the Edge. It was a little bit early for coffee, and quite breezy, so we agreed to continue down the track to cross the A57 and had our break in the shelter of trees and a wall beside Moscar Lodge (this is a public right of way, though not well signposted from the road). From here we passed the 18th century Moscar Cross, with its contrasting spellings of Bradfield and Sheffeild. Apparently it was once painted white, and features as Whitcross in Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre – it is where Jane is dropped by the coach when she runs away from Mr Rochester, and she then walks across the heather-covered moors to Hathersage (called Morton in the book, a name lent by the landlord of the George Hotel when Bronte stayed there).
The descent of Moscar Cross Road was mercifully free of mudness – being part of an unrestricted byway it is popular with four-wheel-drivers who regularly churn it up to the irritation of the local farmer, who frequently needs to restore it – and dropped down through Moscar House Farm before beginning the ascent toward Derwent Edge – an excellent area for bird life.
Time was marching on and there were mutinous mumblings from the back of the party about the late lunch stop, but all agreed that the grouse butt where we joined the path along the top of the Edge provided excellent views of the Derwent valley, and across to Edale, Kinder and Bleaklow. With refilled stomachs we headed south along the Edge, enjoying magnificent views, and dropped down to Whinstone Lee.
Two members decided to take the direct path back to Cutthroat Bridge, while the rest of us continued down the steep descent above Ladybower Reservoir (here churned up by mountain bikers, though there are several variants to the path) and round the back of the Ladybower Inn. Then it was back up through the nature reserve of Ladybower Wood (complete with interpretation signs identifying varieties of tree) and a return to our starting point. 7.9 miles according to Andy. Many thanks to all who came.
JBJohn BarnardParticipantMight be worth reporting to derbyshire Council (https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/countryside/access/rights-of-way/rights-of-way.aspx). I did so for a path near Dungworth earlier in the summer (on the equivalent Sheffield website) which was too overgrown to be useable, and it did seem to result in some action to clear it.
JBJohn BarnardParticipantReport:
The number booked went from 12 to 11 to 13, back to 12, and we eventually finished up with 10 members assembled outside my house. We set off in two groups of 5, with Vanda (fully equipped with route instructions) leading the second group which followed behind, but generally stayed within sight. We passed by the local junior school and a fairy garden before heading along the top of Stannington Ruffs, with a few members recollecting their youthful and ill-advised attempts to climb there (see the guidebook for a selection of excellent reasons not to do so). From the old Robin Hood (“of Loxley”) pub (now converted to flats) we headed down through the woods into the Loxley valley with occasional “rugs” of bluebells scattered about. Heading up the valley above Rowell Bridge, in Beacon Wood, the rugs turned more into carpets, though the cold weather has either delayed or diminished them, as they weren’t quite as spectacular as they were at this point last year. We stopped for coffee on a wall between the bluebell carpets, with the two groups maintaining at least a nominal separation.
After that the groups of 5 became a little more flexible, with membership dominated more by walking speed than official allocation. We emerged from the woods below the (still not yet open) Royal Hotel at Dungworth, and then headed up on a path though more open country towards Load Brook. A threatening sky caused us to delay lunch till we got up to Rod Side and, needless to say, just as we sat down on the verges of the tracks (accompanied by a lot of mooing from the adjacent field), the first drops of rain fell. Only one member needed to put her overtrousers on to stop it, and it had cleared up again by the time we continued on our way. John M (taking care of his recovering leg) took the more direct “Twenty Fields” route back to Stannington, while the rest of us headed down Onxley Lane to find a path (unmarked on the map) along the top of Rivelin Edge. This seems to be a climbers’ path for descending from the routes at the far left end of the crag, and is clearly maintained by the removal of obstructing branches. We made a steep and slightly slithery descent to the path below the crag, which we then followed back through the woods (with more occasional bluebell rugs) to join the last bit of the Twenty Fields.
This was the last Thursday walk to be run (at least theoretically) under the “rule of 6”, with advance booking, Covid risk assessments etc, required. The government’s “roadmap” of lockdown relaxations should permit a bit more spontaneity from next week. Many thanks to all who came, and indeed to all leaders, assistant leaders, risk-assessment collators, booking form co-ordinators etc. over the past several months. Let’s hope that the roadmap remains as accurate as all the Thursday walk routeplans, and as free of Indian variants.
JBJohn BarnardParticipantI’ve just used the website to book that last place (unless someone elese got in before me!)
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