OFC on Bleaklow - Peak District Walk
Saturday 21st June 2008
Today I was joined by 5 other members of the OFC and my husband John for a walk, on Bleaklow, that was to be done in even worse conditions than the last OFC walk I organised. However, as we were all well equipped with waterproofs we decided to do the walk, with a slight alteration of the planned route and actually came off the hills with smiles on our faces. This was one of those walks that you never forget and should you tell those of your friends and family, who have never ventured onto the hills, about it your liable to ensure they never suggest joining you on a walk. Not only was it wet, with no views for most of the walk, but the wind meant that for most of the walk the rain was blowing into our faces. Naturally when we would have had the wind at our backs it stopped raining!! To make matters worse, for me, the ankle that I thought was fine turned out not to be fine just at the point where returning would have taken as long as carrying on.
Start: Old Glossop (SK 0455 9483)
Route: Old Glossop - Doctor's Gate Path - Pennine Way - Bleaklow Head - Wildboar Grain - Cock Hill - Old Glossop
Distance: 9.5 miles Ascent: 525 metres Time Taken: 6 hours 15 mins
Terrain: Generally clear and easy routes to follow but over moorland and bog with some scrambling.
Weather: Rain and wind with a dry slot at the end of the walk.
Pub Visited: Star Inn, Glossop Ale Drunk: Black Sheep Bitter
OFC members pose for the start of walk photo. L-R Sue Kennerley, Lorraine Barks, Kev Kemp, Simon Howard, Angela Clarke and in front Les Kemp with Megan. Photo taken by John. You will note that at this point in time some of us were hoping that the threatened rain wouldn't arrive so we hadn't got into all of our wet-weather gear.
Looking up the valley to Yellow Slacks and still hopeful of some views from the top. Five minutes later the rain arrived and we were all quickly into over-trousers with our hoods up and heads down. Now at this point it might have been a good idea to turn round and go back but OFC members are tougher than that.
Crossing the footbridge over Shelf Brook.
Looking back down Doctor's Gate Path as the rain blows across the valley. By now the cloud was starting to descend and the tops were lost in the mist, so we opted to change the route. Instead of heading to Higher Shelf Stones and then negotiating the pathless groughs to Bleaklow Head we decided to follow the Pennine Way, which is a well marked path, there instead. It was also at this point that most of us packed our cameras away, as taking pictures was almost impossible.
A couple of hours later and we have now followed the Pennine Way across Bleaklow, past Bleaklow Head, to Wildboar Grain, where the rain finally stopped. My cloth was so wet that it was impossible to get my lens smudge/raindrop free. The other OFC members can be seen climbing up the clough as I try to clean/dry my lens.
Looking across to Cock Hill from Harrop Moss.
The old shooting hut that is close to the top of Cock Hill.
Following the line of grouse butts we head downhill with views of the Kinder Plateau starting to appear.
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