The weather wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Having driven from home through glorious sunshine I'd approached Buxton only to notice I couldn't see the hills I planned on walking. Hopefully the cloud will lift soon.

Walking through the wood to Errwood Hall I noticed the path heading up on the left. I think it's new or at least it's appeared since I was last here in 2020.

The stream coming down from Shooter's Clough is in full flow.

For the first time in ages Errwood Hall is deserted and I can wander around it taking pictures without worrying about getting anyone in them.

As I take the path to the foot of Foxlow Edge this gnarled tree grabs my attention, one of many interestingly shaped trees I saw today around Errwood Hall.

As I climb a little higher I suspect looking across to Goyt's Moss that I'm not going to be enjoying any views for much longer.

Heading along Foxlow Edge the views don't improve, in fact they disappear.

By the time I reach the area where the summit is meant to be I'm firmly in the cloud and can't make out the valley below. Without the GPS I wouldn't have been able to confirm that this is the area where the summit is.

The summit area viewed from the path.

Approaching the sign at the bottom of the edge it is just as well I know the road is there as I can't see it from here.

Bagging the actual summit of Cats Tor proved difficult as visibility was even worse than on Foxlow Edge. The walk all along the Tors was just a case of following the path with no views at all and the occasional walker heading in the opposite direction.

Walking along the path I had no sense at all of how far along it I was, but when the sun suddenly started putting in an appearance I wondered if I might be close to Shining Tor, my highest point today, and be lucky enough to witness an inversion.

I was indeed close to the summit and as I approached it the cloud was lifting. Walking into Cheshire, passing the trigpoint, I headed over to the edge and looked down.

Turning back round and the view was improving all the time.

The cloud was clearing and Goyt's Moss was now visible, with the mast close to the Cat & Fiddle also appearing.

As I ate my lunch at the summit there were frequent checks to see what was going on. Here the Roaches start to emerge from the cloud.

For a while tops would appear and disappear as the clouds moved around, here Shutlingsloe puts in its first appearance.

Cats Tor slowly emerged from the cloud.

Lunch was a very long affair as I sat watching the clouds slowly receding.

Macclesfield Forest emerges from the cloud, as does the tower on Croker Hill.

For the 45 minutes I was at the summit I had it to myself and never even saw anyone approaching on either of the paths. I debated hanging around long enough to see if I could get the telescopes at Jodrell Bank emerging from the cloud, but given the amount of cloud in their direction I'd have been waiting a while.

Dragging myself away from the summit I enjoyed a quiet walk to the path for Stake Side, but I was still able to watch the inversion to my right lifting over Shutlingsloe.

By the time I'd reached the path to Stake Side Shutlingsloe was almost clear of the cloud.

Looking across to Goyt's Moss from the path, with the last of the cloud retreating.

Foxlow Edge is clear of the cloud, although it is still clinging to the bottom of Goyt Valley.

As I make my way down Stake Side Errwood Reservoir starts to appear, although it is still below the cloud.

Looking across Shooter's Clough to Cats Tor I can still see remnants of the mist in the bottom of the clough.

Across the valley Combs Moss is finally emerging from the cloud. There was still cloud clinging to it when I got back to the car park but it had finally disappeared by the time I was driving below it.

Looking across at Foxlow Edge I can just about make out where I stood to take the summit photos and it looks like I had the right spot.

Heading downhill my view was dominated by the reservoir, which is slowly losing the cloud that is hovering over it.

I was hoping the cloud might lift completely and give me some good reflections but it wasn't to be. Given the conditions I'd set out in I wasn't complaining, an inversion followed by winter sunshine had more than made up for the clag on the first two summits.

 

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