Hi, here we are on day three (or, rather, here I am - NO guest book signings, so I am probably talking to myself - but they DO say it's the only way to get any sense!)

Another lovely day. Azure blue skies here, with a bit of a breeze. Too strong really for a BBQ, but I hold great hope for tomorrow. It better be good, as I have got the meat etc in now, and will put stuff into marinate in the morning. Don't you just LOVE outdoor cooking and eating (or it is just a bloke thing?).

I had a good walk around Eyam, (pronounced; eee-m) on Sunday. It was only 11 miles, but enough in the heat. My brother Colin and I started from Hathersage, and did a circular walk. We had lunch on the seats in the village square, and a welcome pint in the Miners arms (reputedly haunted by two lost female souls). There's a very good list of previous landlords - quite an impressive record - hanging in a frame on the wall.

I really want to add more pictures to this blog, embedded in the text, but each time I add more than one - they ALL appear at the start of the page - REALLY annoying :-(

I wish someone would give me a clue!

A close friend of mine is doing the coast to coast walk on her own, and I've just seen the weather forecast for the next few days - hot, hot, HOT!!!

It's Ashbourne Highland gathering this weekend - Scotland brought RIGHT to our door here in Derbyshire. It's a really good day, I've been for the last two years, and I wouldn't want to miss it now! Ashbourne is a pretty good place, I wish I could afford to live there, but alas, house prices reflect that it's a nice place in a nice location, hence mega-prices! They have the famous 'Shrovetide football' (or, rather, ROYAL Shrovetide, to give it its proper title). What do you MEAN, you've never HEARD of it?????

http://www.ashbourne-town.com/highland/

See YOU, Jimmy!

New blog alert

NOW HEAR THIS, NOW HEAR THIS!!!

DUE TO SIZE AND LOADING TIMES, I HAVE STARTED A NEW BLOG.
PLEASE GO TO;
WWW.WALKPEAKS.BLOGSPOT.COM
(and, if you want to, become a follower)

THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER POSTS ON THIS BLOG.
THANKS TO ALL MY READERS - I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO ENJOY MY PHOTOS ON THE NEW BLOG,
AND IT WILL LOAD UP A LOT FASTER.
CHEERS,
LES

Eight miles of loveliness

A lovely morning dawned for our day off. I said to Sue; "where would you like to go today". Her one word answer was; "high". So, with Kinder Scout on our minds, we set off on this glorious morning, passing this tree just outside our cottage. It's only like this for a few days every year, then it loses its blossom.

My plan was to park at Fairholmes visitors centre, next to Ladybower reservoir, and do a route from there. I couldn't resist this arty-farty shot though, as I noticed the view in my door mirror.
My planned walk was just under eight miles, but in this terrain, and on the route I'd chosen, that also meant we'd be doing more than 2,500 feet of ascent. A hard but rewarding day lay ahead.
Show me a wood in the morning, and I'll show you heaven!
We both LOVE woods at this time of the year. The light is really great on the stark trunks, but there's a promise of life. A few tiny shoots or buds, a lift in the greenery. Whatever, it certainly lifts us!
Already we were being treated to a great variety of birdsong. Only a few hundred yards from the car, and we'd heard many, many varieties.

Also, just a little further on, I saw a little lizard scurry away in the undergrowth. I whipped out the camera, but the morning sun made him much too fast to catch.

This wood sorrel wasn't going anywhere though, and it looked so lovely, leaning against the step.

Lockerbrook outdoor centre.

One of the things they teach at Lockerbrook is drystone walling.
Here's a fine example of before, and after.

We passed Lockerbrook and pressed on up the track, heading S/SW.
When we topped out, we got this super view of the Lose hill to Mam tor ridge.
Now, after all that climbing, we were going to drop right down to Hagg farm, another outdoor centre.

This is a bad picture of a Willow Warbler, but his melodious song deserved a shot. Just after I took this picture, Sue excitedly said; "LOOK, LOOK!". When I looked, there was a deer in the undergrowth. I didn't get time for a shot before it bounded away.

I wonder if they also teach 'observance' at Lockerbrook?
It would be a crime not to see things like this wood violet, which are all over the place, if you just look.

The rocky track, through the dappled shadows, up to Crookstone.

At the top, we were again treated to a lovely view.

So Sue stood awhile to admire it.

Me too.

In the middle of this picture is Jaggers clough, which leads up onto the Kinder Scout plateau.
THAT was where we were heading next, but not before dropping DOWN into the valley in front of us. NOW can you see why there is so much climbing involved today?

Lots of little lambs about this week.

There were lots of these green beetles about as well, but they weren't annoying, preferring to fly away from you, rather than into your face etc.

Quite a pretty thing, with iridescent green wings.

After a while, and after a stop to eat, we reached the top of Jaggers clough.
A look back saw where we had come from. See that U shape? That was where we left the track to start the climb up. The big hill is Win hill.

We skirted around Kinders Eastern edge, then followed round to the Northern edge to see the Alport valley come into view. What had been the perfect day was now turning very cloudy and cooler. Great walking temperature, but would we get wet?
The path lay down into the valley, and yes, you guessed it, UP again over that ridge, and back to Ladybower.

Come the 'glorious 12th', this will be the killing fields.
For anyone who's never seen one, this is a grouse butt, where the shooters lay in wait.

And this is Jubilee shooting hut, where the shooters and beaters gather.

We reached the point where it was all downhill to the car. As you can see, it was getting really cloudy now, and although we felt the odd spit of rain, it came to nothing and we remained dry.
All we had to do now was get back to Bakewell and light the barbie!
A great end to another perfect day.

RHB Part two, the South cliffs

A week in Robin Hoods Bay

I've been in Robin Hoods Bay for a week, helping to run a friends B&B while they went to Portugal. The weather was awful, both here and there. The only two days I got free, were lovely! Over the weekend, I saw a steady procession of wet, bedraggled and disillusioned walkers file into the B&B. I got the Monday off, so I went on the NYMR (North Yorkshire moors railway). I was lucky it was a STEAM DAY!

When it's 'chuffing' like this, leaning out of the window and taking pics is very hard as you get a faceful of soot to remind you of why the coal & steam age was responsible for the 'pea-soupers' we used to get.

I only went as far as Goathland - one stop, but it didn't stop them charging me £4:50 for the ten minute ride! No WONDER we went electric/diesel! (Nice station though)

Ready to go.

You can see by the sky what a lovely day it was.
I have a nice video of the train pulling out of Goathland station, if anyone wants me to send it, just email back, and I will. This is the last view I got of the track before setting off across the moors. The heather is JUST starting to bloom purple, which surprised me, as I KNOW the moors will be that wonderful purple sea when I come to Whitby in August, so June I didn't expect to see any of the flowers? Is this global warming, I wonder?

This little bridge had some lovely foxgloves growing at the side of it. Most of the stone walls are hugged by this plant at this time of the year (Latin - Digitalis) which, by the way, is the most poisonous plant in the UK.
EVERY part of the plant is poisonous!

....and yet - SO pretty!

I looked across the moors to Fylingdales. There used to be a collection of huge 'golf balls' on the moors, but a few years ago, they disappeared and were replaced by this strange wall-like structure.

Nice shot of a wall leading you up to the blue sky.

I was JUST coming back into Grosmont, and I dropped into a wooded glade. My attention was drawn to the most amazing thing, a young doe! I've walked across Scotland a few times, but THIS was the best and closest encounter with a deer I've ever had. I really felt privileged to stand so close, looking at this beautiful wild animal. She watched me, chewed a bit, and suddenly, was gone in a few bounds. I stood there quite a while, baking in the situation.

That was the end of my first walk. I did a second to Whitby, then up to Boggle hole, but I'll post those pics in another entry later. I hope you enjoy these.