Monday, January 22, 2007

Thunderstorms+ mountaintops+ me do NOT mix!



Note- mountains+ me DO MIX. We mix so well it's like parties and booze or cheese and toast. However, me+ mountains with thunder DO NOT MIX.
Ah, what a fun day sunday was. With the high chance that the first snow of 2007 was likley to fall, i decided to go and climb the mountain where it would most likley fall- Bleaklow. Despite the usual people and health and saftley obsessed gits telling me not to go, i went anyway. Being an experianced walker and very familiar with Bleaklow (I've climbed it 22 times) i didn't have a problem.
I ascended via the remote Westend Valley jutting of Howden Reservoir and walked up it in heavy snow and sleet. By the time Ronksley Moor (510m) was reached i was drenched so i headed down to the Round Hill Bothy to dry off, 10 minutes walk away down a grough. Gosh it was lovely in the bothy- a little winter wonderland 1500ft (470m) in the middle of nowhere- to dry off and have some food as it pelted it down outside. After an hour it eased off so i decided to make a push for Bleaklow Stones, at 628m/ 2060ft the 3rd highest point of the mountain and the most easterly bit of ground above 2000ft in the UK.
The walk was sheer delight, the fells glimmering white and compleatly deserted, Bleaklow looming ahead. The walk is very familiar to me (I've done it at least 15 times) with a good climb up onto the mountain's plateau at Grinah Stones. From here Bleaklow Stones loomed menacingly ahead, the cold wind gusting hard. As usual the climb is straightforeward and wonderful, slowly traversing around and up onto to top. The final 100ft were difficuly due to deep snow but soon the top was reachec at 12;30.
Being on top was brilliant with the vast views in all directions, the snow covered slopes leading down to endless moors. I had i little rest and half my dinner before a massive cloud from the west rolled over. At first it snowed lightly but suddenly it developed into a whiteout blizzard with no visability and heavy snowfall all around. I then got the shock of my life when it began to thunder and lighning directly overhead, scaring me silly as it was right upon me and i had no choice but to stay put.
It finally subsided 15 minutes later, leaving me somewhat shook up. I raced back to Grinah Stones and over to the Bothy before the next band of snow came. By now it was going dark and i'd had enough so i made for the Westend Valley in more heavy snowfall. With the pine woods and slopes all white it was really beautuful (D of E gits would call it a 'dangerous' situation by the way).
The day then turned into a nighmare as it snowed constantly for 1 1/2 hours, the bus home failed to turn up, it turning around halfway up the reservoirs (TM-Travel- you are assholes!!!!). Luckily some walkers who i walked back down the road with offered to give me a lift to Hathersage so my perents could pick me up (no mobile reception in Derwentdale by the reserviors). I offer my greatest thanks to the members of the Derbyshire Pennine Fell Club for helping me out of a bad situation.
Anyway, it was certainly a good day and fun adventure!

Photos- top- Round Hill Bothies at 11:30 after the first snowfall, in Lower Small Clough, Ronskley Moor.
Bottom- Bleaklow Stones from Grinah Stones after the blizzard with more bad stuff on the way. The best view of any hill or mountain anywhere i think.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

First nice weather of 2007!


Wow, after a week of heavy rain and wind, Peakland was finally treated to a day of bright clear skies and cold tempratures. Unluckily for me i could only go out in the morning due to revision, so i made the most of it and got the bus to Baslow and walked over Baslow Edge, Curbar Edge, White Edge and Flask Edge to Owler Bar. On the plus side it was probably better that I came home eary as the winds buffetting the Eastern Edges (the hill group I was on) were incredible- i could barely walk on the descent from Flask Edge and it chilled me to the bone.

The plod along the tops was good, overtaking most of the crowds and all of the annoying Duke of Edinborough morons (D of E sucks) on Curbar Edge with stunning views over Peakland in all directions. However, i made a hash of climbing the Eagle Stone on Baslow Edge- usualy it is an easy bit of bouldering- and fell off numerous times before giving in. Thank god no-one was watching.

I Finished off the walk by visiting my local hill, Flask Edge, and sat in the ditch munching tiffin with the summit to myself as usual. Got home for 13:00 feeling sightly headachey and refreshed- any amount of time on the hills is better than non at all.


Oh, here is a photo i took from White Edge Moor of Kinder Scout with Shatton Moor, Lose Hill and Win Hill Pike in front.


Saturday, January 13, 2007

Examophobia

What a start to 2007! The first week was ok, getting rid of the New Year's Eve hangover and immediatly back to school on the 3rd on Jan, school being easy and glad to meet up with freinds (my bunch are hopeless at keeping in contact over the hollidays).
The weekend was a bit poo, preparing for exams- yes, immediatly after the new year we have MORE exams to revise for- and then going for a walk on Sunday. It seemed a good idea to walk from Hartington to Bakewell over the Limestone Plateau, but it turned into a miserable slog. I went on my own and was ok at first untill i climbed Carder Low (my first hill of 2007) but by 11:30 it began to rain and didn't stop.
I trudged over the endless sea of green muddy fields of the Limestone Plateau (the southern and central part of Peakland near the southern end of the Pennines) , above 1000ft for miles on end, past the lovely backwater of Monyash and down Lathkill Dale in the rain. The worst bit though was in Bakewell waiting for the bus back home as there were some horrid chav girls playing thier vile 'music' staring at me like i was an alien- i'd rather be up on Kinder in a snowstorm than repeat that experiance again! Despite this the day was worthwhile, the route a great point- to point plod, and way better than being stuck at home.
This week has been full of exams- one on thursday and friday (i think i did well)- and lots of revision, spiced up by getting blown around walking to and from school by the gloriusly strong winds affecting Britain at the moment. Anyway, with more exams to look foreawrd too and colder weather on the way, it looks like 2007 is off to a great start (in a sarcastic way).

Monday, January 01, 2007

Bo + Jake turn 18!




Whoooppeee! Last night (New Year's Eve) was Jake and my 18th birthday, so now we can legaly get served at pubs. So, instead of the usual sitting at home we celebrated by going out on a pub crawl with loads of mates and got wasted. Luckily our town isn't too full of chavs so the atmosphere was great. Finished the night by gate-crashing a freinds house and staggaring home at 2:30.
Had a big party on the 29th with loads of mates, for once we had good music- hours of punk rock, metal and emo- instead of having to endure other freinds horrible dance/ rnb/ hip-hop and indie rubbish, and got very merry.


(photo is of a drunken me (left) and Jake (right) at our party on the 29th).

Merry 2007!