Rishworth Moor Weekender

Friday evening
Distance: 4 miles
There has been a noticeable hiatus in training for the walk due to me sustaining a vascular injury in my foot a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, my lumpyfootitis superficial thrombophlebitis has improved and I was confident that I would be able to walk on it this weekend for some much needed exercise in preparation for the Pennine Way.

So with foot well padded up, we set off on Friday night for the exotic Newhey Premier Inn. We started along the track. which has had some hardcore laid down so isn't the mudfest that it has been lately and then over Brushes Clough, cutting through horse field down to cross the stream and head up to the farm through a bluebell filled field.

We avoided the main roads by going up the cobbled street to St Thomas' church and then around the back of the memorial gardens to the hotel.

Saturday
Distance: 12 miles
Weather: heavy showers, occasional sunshine
Jay, mistle thrush, little lambs, three deer, a heron, orange tipped butterfly, bluebells, bog and an angry dog.

We set off about 10am, calling in at the shop for some sandwiches. As we came out the rain started, so we put on our waterproofs - and kept them on for the rest of the day, although the sun did come out occasionally. We walked up a wet path, where Rob practiced his dog control skills on a rather agitated farm dog that had snapped its chain, to the Pennine Bridleway

We followed the bridleway under the motorway and around Hollingworth Lake (where we had a sit down to rest my foot) and then joined the Rochdale Way along Whittaker Lane. We surprised a heron, who in turn surprised three deer. A good oppotunity to test out the 30x zoom on my new camera.

It started raining hard as we got to the Roman Road and we splashed our way along the Old Packhorse Road (stopped for lunch near the ford at Rag Sapling Clough when the sun came out for a while) and around Green Withins Edge over Rishworth Moor to the Turnpike Inn. Still not able to identify the mysterious birds in the woods near Rishworth Lodge.

Sunday
Distance: 12 miles
Weather: Sunshine and showers

Very leisurely breakfast and late start this morning. We went back the way we'd come yesterday, this time taking the lower path at Joiner Stones Hill down to Green Withins Moss and the reservoir. It was very windy in patches around here and quite chilly.

We followed a big path (cough Pennine Way cough) over Windy Hill bridge to the aerial and down the churned up messiness of Windy Hills to Piethorne Reservoir. We didn't stop for lunch, as it was raining and there was some football to be watched, so we struck on for home via Top O'Th'Hill and Brushes Clough.

Manchester Ramble 2

Route as last weekend
Weather: light snow most of Saturday and later on Sunday
Seen: fancy ducks (teal?), one 'kin huge dead fish, cormorant, baby lambs, Cloud Atlas

Manchester Ramble

Distance: 35000 + 37500 steps (mine)
Ascent: 80 + 120 staircases
Weather: cold but sunny
Seen: wren, pied wagtails, Die Hard

We needed some long training walks in preparation for our upcoming week in the mountains and, having various vouchers due to expire and birthday money burning a hole in my pocket, decided to walk in and back out of Manchester over the weekend.

We went in roughly following the route of the Medlock Valley Way - which we have ammended over the years to avoid various muddy spots - and came back along the Rochdale Canal and Oldham Way.

Training Walk

Today's walk was cut short due to it being the final day of the football season. We made it as far as Leesbrook Park and back.

Training walk around Saddleworth

Distance: 20 miles
Ascent: 950m
Weather: bright, bit windy
Critters: at least two deer, curlews, oystercatchers, lapwings, skylarks
The day began with a (relatively) hearty breakfast, with lots of cups of tea as I did the exercises prescribed by my physiotherapist for my frozen shoulder. With exactly two weeks before we set off for Offa's Dyke, I'm hoping that these will help to increase mobility and reduce the pain of sudden movements and stile climbing. We'll see.
So we set off today for a reasonably modest walk, which seemed to get longer as it went along, ending up at a rather unexpected twenty plus miles.
We went through Strinesdale, where I missed a duck photo opportunity due to some camera strap faffing, and then almost missed a couple of deer running away behind us across the path, I saw the second one briefly. About five minutes later we stopped for a snack - after having spent about ten minutes discussing how hungry we both were - and during the handing out of some nuts and raisins, I spotted a deer on the hillside opposite, which obligingly posed to have its picture taken.
From the reservoir we went up to Bishops Park and down the lane into Delph, then up a really steep cobbled path to a lane which leads towards Castleshaw. Here we met an odd fellow who was very proud of living ina field with no gas or electric, and then nearly got run into a wall by a group of ramblers walking in the opposite direction. From the top of the hill, we followed the Pennine Bridleway to Piethorne Reservoir and then a very wet path over to Brushes Clough. Here we should probably have taken the more direct route home, but decided instead to go to the aerials and over the ridge to Ripponden Road and home via Co-Op for dinner supplies.





We do like a bit of bog

Oldham Way-ish Part 2

Distance: about 20 miles
Ascent: 650m
Weather: Sunshine and showers, windy

Today we walked the other half of the Oldham Way, along the Crompton Circuit to Tandle Hill, following the Rochdale Canal to Failsworth and back along the Medlock Valley Way.

The were some light showers, but it stayed mostly dry. The recent wet weather meant there was plenty of mud. It was plentiful mud, but not particularly glorious.

Active Recovery

Distance: just over 5 miles
Weather: cloudy, warm in occasional sunshine

Short walk around home, through Pingot Quarry. There's been quite a lot of rain recently.

Oldham Way-ish

Distance: nearly 21 miles
Ascent: 1100m
Weather: heavy rain as we set off, intermittent sunshine and cloudy drizzle later, not as bad as the forecast seemed.
Critters: 2 bunnies, 1 hare, lots of sheep and lambs, lapwings, curlew.

Today's walk vaguely followed the Oldham Way and link paths from home around Lees, Greenfield, Dovestones Reservoir, over Pots and Pans, Diggle (stopping briefly for a cup of tea at the Diggle Hotel.)

We decided not to go over Standedge over Castleshaw, instead following the lower trail though between the reservoirs and over to Denshaw via Broadhead Noddle. New Year's Bridge Reservoir is being worked on at the moment, so the path has been moved slightly here.

The detour on to more tarmac may have been a mistake, as by the end my shins and Rob's knees were aching more than usual.

But we still refused the very kind offer of a lift from the friendly gentlemen who was most concerned that it was about to rain on us...it did, but only a bit of drizzle.

Aiggin Stone Ramble

Distance: 20 miles
Ascent: 800m
Weather: chilly, warmer in the sun, cold wind

Not quite the official Aiggin Stone Ramble, or even the official short version, as we actually walked passed the Aiggen Stone.

Starting from the car park near the aerial (just up the road from Jn22 of the M62), we went around the Windy Hills, under the motorway and to Hollingworth Lake. Then through Littleborough, stopping at the King William IV pub in Shore (which looks very nice and serves food, but has no card machine) for refreshments and over the moors - where we saw a herd of horses roaming free, some pensive cows, a fed up sheep, a very pregnant (or fat) Balwen sheep and a bunny. Down a steep sided hill into Todmorden, we followed the canal (which didn't at all smell of dog poo, unlike last time we went there) for a couple of miles (stopping for a snack and some rucksack faffing) and then up the other side of the valley from Walland up the Light Hazzles. Back along the track by the reservoirs, past the White House Inn, over Blackstone Edge and back along the Pennine Way.

Training Walk

Distance: 10 miles
Ascent: 300m
Weather: cloudy, brightening up later, chill wind
Critters: heron, weasel, several over enthusiastic dogs, frisky horses

Local walk from home, over Brushes Clough and round Strinesdale Reservoir. At Bishops Park we met an obliging weasel who hung around for long enough to be identified as more than 'ooh, a mammal'... Back along the road avoiding the newly fenced horse field and home in time for beer and crisps.

Training Walk - Last Big Day

Distance: just over 21 miles
Fry ups eaten: 1 each
Teensy fish seen: loads
Smallish fish seen: 4

After a bit of milk spillage clearing up and hat related forgetfulness which necessitated Rob going back to the house, we got set off at 9:30am. Not too bad for a Sunday. It has been another beautiful day, maybe too warm at times but there has been a bit of a breeze. Most welcome.

Today's walk was around the Oldham Way, using the Crompton Circuit and Medlock Valley Way as links to home. The return route also took in the Co-Op for the purchasing of ice lollies and crisps. According to the pedometer Rob did 41800 steps and burned 1240 calories (so I've more because I take smaller steps...) so we can indulge without (much) guilt this evening.

2 weeks before departure

So we now have two weeks before we set off on our North of England Way walk. New boots have been purchased and the last couple of weekends have been dedicated to training walks, about 30 miles in total both weekends - with varying amounts of foot ache.

Today was a bit of a short day - 13 miles, with only a small amount of shoe faffing. And I have been getting to grips with using the camera phone and setting up the Blogger app.

We walked from home around the villages of Delph and Denshaw, along the Rochdale Way for a bit, through Brushes Clough and back in time for tea.

Weather: warm, sunny and dry
Backs: sweaty

Beetles met: 1

Things to add to kit list thought of: bags for maps