Casualty Care at EMRT's base in Hope Valley

I spent the evening at Edale Mountain Rescue Team's base in Hope on the fourth and final Sunday of the Casualty Care course.
Next, in three weeks - the Exam!

Casualty Care at EMRT's base in Hope Valley

I spent the morning at Edale Mountain Rescue Team's base in Hope on the fourth and final Sunday of the Casualty Care course.

A Walk from Parwich

We started at the car park in the village of Parwich on a cold but sunny day and followed the route of the Limestone Way across fields passing the hamlet of Ballidon with its adjacent and large limestone quarry.

There's an old chapel at Ballidon which had fallen into disuse in the past few years and has started to deteriorate; I wonder how long it will be before it is entirely derelict? As we paused to take some photos a small group of young cattle came running towards us thinking we might be feeding them.

The route took us over higher ground than onwards to drop down to the Longcliffe road near Hipley Warren. We followed the minor road leading past Rainster Rocks and Brassington and left the road for the track heading eastwards and up towards the road from Brassington to Longcliffe after crossing several fields.

Next we followed the minor road for a short distance to again enter a field at Peak Quarry Farm and then onto the old railway track of the High Peak Trail.

The High Peak Trail was followed passing the gathering of trees on Minning Low near where we left the Trail through a small gate into a field then through a short tunnel passing under the Trail and onwards towards Roystone Grange.

A track leads from the farm at Roystone Grange southwards then down a narrow valley between two large working limestone quarries: Ballidon Quarry and Hoe Grange Quarry. It's quite a strange valley perched between the two huge quarries.

After reaching a minor road, we followed this for a while then back into fields and onwards towards Parwich again. It was at this point I discovered I had a blister on my right heel. I haven't had a blister for ages so it must have something to do with the boots I was wearing which I haven;t worn for ages either.

Anyway, after putting a dressing on the blister and having a bit of tea from our flasks, we returned to Parwich and where we had started.

Afterwards we drove to Monyash for meal in the café.

On the way back from Monyash we saw the first lambs of this year.

Parwich Duck Pond

Ballidon Church

Ballidon in the Distance

Rainster Rocks

Ballidon Quarry

Convenient Boot Scraper

Knob Hall

A Well in Parwich

A Converted Cruck Barn

Parwich Church

The Sycamore Inn, Parwich

A Walk Around Winster

There was an Orpheus Caving Club trip in Peak Cavern arranged today which would require a relatively early start.

The alarm went off at 0745 and I had one look out the window at the miserable weather and announced to Karen that I was staying in bed. “Sundayitis” had struck!

The weather cleared up later in the day and we decided on a short walk around Winster during which we saw the first snowdrops of the year at Winster Cemetery.

We heard a few days later that the trip in Peak Cavern had been abandoned due to high water lavels anyway.

DCRO Introduction Day

I spent the day at the new DCRO base at the Buxton Fire and Rescue Station helping out with this year's Introduction Day.

I was taking care of one of the five sessions: Communications. There were also sessions on Rigging, Stretchers, Medical issues and How DCRO Operates.

It was a great success despite the cold, windy and damp weather with the new base proving an ideal location.

Casualty Care at EMRT's base in Hope Valley

I spent the evening at Edale Mountain Rescue Team's base in Hope on the third Tuesday of the Casualty Care course.

Casualty Care at EMRT's base in Hope Valley

I spent the morning at Edale Mountain Rescue Team's base in Hope on the third Sunday of the Casualty Care course.

Kinder Scout

After the recent mild weather, today was frosty, clear and sunny. So when Karen said that Keith planned on coming to the Peak in order to move scaffolding tubes and clips to the current dig site in Water Icicle Close Cavern and she was going to help him, I decided the weather was just too good to miss the best conditions for walking on Kinder Scout.

This time I set off from Upper Booth with the temperature at -3.5 degrees C at 10:00. I followed the path along the the River Crowden and finally the enjoyable little scramble to arrive at the plateau of Kinder Scout.

As the weather was so clear, all the well-known landmarks were easily visible and I set off in a Northerly direction with my shadow in front until I reached the higher portion of the plateau from where I could see the large rocks forming what is known as Kinder Gates on wither side of the River Kinder leading to the waterfall at Kinder Downfall.

Now I just simply continued towards Kinder Gates making the odd detour to avoid the deepest groughs (channels cut into the peat) a bit like crossing a crevassed glacier but brown and green instead of white and blue plus not so serious if you ended up in the bottom of a grough instead of a crevasse.

Soon I reached a tributary of the River Kinder and followed the sandy river bed, soon passing between the Kinder Gates, taking care at the frequent icy sections.

Very soon I reached the top of the rocky amphitheatre surrounding the waterfall of Kinder Downfall where I stopped on a convenient rock to eat lunch.

Once I had eaten my sandwich, I continued on my way following the plateau edge with views across the Kinder reservoir and across to Cheshire and further.

As I reached the large rocky formation of Edale Rocks, I had a another short break to finish off my flask of coffee before continuing on down the path known as Jacob's Ladder until I arrived back where I started after an excellent walk.

A Walk Visiting Mining Areas Around Oxlow Rake

We were planning on a walk near Calver when there was a knock on the door while we were eating breakfast. I answered the door and found it was Tony Wood.
He was going to walk an intended route he was planning to lead shortly in the area of Oxlow Rake and asked if we wanted to accompany him. We told him we would do so and agreed to meet at Old Dam near Peak Forest.
We began the walk by following Eldon Lane after parking in the hamlet of Old Dam north of Peak Forest.
After passing Eldon Lane End Farm we continued on the track which is the usual route to Eldon Hole which was visible in the near distance later on.
We followed a public footpath through the fields and arrived at Watts Grove with the remains of a former belland yard which would be harmful to farm animals due to the high levels of lead in the soil as a result of mining activities in the past.
From here the feature known as White Rake led eastwards and we followed in the same direction passing a “pudding pie” lime kiln on the way.
We crossed over a stile into a much disturbed area which was the site of Watts Grove Mine and also the drizzle which had been threatening for a while made an appearance. We could see a sleeper-covered shaft and what looked like the remains of a coe (a small building which the miners used for storing their work clothes and tools) and the remains of a gin circle which was where lead ore would have been crushed by a heavy wheel rotated around the circle which was pulled by a horse.
Nearby we passed the remains of yet another mine called Jowle Grove Mine with similar remains including a crushing circle.
Next was a route crossing Eldon Moor in the mist bringing us to the walled track. We followed the track for a while to the west to see if we could see anything of Slitherstones Rake in the field about a hundred metres to the north of the track, but there was nothing to be seen and we had no permission to wander around the farmland there.
We retraced our steps along the track eastwards and arrived at a field gate and stile which were actually the boundary of the Peak Forest and Castleton Mining Liberties (areas which used to be administered separately during the lead mining era).
The route continued through the gate along the track passing Linicar Rake in the field next to the track to the north, eventually arriving at a gate and stile where the routes from Dirtlow Rake and Cave Dale crossed.
We then followed the route heading towards Cave Dale, part of the Limestone Way, then after passing Old Moor Mine, we branched off on a path at a junction which left the route of the Limestone Way, passing the interesting;y-named Clear the Way Mine then followed a track passing Oxlow Rake until we arrived back at Old Dam.
We drove the short distance to Peak Forest and had a quick drink in the Devonshire Arms before heading for home.

Eldon Hole in the distance

Kinder Scout Again

Karen was accompanying some of the “Alt Tuesday” cavers in the Water Icicle Close Cavern new extensions so I went for another walk on Kinder Scout.

Starting from Grindsbrook Booth after leaving the car in the main Edale car park I headed for Crowden Brook and then planned to walk Westwards along the Southern edge of the plateau as there was a strong Westerly wind blowing.

After a short break in the shelter of a gritstone outcrop, I continued onwards passing the top of Ringing Roger and then joined the path leading down the Eastern side of Ringing Roger.

After getting back to the car and a quick stop at Hathersage, I joined Karen in the café in Monyash for a meal.

A Return to Kinder Scout

Karen had a rest day while I made the most of the final day of the Christmas and New Year break by going for a walk on Kinder Scout again as the weather forecast was for a clear, dry but cold day.

Leaving the car at Upper Booth, I crossed the fields following the route of the Pennine Way towards the village of Grindsbrook Booth (which many refer to as “Edale”) then followed the path leading up Grindslow Knoll.

Reaching the cairn on top of Grindslow Knoll I was being blown about by the strong and very cold wind. The temperature was just over freezing so with this wind, the wind chill must have been very cold.

Since the wind was a westerly, I chose to follow the path along the edge towards Ringing Roger in the East.

I stopped in the shelter of a rocky tor for lunch then continued towards Ringing Roger where I dropped down the path leading below the rocks soon arriving at Grindsbrook Booth by the Old Nags Head Inn.

After following the beginning of the Pennine Way, I was soon back on the section I had begun my walk on earlier, then after leaving the Pennine Way route at the farm at Upper Booth, I walked back down the road to my starting point.

A Walk Along Lathkill Dale and Cales Dale

We joined a walk organised by Paul Chandler including some of the “Wombles” mid-week walking group and also some members of Masson Caving Group on New Year Day's walk.

Karen and I met the others at the car park near Long Rake Mine outside Youlgerave and we first had a quick look at the large Rake which forms an entrance to the Long Rake Mine.

After this we followed the route of the Limestone Way eventually arriving at the bridge over the River Bradford. By now the weather had taken a turn for the worse with the rain starting – at least it wasn't cold!

After following the river for a while, we turned off at the steeply-ascending Holywell Lane, passing Youlgreave Village Hall then along Main Street passing the old Co-op, which is now a Youth Hostel and the old stone-built water tank belonging to Youlgreave's water company (the village has its own private Water Company).

After following a lane, we arrived at Conksbury Bridge where we all had a lunch stop. Those who arrived first had the choice of three wooden benches to sit on while the rest of us had to perch on short wooden posts!

After lunch, we progress along the River Lathkill, which like other local rivers and streams, was flowing quite high after all the recent rainfall.

We tramped along in the rain trying to avoid flooded sections of path with occasional stops at sites of mining interest such as Bateman's House and various mine entrances until we reached the footbridge crossing the river at Cales Dale.

We had a second break sitting on the rocks on the other side of the bridge. Continuing up Cales Dale, we had a look at the very wet Lower Cales Dale Cave.

Further along Cales Dale, we climbed he steep stone steps leading out of the dale to reach pasture land and then after crossing a number of muddy fields, we arrived back at out starting point.

Long Rake Mine

Long Rake Mine

Flying Pig Weather Vane, Youlgreave Village Hall

River Bradford

Old Engine House next to Bateman's House, Lathkill Dale

Tufa Falls, Lathkill Dale