A Walk Along Abney Brook

We had a bit of a lay-in this morning and after a phone call from Eileen Morton, I drove over to the Orpheus CC Cottage to pass a message to Ken. The morning was clear and sunny with no wind but very cold (the car thermometer was showing -7°C) and no more snow had fallen overnight. The track to the Cottage was clear but most cars were parked in the first field near the gate as their owners had believed there was the possibility of further snow overnight.
Afterwards I returned home to pick up Karen and we drove through Grindleford and up a snowy and icy road leading to Sir William Hill to park at a track leading off the road leading from Eyam to Grindleford via Sir William Hill.
We started of f up the unmetalled road passing the large ariel tower and the chimney of Ladywash Mine until we reached a minor road at a bend.
We branched off from here onto another track, and soon we passed through the drive of a private house at Nether Bretton on a Public Footpath which led us along one side of the house, over a stile next to the ruin of a lovely old house with mullioned windows, and then across a field. After another stile we started on a steep path with steps which led down to a valley bottom.
We crossed a stream by using a footbridge and started up the other side of the valley. Part way up the other side we had a sit down to have lunch.
We continued on our route soon reaching the hamlet of Abney. After following the road through Abney for a short distance we turned onto another Public Footpath which led us down the Abney Brook valley.
This led us to Stoke Ford where we crossed another footbridge and then followed a rising zig-zag path giving views both back along the Abney Brook valley with the autumnal colours of beech and larch trees, but also Hathersage in the distance along with the gritstone crags of Stanage Edge and Millstone Edge. We followed along the top of the valley then crossed a stile in a drystone wall onto the moorland which we crossed to soon reach a stile onto the track where we had left the car.
Afterwards, we stopped off at Outside at Calver crossroads for a meal and then home.
I wore my Rab Vapour Rise Stretch with TrekMates Merino Wool shirt underneath, Polar Buff (as a hat), Icepeak X-Treme trousers, Asolo Powermatic 200 GTX boots and Osprey Kestrel 38 rucksack.
I found the Rab Vapour Rise Stretch top excellent. I was always warm and never too hot despite some short steep climbs. There was no wind but despite being sunny, the temperature was never above freezing all day.

Another Return to Kinder

The original plan was for the two of us to do a walk from the King's Tree in the Derwent Valley, especially as the weather forecast was for a cold but clear and sunny day.
We were woken in the morning at nearly 0800 by noisy jackdaws in the garden and when Karen had a look out of the window and saw that around two inches of snow had fallen overnight. This wasn't in the weather forecast. The first snow of the winter!
As the planned walk involved driving along a minor road and then a stretch of road which leads to a dead end and is only open to traffic at weekends from October onwards, we thought it might be best to avoid this route if there was any snow about.
So, we changed the plan to do a walk on Kinder instead.
The roads were fine as they had been gritted and when we got closer to the Edale valley we could see that there was less snow lying on the ground than back home in Winster, which was a bit of a surprise.
We parked in the large car park at Edale village (Grindsbrook Booth) and could see that it was still very overcast and not much like the weather forecast.
Anyway, we got our boots on and readied ourselves for the walk. By now there were at least blue patches of sky.
As we approached the centre of the village, Karen was a bit cold and still a bit hungry after a light breakfast so I suggested a hot drink and a snack at the café at Coopers Farm campsite.
It was warm in the café and Karen was soon warm again and once we had finished our food, we continued on our way with the plan to do the same route I had followed last week but in reverse, as there was a cold wind and we would get better shelter and have the wind in a more favourable direction.
The cloud cleared and the sun made an appearance as we climbed up the zig-zag path leading to Ringing Roger. We found a sheltered spot amongst the gritstone rocks to have a quick hot drink then continued on our way following the rising path leading to the Kinder plateau.
Once we reached the path along the edge, we continued along this with views back down to our starting point across to the small peak of Grindslow Knoll.
We found another sheltered spot in the lee of rocks and sat in the sun with views across to the Great Ridge of Hope Valley and miles beyond where we ate our lunch.
Continuing along the flagstone path with the odd icy patch, we followed around the edge then after passing the top of Grindsbrook Clough, followed the path leading to the summit of Grindslow Knoll. Here the wind was quite strong and again we sat in the shelter of rocks to finish off our hot drinks before dropping down the path back to Edale.
On the way home, we stopped at Outside at Calver Crossroads for a meal.
I wore my Buffalo Mountain Shirt, Polar Buff (as a scarf), Lowe Mountain Cap, Icepeak X-Treme trousers, Asolo Powermatic 200 GTX boots and Osprey Kestrel 38 rucksack.
As expected, the Buffalo Mountain Shirt was ideal for the conditions. While we were stopped on the top of Grindslow Knoll, I put my Paramo Torres Gilet on over the top and was more than warm enough.

A Walk from Ashover

This was a walk arranged by Paul Chandler which was on a weekend for a change so I could join in.
We met in Ashover village car park next to the Village Hall and Medical Centre (which appeared in the television series “Peak Practice” some years ago) and along with Paul, there were five others.
We followed a circular walk as far as Ogston Reservoir of about 9 miles stopping for lunch at some benches overlooking views into the distance. Luckily there was only a little light rain.

Walk on Kinder Scout

We had planned on a walk in the Derwent Valley but in the morning Karen was feeling unwell and decided to spend the day at home. So we decided to postpone the planned walk for another day and I would spend the day on Kinder Scout.
I drove to Edale and parked in the main car park (which is £5 for over 4 hours which is pricey) and set off towards the Old Nags Head Inn and the start of the Pennine Way.
At the junction with the path leading up Grindslow Knoll, I stopped to remove the hood and sleeves section of my Paramo Third Element jacket and got the walking poles out before beginning the walk up to the summit of Grindslow Knoll.
From her I followed the edge-side path leading back towards Ringing Roger and stopped in the shelter of some gritstone boulders on the plateau edge to eat my lunch.
I continued onwards and followed the path down from the edge heading towards the top of rocky outcropping of Ringing Roger where I had a second short stop to finish off my flask.
Once that was done I dropped down back to Edale and back to the car park.

DCRO Rescue Practice at Alderley Edge

It was an early start as Leaders and Controllers were asked to be at the National Trust Car Park next to the Wizard pub at 09:30.
Karen 'manned' the entrance to Wood Mine with radio and entry log while I marked a route to the mine with red and white tape while a small group including Brendan the Doctor and Alan Berry, both DCRO and Derbyshire Cave Club member led the way to Rabbit Cavern where the story was four cavers had entered the mine in the morning after a night out drinking and eating and two had fallen ill.
Once they had been examined by Brendan, it was decided to walk out one casualty who was 'not ill but feeling anxious about being underground'.
Meanwhile on of the two ill casualties was worsening and it was decided to bring him out on the SKED stretcher.
Meanwhile another group of four had gone to a different part of the mine and hadn't returned so another DCRO team were carrying out an underground search.
Back at the entrance, we were told that the other group of four had been found but two required evacuating on a stretcher. So the modified Neil Robertson stretcher was sent in.
While we were getting ready to move out with the stretcher, a message arrived to call a halt to the exercise and head to the surface. It was about 13:00.
We had a lunch break and afterwards had a search exercise looking for missing cavers. I took a group while being led by a DCC member to see the entrances to Cobalt Mine and Engine Vein Mine to see if there was any indication of entry into any of these: there were none.
After radioing for further instructions, we were told to return to control.
Once there, we were told that someone had fallen down Church Quarry and myself and Brendan were sent to examine the casualty and report back with requirements.
The casualty seemed alright but 'tingling in the legs' indicated possible spinal injury. A request was made for the spinal board and Oxygen plus a stretcher party.
The spinal board and stretcher party arrived and after the casualty was loaded on the board, he was carried back to the vehicle and Control in the car park.
This brought our day to an end and after the remainder team members arrived after a separate search, we had a de-brief and some of us who were returning via Buxton stopped off at the store to help tidy up the gear which had been used.

A Walk in the Goyt Valley

Parking at the car park next to Errwood Reservoir, Karen and I walked along the road next to the reservoir the along a path which gradually rose on rough grass until turning to the right a path beside a drystone wall led us to the top of Shining Tor.
It was a dry, sunny and windy day, quite cool but with a cold wind so as there was a wooden bench in the shelter of a corner of the wall right next to the Trig. Point on the summit, we took the opportunity to sit on the bench where we sheltered from the wind and had a snack.
It was good that the weather was so clear because there were views into the far distance practically in all directions.
After the short break we followed the route along which was furnished with large slabs of stone across boggy ground dropping a little and then rising again to the rounded summit of Cat Tor.
Soon the path dropped down to Pym Chair with views across to Windgather Rocks. We finished the remainder of our lunch in the shelter of a wall next to the minor road.

Next, we followed the minor road for a while, mainly on the rough grass verge then left it to follow a path which led back down to the road next to Erwood Resrvoir.
We then just had to walk back along the road for a short distance taking us back to where we had started.
In the evening we met Keith and Pete Collins for a meal in the Miners Standard. They were up to do a bit of digging in Water Icicle Close Cavern and told us about the state of Cherty-Two Choke which had suffered a collapse in the past week or so.
After the meal, we walked back to our house as Keith and Pete returned to the OCC Cottage.

West Mine, Alderley Edge

Karen and I drove to the car park next to The Wizard Pub in Alderley Edge followed by Mark Silo in his car on a rare underground. We were due to meet Nigel Dibben of the Derbyshire CC at 11:00. Here we met Dave Phillips followed by Mike Moore, Mat and Nikki Adlam-Styles, Dan Leyden with Ashley Richardson. We all got changed into our caving gear and waited for Simon Wynne who was also planning to come on the trip along with his daughter Sian and also giving Rich Smith a lift.
By 11:15 we decided to move onto the small “museum” run by the DCC in the building next to the pub shared with a Tea Room as it was a cold day. Luckily the missing three arrived at 11:30 and after chivvying them along, we were following Nigel along the road and into the woods passing the adit into Wood Mine and then across a large field to a shaft in one corner surrounded by a fence.
Nigel soon had the lid open and was demonstrating the draught blowing up the shaft by dropping bits of grass!
We clambered down the short ladder and grouped up just inside the large passage at midday. This shaft was dug in recent times as the old entrance was on another landowner's land and had collapsed.
We had an enjoyable trip around the mine (Karen and had been on a trip before with some “Alt Tuesday” members and Keith).
We were back on the surface at 15:30 and were soon changed back out of underground gear. As the tea shop was very busy we just headed back towards Parsley Hay and collect our gear from the OCC cottage.

James Halls's Over Engine Mine

Keith was at a loose end this weekend as Pete was working today and Karen had suggested a trip down JH (James Halls's Over Engine Mine). I had been to the top of the second pitch, Bitch Pitch, once on an Orpheus trip when Mark Silo was charged with the task of removing a loose P Bolt (which wouldn't give up its place in the limestone despite being loosed and having the resin drilled). I had also been to the bottom of Leviathan, the last pitch, twice when on DCRO call outs. But I hadn't yet been anywhere in between!
So, pleased to get the chance to have a look at JH, Karen and I met Keith at the Monyash café as usual for breakfast, then called in at the OCC cottage to pick up ropes and tackle bags.
There were several people there, not surprisingly, as it was the Bonfire Weekend, along with Tony Seddon's travelling cave shop in a van “starlessriver.com”. Simon Wynne and Dan Leyden asked if they could come along and they joined us.
I decided to follow the route via Monyash and Peak Forest via Wormhill to get to Rowter Farm but ended up driving slowly behind a Land Rover herding some cattle along the road for nearly half an hour!
Anyway, we were soon all at the camping field next to the farm and changed into caving gear. There were two cars already parked by the farm gate and the farmer had told Karen that there was a party already down JH. We were puzzled when opening the shaft lid to find two ropes already rigged.
Anyway, Keith started rigging our rope and headed down followed by Dan, Simon and Karen. As it happened, we had four tackle bags and I was the lucky one with none to carry!
I was last and shut the heavy steel lid while standing on the scaffold poles just below. I found the rope wasn't feeding through my descender very well and began feeding it through by lifting it with my right hand. This was pulling a bit on my shoulder which is still a bit weak from an old injury and after 20 metres or so I decided to abort the trip rather than risk injury.
I shouted down to Karen that I was heading out and she acknowledged and I changed over to prusiking and was soon opening the heavy shaft lid once again.
I was back at the car at 13:00 and soon changed out of caving gear. I sat in the car for a while and dozed then heard voices at 14:30: it was the cavers who owned the other two cars arriving back after the trip. I looked over and saw one was waving – it was Wayne Sheldon! He had met the others underground and knew I was back on the surface. He mentioned they had seen another pair down JH (hence the two ropes) and was puzzled as there were no other vehicles...
Anyway, about an hour and a half later at 16:30 Karen arrived. She had been to the Workshop and together with Dan had decided to not bother descending Leviathan leaving Simon and Keith to do that. They planned to reach the bottom and then head up again.
Soon Karen was changed and we popped home to feed Willow then returned to the OCC cottage for the bonfire and firework festivities. As I was driving and we were staying at the cottage overnight since we were going on a trip to Alderley Edge Copper Mines the next day, Karen was soon giggling after a pint and a bit of Martsons Pedigree from the barrel!