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!

A Walk on Kinder Scout (another one!)

Karen was leading a trip to the extensions at Water Icicle Close Cavern with Nigel Atkins and others and I had planned a walk on Kinder Scout.
Although the weather forecast was for light rain it remained dry but overcast. As I drove up and over the ridge bordering the Edale valley, through Mam Nick, it was foggy but cleared as I dropped down into the valley. It remained quite patchy once I arrived on the plateau of Kinder with the low cloud blowing in and clearing all during the day.
I parked at the car park at Barber Booth and walked up the road towards Jacob's Ladder then through a farm along the route of the Pennine Way towards the village of Edale (Grindsbrook Booth) passing a sign saying that Edale Moor had been closed to the public (except for Public Right of Ways) yesterday for shooting.
At the signposted junction with the path leading up to Grindsbrook Knoll, I turned along this route following the gradually-rising route to the summit of Grindslow Knoll. First, I removed the hood and sleeves section of my Paramo Third Element Jacket to prevent getting too warm. Here I sheltered behind a boulder for a few minutes and had a hot drink from my flask then replaced the hood and sleeves section once again.
I followed the path leading to the head of Grindsbrook Clough then followed the river channel leading towards the interior of the plateau for a short distance before crossing to another river channel worn in the soft peat and following this to the Northern branch of the Grindsbrook Clough valley.
I continued along the path following the edge of the plateau above Edale Village until after arriving at the rocky outcrop of Ringing Roger where I sat on a sheltered rocky stop to eat my sandwiches.
Following the zig-zag path leading down to Edale Village, I followed the short enclosed path from near the Old Nags Head pub until I arrived back at the junction with the route up Grindslow Knoll.
All that remained was to retrace my route back to where I started at Barber Booth.

 Paved path towards Grindsbrook Booth

 Memorial plaque on rocks, Grindslow Knoll summit

View across to Grindslow Knoll 

From path below Ringing Roger looking along Grindbrook Clough