Windy Winter Wander

When I say Winter, I mean it is technically Winter but the conditions out there on this mid-December day were, generally speaking, very mild. That is unless you consider the Moderate to Fresh Breeze that was blowing, gusting, altering directions on a whim, playing havoc with foot placement, keeping us looking more like crabs than fell runners!

The plan was for me and Rachel to do the aircraft WOATT (Winter Offroad Anytime Time Trial). These local challenges are set by Tim, and if you're interested in joining in head over to his testedtodestruction blog for more details. The plan, to visit the aircraft wrecks in Ashton Clough, the B29 just behind the Higher Shelf Stones 621m trig point, and James Thorn (either on the way up or down...weather, well the wind actually, was going to partially dictate exactly where we'd run).

Starting from the turning circle in Old Glossop we headed off for a steady run...into a headwind. It was just as bad as my run up the track yesterday, so I braced myself and got on with it. Chatting away we soon reached the bottom of the trod up James Thorn. Wandering a little we traversed around the hillside, stumbling across various trods and marshy patches as we made our way to the bottom of Ashton Clough, and the site of the Dakota wreck. Herein lay our challenge. Neither of us are brilliant on steep scrambly ground, so there was mutual support on the bits we had to clamber up, and a good foot and leg soaking as we climbed over a mini-lake-puddle and up a little waterfall.

C47A Dakota engine in the stream bed

Rachel up ahead in Ashton Clough

More aircraft wreckage in the bottom of Ashton Clough

and more on the hillside on the western flank of Ashton Clough

and even more above the fence line

The wind was really picking up and feeling much stronger as we topped out of Ashton Clough so the decision to head back was made. My hands and feet were starting to chill out, and I knew that if we needed to stop for any reason I would be very cold very quickly. The B29 behind Higher Shelf trig would have to wait for another day, but we did brave the exposed summit of James Thorn to tick off the second aircraft wreck site, the Lancaster.

Memorial to the crew of the Lancaster on James Thorn

Heading back to Glossop we picked up the footpath off James Thorn heading west....and then the wind really hit us. Our running turned to giddy laughter as we tried to make forwards progress...each footstep not quite hitting the ground where you'd expect. My hands only started to warm as we got down to Mossy Lea farm, so cutting our run short was definitely the right choice. The full WOATT will have to wait for a calmer day!

My run/walk totalled just over 11km in 1hr 55mins...strava has me moving for 1hr 15m which I can well believe on this occasion since we were stopping and starting lots in Ashton Clough.

If you're interested in the aircraft wrecks in the area this is a website I've used to find out bits of information. I also have a copy of Dark Peak Aircraft Wrecks 1 which details the history behind each of the wrecks.