Wednesday Wander

What a wonderful Wednesday wander I had today, just a short 4km walk up towards Mossy Lea, into Shittern Clough, towards Cock Hill then doubled back across Small Clough onto Lightside. I got very carried away taking photographs and enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the area that's so close to home. Here's a small selection from my photos:

Sunday Saunter

Today's run was another easy one. Well that was the plan anyway. Part way up to Cock Hill I decided to see if I could beat my previous best time to the summit. It's a strava segment, though when out running I wasn't entirely sure of where it started from. What it did do however, was push me to keep the run/walk run/walk momentum up all the way to the trig point. Turns out I got a pb by just under 2 minutes which I'm really pleased with. Slightly quicker and I would have had the course record....for that I need to find another 11 seconds! Next time maybe.

Here's some photos from the rest of my run, taken at a much more leisurely pace:

Looking back up to Cock Hill, where I've just been.

...and the track down through the forest

Blackshaw Clough

Swineshaw Reservoir and Cock Hill in the distance

Brook beneath the reservoir

Washing the mud off my Inov8 Mudclaws

fungi

Waterfall near reservoir

Very inquisitive peacock

Peacock displaying for me!

Sunshine & Exploration

Today was the first Running Delights off-road session. The morning dawned foggy to quite a low level, but over the course of a few hours (and before we set off) it had all disappeared and we were bathed in the morning sunshine. We were running in t-shirts and enjoyed stunning views over Glossop on our run up onto Cock Hill. Here's some photos to give you a flavour of our session:

Looking towards Kinder from top of the steep bit! Well worth the view

First view of Cock Hill

Running up towards the rampart below Cock Hill summit

Admiring the view of Glossop from a new perspective

At Cock Hill summit trig point

Descending through the quarry

Swineshaw Reservoir in the distance - spot the helicopter

Closer view of the helicopter

Cock Hill from walled path

Returning to Old Glossop

Guided runs on a one-to-on basis or for groups can be organised....contact me for more information or have a read on the Guided Running page. Organised Running Delights sessions will be posted on the facebook page.

Springtime

A delightful running and basic navigation session took place this morning under the clear spring blue skies. We headed out and explored Cock Hill just above Old Glossop. You really don't need to go very far to feel like you are miles from anywhere:

The quarry piles below Cock Hill summit

Looking up to Cock Hill

Running through the quarry

Running into the bright sunshine

Descending off Cock Hill

The trig point at Cock Hill stands at 426m. Historical information about Cock Hill has so far not been forthcoming in my internet searches, so if you have any information about this disused quarry please drop me a line.

Mizzle Meander

It looked dull and damp outside. My regular Thursday running partner's daughter is ill so there was no external motivation to push me to run. We normally meet just after 9am so I decided to keep the appointment with myself. Yes I could have procrastinated. I could have waited for clag on the tops to clear (the sun is shining as I write this), or the threatened rain to come and go, plus I have a list the length of my arm of things I could and should be doing.

But, I had a good old talk to myself and managed to muster up the motivation to go for a fell run on my own. So what if I didn't feel like it. It's never as bad as it appears once you're out. I told myself that I would have an easy run, no pressure to get to any particular place by any particular time. The worst bit was leaving the warmth of the house. Even our porch felt freezing. The best bit, being all alone on top of a hill in what Tim has termed 'mizzle' (drizzle-mist)...and then some haily-sleety-rain...hunkering down in a bit of shelter for a few moments to just listen. Hearing nothing but the wind and patter of moisture hitting the rocks around me. Beautiful. There photos may help you imagine where I was...

me at Cock Hill trig point - funny face as it was ch-ch-chilly

Janathon #14

A bright patch in the otherwise grey sky appeared. Quick put on the running shoes and go run, I say to myself! My route took me through Manor Park, past Shire Hill hospital, up and round Swineshaw reservoir (right through the very boggy fields, splish splash through the puddles with a grin on my face), back to Old Glossop. In a spur of the moment decision I decided that the probable 6km total wouldn't be enough so I turned left not right and circumnavigated around Shire Hill and back home via Mossy Lea.

Swineshaw Reservoir looking towards Cock Hill - the latter being obscured by the mist/fog

same reservoir but a little further around, looking towards Shire Hill

Waterfall flowing in full force at the bottom of the reservoir

Total run today was 8.7km in 48:03, with and average pace of 5:31/km. I really pushed on the descent down into Glossop, getting my pace to about 3:45-4:00min/km. Good to get the legs turning quicker, even with gravity helping them along.

Snowy night run

Another Tuesday night, another Glossopdale Harriers club night run. Five of us were out plus our four legged friend Elsa - complete with her own reflective collar. Our route took us from the Leisure Centre, through Manor Park, up to Swineshaw Reservoir and up through the forest. What I hadn't figure on was bumping into a tractor with a herd of cows following it down the track. Rather oddly the farmer shut the gate and kept the cows in the field, rather than taking them further down - this meant they could just wander back up the hill from where he'd fetched them. Not to worry, they did delay us slightly but we only had to do a slight detour to avoid us having to push through the herd. They did seem rather attracted to our lights and followed us up the hill a little, but thankfully lost interest before we emerged higher up in the field.

The tractor

Climbing steadily the obvious paths in the daytime sort-of-eluded us a little. There are many little trods up onto Cock Hill, and we eventually found a good one that took us straight to the trig point.

At Cock Hill trig point - from the left: Zoe, Elsa the dog, Becky, Alison, Steve

Glossop way below our vantage point

Ladies Captain Alison modelling the club long sleeved vest at Cock Hill trig

The grass and trods were wonderfully sprinkled with snow and the freezing temperature meant underfoot was rather crunchy. Everything glistened beautifully in our head torches. 

Our route took us from the trig point higher up to Glossop Low cabin, and a little further to the spot height at 481m so we could look towards Holme Moss mast. The night was so clear it felt like the mast was much closer than it is. Earlier in the run we'd seen Winter Hill mast way over to the north of Manchester, and from our elevated position we could make out both very clearly. 

50% of our feet, Elsa included

The run off Cock Hill was lovely, easy underfoot with good grip from my Mudclaw 300s. With thicker socks than I'd worn in the morning my feet were lovely and warm. 

Stand and stare?

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Leisure by WH Davies

The sunshine beckoned me outside today. A friend recently placed a geocache not far above Old Glossop so I used that as inspiration for navigation practice, seeking out a few other caches and joining them up with a run.

My route took me over to Old Glossop via the Sunday football players on Pye Grove field, up past Shirebrook hospital and up the farm track for my first geocache. Muggles on the track around and above the farm so skipped this one and headed up the muddy trod and round the south west side of Swineshaw Reservoir which is shown in the photo above.

Looking up to Peak Naze from the South

Easy find for cache #2. I knew where this one was, having walked/run this way before, but have never signed the log. No muggles around, unusual for this popular dog walkers path. I faffed a bit here reading the map, choosing my route. I'd not really planned the finer details at home and eventually settled on getting the cache on Peak Naze next.

Disused quarry at the bottom of Blackshaw Clough, the ends of Blakemoor Plantation visible in the distance

Round the disused quarry at the bottom of Blackshaw Clough and into open country. Sheep in that field were clearly not used to seeing people....they stood and stared, in a big huddle! My climb to the top of Peak Naze was rewarded by fabulous views over to Black Hill and back to Glossop. Cache #3 found very easily after putting on my windproof top - quite a wind blowing up there.

Tintwistle Quarry seen from Peak Naze

Having spent a bit of time walking and caching I needed more running, so picking up feet over the grass tufts I headed over to Glossop Low. 

Frozen in places, wet and boggy in others

The helicopters who are lifting bags of heather and seeds for Moors for Future were out and collecting bags from that location. Could be interesting I thought!

I kept up a steady pace on the gentle incline, reaching the guys roping up bags just as a heli came in. I'd fully expected to be asked to stand back or move on, but nope, I just stayed right where I was (about 5 foot from the bags) munching on a chocolate bar as the heli hovered, loaded and flew off. Then in came the Huey. OMG, now that's a loud bird! I couldn't resist taking a video. Sorry if it's poor quality, especially the sound - only had my phone with me.

The bit where it goes a bit wobbly is the downdraft hitting me!!

I hung around for the heli's to come back once more for more bags, it's about a 7 or 8 minute turn round, and while I'd loved to have stayed longer my damp feet were feeling the cold. Not wanting to get chilled I said my goodbyes to the 2 bag loading guys and headed down to Cock Hill trig. I had 3 caches left on my list. Next one just below Cock Hill. Feet cold and starting to feel hungry I almost just ran home. But no. It's a good test of endurance to keep going that bit longer so I check the map and start searching under stones. There are quite a few thousand of them in this disused quarry, but my nav is spot on and I come across cache #4 quite soon. I'm almost muggled by 2 walkers having a picnic at the foot of the slope in front of me. Managing to duck back out of sight just in time I sign the log and I'm off down the slope to cache #5.

This cache is back over towards the disused quarry, but on the south side of Blackshaw Clough. After 10 minutes searching I'm unsuccessful - not surprising as several other cache-seekers have reported a non-finds. Back up the hill and through into the gap between the two patches of trees making up Blakemoor Plantation.

Here I find a small pond in between the two patches of trees.....with 2 fake ducks!!!

The final cache I head for is the one which inspired today's run. I knew it would be an easy find and it was. Thanks to the cache owner for inspiring my run today.

Just the last push back home to do and I'm 11km or so into my 13. My feet are leading the way and before I know it I'm dropping back down the south side of Shire Hill. I feel strong, yet tired at the same time. I've been out about 2hrs20, but was only moving 1hr43. I really did take time to stand and stare today, and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Here's the garmin track for you to look at.