THE PEAK DISTRICT BOUNDARY WALK – report by Hilary Kendall

Whilst out walking in the Peak District most of us will have noticed these discs attached to stiles and signposts. They are the waymarks for the Peak District Boundary Walk, a circular walk of around 190 miles which keeps as close as possible to the edges of the National Park. It was devised by the Friends of the Peak District and officially inaugurated on June 17, 2017. There is a guidebook describing the route which for convenience has been split into 20 stages averaging about 10 miles per stage and the route description starts from Buxton.

Before the official Grand Opening the Friends of the Peak District advertised for volunteers to walk a stage of the route on the inauguration day with the intention that the entire route would be walked on that day! Ray and I received an email from Marple District Rambling Club informing us that MDRC had volunteered to walk Stage 19, the penultimate stage from Bollington to Whaley Bridge. We asked for our names to be added to the list of walkers but later found that only one other person had responded! However, he brought along a friend so on a glorious hot day the four of us were waved off by the wife of the licensee of the Spinner’s Arms in Bollington at 10.00am and welcomed to Whaley Bridge at the Goyt Inn at 3.00pm by one of the local councillors.

The entire route can be walked as a long distance challenge walk with overnight stops (Contours Walking Holidays can arrange packages of 10, 12 or 15 days of walking) or one can pick and select individual stages as required.

Ray and I have just finished walking it stage by stage but mainly trying to keep to the correct order. In 2017 we walked Stages 19&20, in 2018 Stages 1&2 but this year we became seriously “hooked” and have completed the remaining 16 stages in the past 3 months . (Walking it this way had the big advantage of choosing to walk on days when the weather forecast was good!)

The logistics of planning the walk were probably more challenging than the walk itself as the beginning and end of very few sections can be connected by public transport. We managed to walk the entire route without any third party back-up. 16 sections were completed entirely by public transport. We used a car to drive to the end points of three sections and then used either Derbyshire or Moorlands Connect to take us to the beginning of these sections. We could not have finished the route without these brilliant bus companies which provide pre- bookable transport to and from places where no regular public transport is available. On the remaining section Derbyshire Connect collected us from a completely inaccessible place and transported us to somewhere from where we could get public transport back to our car. We also had a couple of overnight stops (between Stages 7 & 8 and between Stages 10 & 11). Although the route is officially 189 miles, by the time we had added on distances to and from buses, trains and accommodation, we had clocked up 233 miles.

Whilst most of us associate the Peak District with Derbyshire, much of the route is in Cheshire, Staffordshire, and even Greater Manchester as well as Derbyshire, with all areas having their own characteristics. I have been amazed by the diversity of scenery; exposed moorland, woodland paths, dramatic edges, cloughs, lakes &reservoirs, beautiful dales and pastures. Each day of walking is different and within each stage there is varied terrain. Although I have walked regularly in the Peak District for about 40 years I found beautiful paths I had never walked before and others that I had rarely walked. There is a good mix of the familiar and the unknown.

This is a walk I can thoroughly recommend.

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www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk A Friendly Local Walking Group for 50 years

Affiliated to H F Holidays The Ramblers Association, Peak & Northern Footpaths Society The National Three Peaks Challenge May 2019 A Personal Account

By Malcolm Adams

Not to be confused with the Yorkshire Three Peaks, this challenge com- prises in Scotland, in the Lakes, and in - all to be climbed in 24 hours! I was part of a team of seven, which included my son, and we were fortunate in having a dedicated minibus driver and re- freshment provider as part of the group. We started climbing Ben Nevis, the tallest peak in the UK, at 5.30pm on a Friday night, and completed it in 5 hours. Thankfully it was dry, although we were plagued by Scotland's infamous midges when we got down! I found that ascent and descent much tougher than I expected, and I therefore decided to sit out Scafell Pike to be in reasonable shape for Snowdon. Four younger members of the team did however manage it in less than 4 hours - starting at 4am on Saturday morning, in driving wind and rain. From there we crossed to Pen y Pass in Snowdonia, and started the ascent of Snowdon in the rain at 1.30pm on Saturday afternoon, taking the Pyg path up and the Min- ers' path down. Thankfully we didn't have to queue to stand on the summit, where it was cold, wet and windy. My son and I did Snowdon together, and supported each other to get it done (my son had also climbed Scafell Pike). We finished at 5.20pm, 15 minutes inside the 24 hour challenge, and the team kindly provided us with a glass of Cava and sausage rolls in the Pen y Pass car park! The team celebrated in the YHA hostel there, and stayed the night, be- fore parting company on Sunday morning. This was one of the toughest physical and mental challenges I have undertaken. I think my decision to omit Scafell Pike was sensible, but I was full of admiration for the four members who climbed all three peaks. From a personal perspective I took great satisfaction from having climbed Ben Nevis and Snowdon in 5 and 4 hours respectively on consecutive days. Apart from a 'lads outing' with great company and good banter, the most important part of the exercise was raising in excess of £4,000 for the charity Target Ovarian Cancer.

www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk

www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk A Friendly Local Walking Group for 50 years

Affiliated to H F Holidays The Ramblers Association Peak & Northern Footpaths Society

Pembrokeshire Coast Path May 2019 A Personal Account

By Malcolm Adams

I completed this 186 mile long distance path in May, over a two week period, with a rest day in St David's, the smallest city in the UK. Starting in Amroth, due north of the better known towns of Saundersfoot and Tenby, the route finishes in St Dogmaels, near Cardigan. This walk is not for the faint-hearted, and certainly not for those with a fear of heights. Total ascents are claimed to add up to more than the height of Everest! On many occasions you feel perilously close to the edge of some very steep cliffs, and in some places the path has been moved back due to coastal . The rewards however are many - spectacular scen- ery and views, charming bays, inlets and vast almost deserted beaches (all 108 of them!), abundant wildlife, especially birds, and a warm and friendly reception from those met en route, including the B&B owners. My colleague and I were really lucky in having glorious weather for most of the 15 walking days - wet weather gear was donned just once! Officially opened in 1970 the walk is very well way marked, with the familiar acorn logo, and Byways Breaks, who we used to book accommodation and for bag transfer, did a great job. If you are tempted to do this walk, or sections of it, we used the excellent 'Trailblazer' guide to get us round.

www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk

www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk A Friendly Local Walking Group for 50 years

Affiliated to H F Holidays The Ramblers Association, Peak & Northern Footpaths Society

The Bullock Smithy Hike 1st/2nd September 2018 A Personal Account

By Malcolm Adams

This 56 mile hike took place from the 3rd Hazel Grove Scouts HQ from noon on Saturday 1st September with a cut-off time of noon on Sunday the 2nd. I'd heard a lot about it, including from some of our Club members, who'd tackled it in the past, so thought I'd give it a go. It was good having my son with me too. We planned to average 3 miles an hour, and allow an hour or so for breaks at checkpoints. This meant we didn't have to run/jog at any point. Powerful head torches were required for the 10 hours or so of darkness.

There was an approved kit list, which you had to sign off to, and you were given a tally card that would be endorsed at each of the 14 checkpoints. These were at Bowstones, Chinley Churn, Edale Cross, Edale, Castleton, Peak Forest, Millers Dale, Chelmorton, Earl Sterndale, Brand Top, Cumberland Cottage, Walker Barn, Whiteley Green and Hazel Grove. Food and drink was supplied at each checkpoint, and the diet was certainly varied! It ranged from cold rice pudding with tinned fruit salad, soup, doughnuts, jam sandwiches, hot dogs, biscuits, crisps and flapjack - it was all very welcome as 'comfort food'. There was also hot tea or coffee at many of the checkpoints.

There were around 220 entrants, with around 150 managing to complete the event. The incentive to finish was complimentary full English at the end! It was interesting to see how people were kitted out. Some had the full Monty, with large backpacks, walking boots and poles; others were runners with the minimum of kit, while some tackled it in trainers. My son and I walked it in trail shoes, T shirts and shorts.

Although the hike was a fair distance, and on a hot day, (with the ascent to Edale Cross arguably the most gruelling sector!) knowing that there was a checkpoint every 4 to 6 miles did help, as did the cheery welcome and encouragement from the volunteers manning them.

Having completed the course with my son in 20hrs 28mins I vowed never to do it again. Since then I'm actually tempted to have another go next year!

www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk

www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk A Friendly Local Walking Group for 50 years

Affiliated to H F Holidays The Ramblers Association Peak & Northern Footpaths Society Offa's Dyke Path National Trail A Personal Account

By Malcolm Adams

This year my long distance walking buddy, Alex and I decided to tackle the Offa's Dyke Path. This winds along the English/Welsh border, roughly following the line of the 1,200 year old frontier earthwork, for which it is named. While the majority of walkers take the south/north route, we decided to go north/south - from Prestatyn in north Wales to just beyond Chepstow in Monmouthshire. We tackled this in 13 days of walking, having a rest day at the (approximate) half way point in Knighton. We used Byways Breaks to organise our overnight accommodation and daily transfer of our bags, and they provided a great service. With the exception of one overnight stay - above a tapas bar - the standard of the B&Bs and pubs was very good. The people who ran the accommodation some way off the trail were normally happy to collect and return us to where we had left off the previous day. One of the early highlights and wonders of the route was undoubtedly the Pontcysyllte Aquaduct after Llangollen. Not ideal for those with a fear of heights, as there is a 126ft drop down to the River Dee below! The gifted engineer, Thomas Telford, took pride in knowing that only one life was lost during the ten years it took to build. Brilliant views of Tintern Abbey from the Devil's Pulpit, high above the River Wye ranked as another memorable highlight. Hay on Wye was an enjoyable and interesting overnight stop too. It was also remarkable to be able to make out the actual Dyke along several long stretches of the Path. The Path was very well way-marked, apart from one or two places where souvenir hunters had prised off the familiar acorn symbol from signposts! We used the excellent and comprehensive 'Trailblazer' guide to find our way, although Alex was also armed with maps and GPS as back-ups. We averaged 14 miles a day, and I'm pleased to report that we had no problems with our kit or blisters. We were fortunate with the weather also - we started the walk in a heatwave, and only had one day of heavy rain en route. A total of 15 full English/Welsh breakfasts helped us at the start of each day - or did they slow us down?! We also got a taste for draft Butty Bach beer from the Wye Valley Brewery, although Timothy Taylor and Doombar also featured in our evening diet! En route I stayed hydrated with a product called 'Mountain Fuel' which I used for the first time on an ultra event last year. Apart from that, I carried a flask of coffee each day, plus the treat of a Mars or Snickers. Planning is already underway for our 2019 walk, which will be the 186 mile long South Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, with 35,000 ft of ascent! I have the local Bullock Smithy Hike to look forward to before then......

www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk

www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk A Friendly Local Walking Group for 50 years

Affiliated to H F Holidays The Ramblers Association Peak & Northern Footpaths Society

Pennine Way A Personal Account

By Malcolm Adams

I have been asked to share some brief thoughts with you about my recent walk on the . Many of you are more experienced walkers than me, so I will try not to insult your intelligence!

My first ever long-distance walk was the Coast to Coast, which I completed last year with my walking buddy, Alex. We then got the bug and wanted to do another, so we hit on the Pennine Way, which we recently completed in 18 walking days, with one rest day (in Hawes). It was a truly great experience. We covered some 275 miles, with a total of over 30,000 feet of ascents. The walking averaged out at 15 miles a day, with some sectors shorter and others longer, governed by our accommodation. Our longest and arguably toughest sector was over Cross Fell, where we walked for 8 hours, and had to withstand 60 mile an hour winds, that at times blew us off the path! We saw some truly scenic wonders en route, including one of the three Yorkshire Peaks, Pen-y-Ghent, which we climbed, the Low and High Force waterfalls, Edale Cove, Wuthering Heights country, the stunning natural amphitheatre formed from huge cliffs that is High Cup Nick, the Cauldron Snout waterfall, which you also climb, and of course Hadrian’s Wall, which you walk along for some distance.

We used the Sherpa Van company to book our accommodation, and also to transfer our luggage from place to place. We always started the day with a full English, and I also had porridge where I could get it. We were fairly fed up with pub dinners by the end, although we did find a few restaurants, including a wonderful Greek place in Hebden Bridge. Lunch was taken pretty much on the hoof – mainly mixed nuts, dried fruits and chocolate bars., I also made a flask of coffee each day – more of a comfort thing really! Accommodation was generally good, although some of the twin rooms were a bit small to sort out our things, and prepare for the next day. We were walking fairly early in the season, and therefore did not encounter that many fellow walkers en route, apart from a friendly group of Kiwis we met from time-to- time, along the way.

We were really lucky with the weather, which was mainly dry throughout, and also escaped blisters and other ailments. The Pennine Way also has many waymarks featuring the distinctive acorn logo, although my colleague also had GPS and the excellent Stuart Greig guide book and 1.25 large-scale maps. It goes without saying that you need good kit, and especially good boots and quality walking socks. Nor is it a cheap do – Sherpa, accommodation, evening meals (and of course beer money) all adds up. Was it worth it? Absolutely – for the solitude, the wide-open and empty spaces, skydiving lapwings, the constant accompaniment of skylarks and the glorious sights and panoramas.

We are now planning Offa’s Dyke for 2018.

www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk

www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk A Friendly Local Walking Group for 50 years

Affiliated to H F Holidays The Ramblers Association Peak & Northern Footpaths Society Coast to Coast Walk A Personal Account

By Stephen Hyslop

I needed to build up my experience and fitness before doing this 192 mile walk. So, fit and ready, and to celebrate becoming 70, I started the walk from St. Bees on the 9th May. I used Contour Holidays to arrange the accommodation and transfers of my suitcase to the next B&B.

I chose a 17 day walk. This enabled me to have many days finishing in the early afternoon, with time for rest stops and an easy pace. Another advantage, no day’s walk was over l4.5 miles. Many were 8/9 miles and the last three days were 9, 8 and 11. A 14 day schedule has an exhausting 22 miles’ stretch to Ingleby. It is commonplace, on this stretch, to end the day with blisters or stress fractures. The last two days are tough, with 15 and 13 miles.

Overall, I was lucky with the weather and just had one and a half bad weather days. Otherwise it was very good, ending with gorgeous sun and blue skies.

Patterdale to Shap via Kidsty Pike was done in dense mist and a howling gale. The wind blew me off course and the mist obscured the path. I was very glad that I had my GPS to steer me onto the path. Remarkably, just after passing Kidsty Pike, the weather immediately improved ... much to my relief. Haweswater Reservoir was in view and sun shone for the rest of the day and the wind eased. The second bad day was to Kirkby Stephen. I have never been wetter after a day’s walk. I was well prepared for rain, but the strong wind was driving the rain so hard, every item of clothing and footwear was drenched. Nobody that day ended up dry!

I enjoyed the wildlife, seeing a shrew, a field mouse, birds, notably skylarks, curlews, grouse, lapwing, dippers, goldcrest and other animals. Luckily, I saw two first timers, a slowworm and best of all, an adder. I learnt more about the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the Moors, the villages, farming, people and fellow walkers. Many were from America, Australia and, of course, the U.K. We had many good times together, I believe, because of our shared ancestry, language and humour (Oh and our love of pubs). One wag said the C2C was a great excuse for a pub crawl. The rapport of shared experiences and love of walking reinforced the camaraderie and this was really the ‘Icing on the Cake’ of a suburb holiday.

Finally to Robin Hoods Bay, where I was met by Susan and our son, Robert. I followed the tradition of throwing a pebble, carried from the Irish Sea at St. Bees into the North Sea and dipping my boots into the sea. Being there, on a gloriously sunny day and soaking up the atmosphere of other walkers doing the same, was wonderful.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I’m encouraged now to do Hadrian’s Wall walk next year.

www.poyntonramblingclub.co.uk