Tissington Trail and Dovedale

2014 was going to be the year I find new walking friends and open up my horizons. I’d taken part in a Christmas walk near Hathersage in the Peak District organised by a walking forum which I found pretty enjoyable. An invitation materialised from this walk by a private Facebook walking group organised by Tracey,a forum member.

I was travelling to the White Peaks in Derbyshire, just about as far south as you can get. I was given details of the meeting point through Facebook. I’d only met Tracey the once and found her quietly knowledgeable in matters of nature and the outdoors. I knew there was about ten people joining this walk, so a lot of strangers to meet for the first time, although I’d had communication through posts on the walking forum, so I kinda knew one or two people through typing posts.

Driving to the Peak District from home was a pleasurable experience as no motorways were involved in the route, the scenery was beautiful, especially from Buxton along the A515, with miles upon miles of gently rolling green hills. The down side was it had taken an hour and 20 minutes to drive the 40 miles.

Arriving at Alsop Station car park quite early, not knowing how long the drive would take, I was first to park up. While I began changing into walking boots, and messing with my GPS settings, cars started to arrive, walking over to each arrival I slowly introduce myself to people as they approached. A grey haired chap called John was the first guy I met, then Shaun and his partner Lisa, along with Mel, they had driven over from the East Yorkshire area, Andy, Tracey of course with her friend Gaynor and finally a family who I wasn’t able to introduce myself to, Joe who had an Alaskan Husky on the end of a lead and his partner Abbey and their three children, I think they were local to the White Peaks and had walked with Tracey a number of times.

There had been some misunderstanding on the forum the night before the walk regarding Internet ‘trollIng’ by someone wanting to join the walk by causing trouble and Shaun and I seemed to be unintentionally at fault for disclosing the meet. This wasn’t the best start to the day as Tracey didn't seemed to be very impressed her private walking group was exposed to the forum so to speak.

The route we were taking joined the Tissington Trail, this is a disused railway line that was owned by London and North Western Railways, and ran from Buxton to Ashbourne. It became a trail around 1971 after the Peak District National Park Authorities bought the route.

As the group set off along the trail, Joe and his family held back, they kinda did their own thing not really being part of the group, perhaps due to the dog or kids? I wasn't sure why while the rest of the group chatted to one and other as our pace varied. 

The group as a whole were friendly, and walking along the Tissington Trail was great, with excellent views out to Alsop en le Dale and Parwich from an elevated section of what had been the old railway track.

Having walked a little under 3 miles we arrived at a snack stop on the trail just outside the village of Tissington.

This gave us a chance to re-group and have a group photo taken by Mel, a real bubbly character.

I find in any group of people, there is always some folk you just click better with than others, and Mel, Shaun and Andy were the friendliest of the group and I was enjoying their company.

Tissington brew stop, Shaun and Lisa (left)

After the tea break, the group were back together as we headed through the stunning village of Tissington with its picturesque duck pond taking centre stage, a classic country village, with a beautiful grade ll listed St Mary’s Church made it complete, it could all be from a film set it looked so perfect. Unfortunately we didn't spend any time there and I failed to take any photo's, oops.

From the village we had a few fields to negotiate heading for the rifle range at Thorpe Pasture

Some of the wall gaps were quite a squeeze, as Joe and Abbey found out while helping their kids through each wall.

John, Gaynor and myself lead Shaun, Lisa and Joe and his family.

The rifle range at Thorpe Pasture

Waiting to regroup at the rifle range

The group about to ascend Thorpe Cloud

It started to become apparent that Mel was slowing down a bit, we were around the 5 mile mark now and the steep climb up Thorpe Cloud was hard going for her.

Views back from Thorpe Cloud

The group gathered, waiting for Mel

In the foreground Andy (left) Joe (right) in the background Tracey looking on.

My good self

View of Dove Dale stepping stones from Thorpe Cloud summit

We had been waiting a good ten minutes on the top of Thorpe Cloud, and once at the summit, Mel sat down for a rest which was fine, but I had to smile to myself as she then lit a cigarette and smoked it while we all patiently waited for her to finish. Although the day was sunny with broken cloud it was February and I was glad of my hat and gloves while waiting.

River Dove snaking through the Valley

Shaun and Lisa making their descent

A tricky bit of rock for Lisa to negotiate as Shaun offers a helping hand

Tracey decided we would stop at the stepping stones for lunch, which was a beautiful spot on the edge of the River Dove. Like most of the group I pulled out sandwiches from my rucksack, but Joe had other ideas and produced a small stove, to cook for his family, this wasn't going to be a quick stop I thought. After Joe had cooked his Sunday roasted joint of beef.......only joking, I think it was pasta, we all packed our rucksacks up and continued along the river path through Dove Dale to Reynard's Cave 

Entrance to Reynard's Cave

Lisa getting to grips with a little scrambling into Reynard's Cave 

John following up behind while Shaun takes a shot from below

Tracey in silhouette 

Some of the group who had already been to the cave stayed by the river while we explored. 

Weir on the River Dove

After another short stop in Milldale the group headed away from the River Dove along a path to Shining Tor

It was about 5.30pm when we arrived back at the car having walked 9 miles. It was a very enjoyable day, but a bit too steady for my liking. I'm not a fast walker by any means but I did find waiting for Mel after 5 miles was frustrating. She is a lovely person, but just a bit too slow and she has no intention of stopping smoking or getting fitter, which is a real shame because I got on well with her, but I couldn't walk with her on a regular basis. Shaun and Lisa I got on really well with, as I did with John and Andy. I never really spoke to Joe or his family, apart from Tracy, I didn't see them interact with the group at all.

 Apart from Thorpe Cloud, these are the sort of walks my wife could do with me in this part of the country, so not really what I was  looking for in a walking group, as beautiful as the area is, I was looking for a bit more adventure. However I did make some new friends and hopefully something might materialise from today.

I don't think Tracey took to me during the day, why? Maybe I said something she didn't agree with, or that forum misunderstanding? I don't know. what I do know is I wouldn't be invited on one of her walks again which if she didn't like me, is fair enough. After all good company is important during a walk.

Aber Falls and the Carneddau Range revisited

I had been waiting some time to return to this beautiful but rugged part of Wales,
for some unfinished business you might say, but I needed to be ready for this.

The route was to leave Aber Falls, heading for Bera Mawr, then Bera Bach, which was as far as I got last year. Yr Aryg, Carnedd Gwenllian, Foel Grach and the highest summit of the day Carnedd Llewelyn at 1064m. I'd then back track to Carnedd Gwenllian, before heading to the summit of Foel-fras and finally Drum, making my way back to Aber Falls.
It would be almost 14 miles.

It sounds daft, it's just a walk, but I failed to complete this walk with strangers almost a year earlier. I had made stupid mistakes, I was embarrassed, and I felt I'd let myself down and wanted to put that right. I wanted to prove to myself I could do it.
I guess having Crohn's Disease must help give me that thinking mentality, don't be beaten. 
Fitness had been a key issue last time I was here, so over the summer months I'd worked on that, and done a couple of confidence boosting walks in the Lake District. 
Was I ready to take on this epic walk after my disastrous last visit ? I was blumin hoping so.

I'd parked the car in the same spot as last time I was here, and apart from a van with a camera crew in it, the only sound to be heard was the stream. the place was pretty quiet.
By the time I got kitted up it was almost 9am, time to get going.

The walk to Abber Falls along the Afon Rhaeadr Fawr

Approaching the woods after leaving the stream and lane behind me. The impressive Aber Falls clearly in view ahead and the baby summit of Bera Mawr popping up in the centre skyline.

The stile at the end of the wooded section. The route ahead in sunshine

It's an easy start to the walk, after leaving the car park, I crossed a bridge over the Afon Rhaeadr Fawr, along a lane and through tall pine trees making a pleasant woodland warm up.all easy going on a perfect walking day, dry, warm, but overcast. 

Once out of the trees, the path rises onto a steep scree slope, sticking to the route taken on my previous visit, so at this point I was familiar with the route, and it took me right back to those memories.

The next two miles I would climb 2,400ft (730m) 

Looking back on the steep scree

This is the treacherous rock with water flowing across it. it doesn't look much in the photo, but it's as slippy as glass, and a fall here above the waterfall could be fatal.

Crossing the fast flowing stream early, makes for a better climb up onto the ridge leading to the summit, rather than following the valley path for the steeper climb up to Bera Mawr. But crossing the stream lower down isn't easy after a lot of rainfall, or snow melt and the down side is no path once the stream is crossed, making the climb up through heather a little more challenging.

The route up to Bera Mawr. I would be taking a track to the right of the photo

Looking back at the start point, Abergwyngregyn and in the distance Beaumaris is seen to the left of photo across the Conwy Bay

Looking east over the winding waters of Afon Goch to Llwytmor.

Wild ponies roam the land

Approaching Bera Mawr 794m and I thought I could see a mounted horse made out of stone

It had taken me a couple of hours to get to this point, crossing the stream early and taking the rough route up the ridge was in my opinion the best way up to this peak.

I'd found the whole mornings experience different. No pressure walking at your own pace, stopping when you feel you need to stop, then pushing on when ready.

Looking back at Bera Mawr

My next target was Bera Bach at 807m

At the Bera Bach summit, I felt good, and so satisfying to be pushing on to Yr Aryg after a short break for food and drink. It was about 11.50am now and still a lot of ground to cover.

These guys were the first walkers I'd seen in over 3 hours, standing on Yr Aryg 

Reaching Carnedd Gwenllian 926m at 1,10pm, it was time for another a break.

There's life in these hills, arriving at Carnedd Llewelyn 1,064m or 3,491ft

Some fantastic but hazy views from Carnedd Llewelyn 

The one and only summit pose with Yr Elen behind, one summit too far

Walkers descending back down into the Ogwen Valley

It was now 2pm and still had a lot of ground to cover, so I was now back tracking to Foel Grach and Carnedd Gwenllian

The shelter at Foel Grach

Foel-fras trig point

The spiky summit of Foel- fras 942m

The chair

Llwytmor and the waters of Llyn Anafon below

My final stop of the day, was at the 7th summit of Drum 770m 

It was another 90 minutes back to the car from Drum, arriving back at 5.15pm

A great day out in this wild landscape, I saw very few walkers out here, weather was kind with high cloud, and still felt good at the end of the day. Just the 2 hour drive home hmmm
I felt very pleased for returning, getting back out there and most importantly....enjoying.