Collected Musings of a Hill Wanderer

Engineering works induced some timetable changes that presented the prospect of a Sunday visit to Knighton to explore some of the scenery around there. After all, the Offa’s Dyke Path passes nearby so it can’t be bad. A bus journey from Macclesfield to Crewe set me up for an onward train journey. Everything was going well until tardiness by Arriva Trains Wales meant that I missed the train to Knighton. It’s on the Heart of Wales railway and so the level of service isn’t so frequent. Couple that with its not having a Sunday bus service and plans soon change.

As ever, I had a back up plan in mind: this time, it was to be the Long Mynd near Church Stretton. I had passed by this striking hill country a number of times while destined for such places as Abergavenny, Crickhowell and Brecon so it was about time that I paid the area a visit, even as short as my first one proved to be.

I pottered up the Carding Mill Valley to the heights where Pole Bank tempted until I saw the faintness of the path through the heather from Shooting Box. That still left me with a good bimble before I came back down again, by way of Haddon Hill and Bodbury Hill. These hills may not be high but the gradients are nothing to be mocked; they certainly gave my legs and lungs a decent workout. The day remained resolutely overcast but that doesn’t bother me since the idea of a return is a tempting prospect. I still hope to get to Knighton…

The prospect of some winter sunshine last Thursday had me taking a day off work for a spot of walking after my near hibernation for November. I rifled my way through the possibilities in my head before arriving at the idea of heading to Keswick and then Borrowdale. That plan never came to fruition, though, and I ended up embarking on a local stroll instead. The more adventurous plan remains a good prospect for the future…

That local stroll was to take me along the hills lining the Cheshire-Derbyshire border in the cold chilly clearness and with a certain amount of concentration so as not to slip on any ice or mud. While up high, ice was the main concern with flags attracting hoar frost and any water collected on tracks and paths was frozen. In contrast, slippery mud was cause for attention on downhill sections towards the end of the walk. All the while, I was well wrapped up and enjoying the sights.

My starting point was the Cat and Fiddle Inn, the second highest pub in England and a short bus ride from the centre of Macclesfield, and the idea in my head was to redo part of a walk that once returned me to Macclesfield by way of Shining Tor, Pym Chair and Rainow in cloudier conditions. The idea of seeing the landscape around Cat’s Tor and Pym Chair in better light was enough to encourage me. This time, instead of returning to Rainow from Pym Chair, I continued to Kettleshulme by way of Windgather Rocks and Taxal Edge. I could have finished in Kettleshulme but, given that there was an hour or so of daylight left, I opted to continue to Whaley Bridge via Toddbrook Reservoir and avoiding the B5470 as much as I could.

This is hill country that I have frequented on a number of different occasions and with my following a slightly different route each time. For instance, the start of last Thursday’s walk was also the start of a walk to Buxton via Errwood Reservoir in the Goyt Valley. I left that track for a path up Shining Tor. That path is good one though it is showing signs of wear with webbing meant to support the path appearing above the gravel in some places as it crosses very boggy terrain, a fact reinforced by the sight of a very bogged down DK55-registered Massey Ferguson tractor. I assume that its owners will be back for it but it is telling that even a four wheel drive tractor cannot manage these conditions.

The boggy theme was continued with the appearance of flagstones underfoot, a situation very much reminiscent of parts of the Pennine Way. A gentle descent and ascent saw me to Cat’s Tor though the appearance of hoar frost on the flags concentrated the mind. That didn’t stop me making the most of the photographic opportunities offering by a sun using the clouds to play hide and seek. I made up for earlier when the likelihood of lens flare reduced the possibilities when it came to capturing views of Shutlingsloe.

Suggesting sounder ground, the flags were lost after Cat’s Tor and road was encountered at Pym Chair. At this point, I headed to Kettleshulme rather than Rainow as was the case of my previous trip. The ground was more or less thawed out from here onwards. A mixture of public and permissive paths got me to Windgather Rocks where more photographic action took place before continuing the public/permissive path and tarmac mixture, I reached Kettleshulme. Having more daylight with which to play, I chose to continue to Whaley Bridge. Although I largely avoided the remarkably unpleasant B5470, the tarmac/footpath mixture continued and care with a muddy descent to reach Todd Brook meant that I didn’t more mud than I did. My journey was eventually to take me by Toddbrook Reservoir while making for Whaley Bridge and its train station. A railway journey round by Stockport was enough to get a very satisfied Irishman home.

Since my post on walking hibernation, I have managed to get out and about in the dry chilly air that has joined us recently. Last Thursday saw me take a day off work to wander through some of hill country that lines the Cheshire-Derbyshire border. That has been followed by a sortie into the Shropshire Hills AONB to savour the delights of the Long Mynd near Church Stretton. More details should follow but I have ended a spell where explorations of hill country did not take up as much time as I might have liked. It remains to be seen how much festive walking might get done, though.

Thoughts of torrential downpours like those that we got last week are enough to send all but the most dedicated (insane?) outdoors types huddling indoors in the comfort of their own homes. The sound of the rain being blown against my bedroom window on Saturday did anything but entice me from my nice warm bed. Couple that with a wetting on the way home from work on Friday night and a consummate power hosing while on the same journey the previous evening, you’d begin to consider using your best hillwalking waterproofs for a five minute dash to and from the bus. Thankfully, such grottiness has now departed us and I now hope to get in a pre-Christmas excursion into hill country after seeing the delights of today pouring through the windows at work. It’s amazing how a spot of sunshine changes the mood.

In fact, the foul weather episode got me thinking about why it’s so easy to go into walking hibernation. For one thing, the shorter days are a challenge, particularly when it comes to day trips. Staying local, going away for a few days and planning for some walking after dark are all ways around this. I must admit to having done a little of the last of these but I did ensure that navigation was straight forward so that I’d make my way home as planned.

Speaking of winter skills, thoughts of going out in snow and ice soon bring forth visions of crampons and ice axes and the need to able to use them. In these days of global warming, it may be that snow is encountered less and less, making going on a course at the likes of Plas y Brenin or Glenmore Lodge a very good idea. I once popped up to Fort William for a weekend in January only to see little or no snow while pottering about in Glen Nevis. It was later in the same year when I finally encountered the white stuff and it was very crisp and crunchy underfoot as I wandered about on local hills between Macclesfield and Buxton. So snow need not be that threatening, so long as you keep your wits about you. Having said that, I’ll be mindful of the need for winter skills when plotting trips to the higher places of Scotland, Wales and England, particularly when potential encounters with snow and ice are forecast.

It would be a shame to let thoughts of inclement weather and shorter days put you off; there’s a spot of very special magic be sampled at this time of year. After all, you can getting torrential downpours at any time of year and I spent a soggy sojourn in Fort William on one July visit that rather proves the point. It can be very memorable to see how the way that light plays upon the landscape does enliven the views on those cold, crisp, clear sunny days. Intriguingly, mixing sun and cloud can make those views even better as I found out while on an excursion around Harlech last year, and you may find that you have the whole experience to yourself. I must get back to plotting that escape…

As long as I have taking treks through the countryside, a camera or two have come too to capture any of the glorious sights that have awaited me. Digital and film SLR’s have been my staple for most of those treks. From a photography point of view though, the idea of being a walker with a camera does place some constraints on the quality of the photography.

Let’s take landscape photography as an example since the capture of scenic delights is a likely occupation for the avid hillwalker. A high quality landscape image demands a high level of sharpness and that means that tripods are a staple need. Carrying one adds weight and using one slows you down, an advantage for when it comes to making considered images but a nuisance for the impatient too. A monopod with a spirit level is an option but tripods reign supreme.

Continuing the landscaper theme, times of day are another consideration. Golden hours around dawn and dusk come to mind and they in themselves place additional demands on those of us who use public transport. It’s not so bad in winter but summer is another story and thoughts of bivvying and camping come to mind; both of which are journeys that I have yet to undertake, let alone reach an advanced stage on their respective trajectories. Maybe, trots into the local hills from my home would be a good starting point.

Then, there’s the weather. Some sun really helps but clear blue skies are not necessarily the be all and end all that some might think them to be. In fact, having a lot of cloud in the sky with an unobscured sun can produce far more interesting results than a day with a clear blue sky. I certainly find the sun/cloud combination intriguing and enjoy being out in those conditions.

Next up for consideration is the whole area of planning and getting to know an area to find out what it offers. This is where the hillwalking habit really comes into its own. A first visit would allow one to get a deeper appreciation of a location and its photographic opportunities. Noting down what is found and making a number of documentary photos would help too. Apart from the lack of note taking, that is probably the stage that I usually reach. thinking about it, it is from there that I need to progress. Returning to the noted opportunity spots would follow and a spot of scouting for foreground interest would ensue. That might be the point when I start taking out my rarely used Manfrotto tripod in anger or other visits might be needed, especially when the weather doesn’t play ball or my photographic vision isn’t yet what it should be; hopefully, practice and reviewing photos, both others’ and mine, should help the latter.

Time is another commodity of which good photography demands its fair share. There’s a big difference between a standard bimble though the countryside and a trot with a photographic objective. The latter needs a few walks beforehand to get to know the area and plenty of time planned in for one or more stops along the way. That certainly means some adjustments to the way that I do things and 2008 might be a good time to start. I’ll hopefully continue to ply my way along long distance trails but walking with a more avowedly photographic purpose sounds like a good way to make me revisit places where I already have been. Now, I must find a way for that Manfrotto to travel into the great outdoors…