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Introduction
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Deborah and Gwen's
Pennine Way Diary Day 1 |
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Day 1 –
An embarrassing start after so much planning Mum had arrived in Sheffield by train on
Saturday evening and we spent much of Sunday sorting out last minute
preparations. However, we did manage a short walk in Chelsea Park
with Mel, Tom and our dog, Sam. Unlike the run up to our Coast to
Coast adventure in 2006 I was feeling relaxed and fully prepared –
this was about to back fire… The alarm went off at 6 a.m. After breakfast we
made packed lunches and said goodbye to Jane who was getting ready
for school. Mel gave us a lift to Dore station where we joined the
commuters on the unmanned platform. Here comes the embarrassing
mistake…. At exactly 7:21 a.m., the time our train was
due, a small train pulled into the station, and we eagerly boarded
with the commuters on their way to work in Manchester. Just as the
doors were closing we overheard a fellow passenger ask if the first
stop was Stockport – PANIC….. surely we
hadn’t got onto the wrong train – yep, ours was following only 2
minutes behind. The British Rail employee serving drinks just
sniggered when we asked if the driver might let us out at Edale. We
reluctantly purchased extra tickets to Manchester Piccadilly and
spent the next 40 minutes feeling rather foolish, looking very out
of place in our walking gear amongst all the suits and laptops. We
arrived in Manchester at 8:00 and caught the 8:44 stopping train
back to Edale. We used the time to phone Brigantes to rearrange the
pickup time for our luggage – “ Hooray for mobile phones”
-not a phrase you will often hear me utter. Anyway, to cut an
embarrassing story short we deposited our bags at the Old Nags Head,
took the obligatory photos and were on our way by 10 a.m. – only 2
hours behind schedule! Once relieved of our luggage and moving under
our own steam I began to feel calmer and more in control. Already in
shorts we began to enjoy the start of what was going to be a period
of wonderful walking weather. We welcomed the gentle alternative start to the
Pennine Way as we traversed the hillside to reach the steep climb up
Jacobs Ladder. Mum wisely took her time and we took a breather at
the top for a drink and some chewy banana pieces for extra energy.
Although not strictly necessary my new GPS was working well,
alerting us at all the crucial turning points. On reaching Kinder
Low I assured Mum that we had broken the back of today’s climbing so
we pushed on to Kinder Downfall where we ate half of the packed
lunch. On the way round the rim of the plateau we met several other
walkers but once past Mill Hill our walking became solitary. The
paved path across Featherbed Moss made for easy walking although Mum
had to stop for a change of socks, as her feet were very hot. After
crossing the busy A57 we met a group, all wearing matching green
T-shirts, coming down Devil’s dike, they were carrying spades and
pickaxes, presumably returning from some community conservation
project. Further on, the moor was littered with white builders bags
full of seedlings then remembering an article I had heard on Radio 4
we assumed it was something to do with the ongoing attempts to
stabilise the peat by replanting cotton grass. In the sunshine Bleaklow was not at all foreboding but even with the good visibility the GPS did prove useful in determining the right direction. There is no sign of a path on the ground so in the mist it would be essential to follow a compass bearing. Our B&B hosts in Crowden were to tell us later of many a Pennine Wayfarer who had aimed too far north and ended up meeting the Woodhead pass 4 miles up the valley. Glad to be on our way down and out of the breeze the evening sunshine banished our fleeces to our packs and we arrived at Old House at 6.30. The gradient of the last descent was a bit tough on the knees - I was pleased I had decided to pack my walking poles. Joanne greeted us with tea and biscuits, served in the lounge overlooking the Longdendale valley. We were offered a lift to the pub but decided to eat in. Joanne provided an excellent choice of evening meals and it was a delight only having to walk about 6 paces between our room and the dining room table. Joanne even raided her own first aid cupboard to save us detouring down into Glossop for some forgotten items it the morning. Dad phoned at 9 p.m. but Mum was already asleep. Thought for the day:
Mum –
Today was filled with a mixture of excitement and anticipation and I
am trying to heed Deborah’s suggestion to forget about the train
incident Pictures
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