Bleaklow: the dark side

Things didn’t look great as we drove east to the Woodhead under heavy rain, so all the more surprising that we began the walk (sort of) dry.  And when the sun came out for a bit, I thought my most fervent prayers had been answered.  I’d actually been worrying about fording Far Black Clough near the start; it had been impossible on a previous late autumn occasion without going a long way upstream through a wooded gorge, but happily it was a cinch this time with water levels fairly low: let’s say JC factor 3E*.

Beyond this we plodded up a stony track beside Far Black Clough, then a narrow muddy path to where it petered out, more or less.  We started to drift south away from the intended SSE line; I partly blamed the glare of a rare appearance of dazzling sunshine.  We had to navigate deep bog holes and pools (JC factor 1T*) to get back on line (almost) and reach the crest of the moor after two hours.  Someone said, “Oi, it’ll be dark in four hours”, so we abandoned the planned lunchtime visit to Grinah Stones and went west instead, to Bleaklow Stones where it was wet and misty.  Lunch here instead, and to relieve the gloom we held the CMC Official Bake Off.  I produced something akin to chocolate brownie but the Star Baker Award went to a close final tie between Martin (ginger cake) and Phil (lemon cake).  I’m sure Paul Hollywood would have given them both a well-deserved handshake.

The ridge path to Bleaklow summit is easy to follow these days with increasing traffic, but we still had a pantomime with various Apps before joining the PW and finding the cairn.  Misty here too, and little incentive to stop for long.  Then easy ENE to find the little path down to Near Black Clough.  The meet leader (sitting in for Mr Buckle who was still swanning about somewhere in the southern hemisphere) realised that he’d dropped his compass on top and went back to retrieve it, being the only member of the group who hadn’t replaced it with an App.  Some of the others – aware that they were a body or two down – thoughtfully staged a rescue attempt, but the party were soon back together and we lost no-one and carried on. A year ago there was a nice sweet little path down this long (4 km) valley; now it’s a continuous, muddy, chewed up mess.  What’s happened?  Rain?  War?  Or are the Instagrammers getting up here too?

To those who travelled serious miles to wallow in the mud, thank you for turning out on such an unpromising forecast.  It wasn’t a bad day at all, in the best traditions of the CMC Bogtrot, and we found a very good post-Bogtrot watering hole in Tintwistle.  Remember: Bull’s Head.

JC Factor* – most will be long familiar with the club’s system for grading river crossings but for those who are not the 2011 report offers the following explanation:

“Numeric value gives the width in number of Jon Clarke strides, letter describes the technicality – E=easy, T=tricky, D=difficult, I=impossible.  By way of illustration the Forth Rail Bridge would be the equivalent of a JC Factor of 2,500I.”

It’s somewhat subjective and the grades above have been made by a short-a**ed meet leader.

Present (and probably still cleaning their boots) were: Tim Gould, Martin Astley, Rob Parkinson, Jon Clarke, Richard Barker, Mike Konchenko, Phil Moore, Nev Croston, Andy Lafferty, Robin Gibson, James McDowall, Sheila Jefferies, and me.

 

Simon Jefferies

 


 

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