Following last weekends Easter Bleak Break Washout!, this weekends training route was bathed in glorious sunlight: An out and back, trail and track, hill gallop showing off the High Peak tops in all their glory!
From Ladybower, taking in Derwent Reservoir shoreline, a stiff climb up to the tops via Abbey Brook, Howden Dean and Sheepfold Clough moors then back south from Lost Lad via Derwent Edge passing all manner of stone outcrops before a downhill dash back to water level and civilisation?
Kicking off along the west bank of the reservoir, a grassy track ...
then a dappled path through the woods was a perfect start – fresh as the morning was, the smell of pine woods was intoxicating – I did however manage to fall heavily, much to the amusement of Lady M, as I was trying to read the map trotting along on a flat path: bloody knees for the rest of the day.
Crossing under the Derwent Dam, the populace decreased to a few groups of Mountain Bikers and properly attired walkers and then even these became fewer again as we left the banks of the waters .....
... and headed upwards and out onto the moors …
Never been up these parts afore, it felt really wild ...
... and although the sun was shining, ice and snow remained. Hard climbing here resulted in a few walks and excuses for cake and water stops ...
... before we caught up with a group of ramblers prior to the high point of Back Tor. The views were simply stunning, a delight to be up here today … looking across obviously at Mam Tor and our old stomping ground in the distance …
… and away slightly west of North towards Featherbed Moss and Margery Hill and ultimately towards very familiar “Grin N Bear It” race territory of the Dark Peak …
But, once at Back Tor, the landscape became quite lunar – a flat ridge away back south proved very runnable and after the previous climb from the reservoir, it proved a welcome relief.
Never thought you could see so far!, what with the horrible weather of last week - so stopped to take a great and unmissable pic of the Kinder Plateau due East! ..
then onwards ... Back Tor, Cakes of Bread, Dovestone Tor, Salt Cellar Boulder and White Tor all came and went as we slowly lost altitude ...
... then a sudden down turn right and a hair-raising descent along rough tracks, woodland paths and fields towards the pastures bordering the reservoir, which suddenly came back into view – the last bit now!
Once we padded down the stone track seen in the field above, the return trail back along the eastern bank of the Derwent was dusty and hot and once again full of day trippers ... finally crossing the A57 back to the car in 2.40 ish with a 13.1 mile trail behind was good enough for all this training lark to be well on track - once again we've earnt those cakes!
Oh, here's the map in case you fancy an outing ...
From Ladybower, taking in Derwent Reservoir shoreline, a stiff climb up to the tops via Abbey Brook, Howden Dean and Sheepfold Clough moors then back south from Lost Lad via Derwent Edge passing all manner of stone outcrops before a downhill dash back to water level and civilisation?
Kicking off along the west bank of the reservoir, a grassy track ...
then a dappled path through the woods was a perfect start – fresh as the morning was, the smell of pine woods was intoxicating – I did however manage to fall heavily, much to the amusement of Lady M, as I was trying to read the map trotting along on a flat path: bloody knees for the rest of the day.
Crossing under the Derwent Dam, the populace decreased to a few groups of Mountain Bikers and properly attired walkers and then even these became fewer again as we left the banks of the waters .....
... and headed upwards and out onto the moors …
Never been up these parts afore, it felt really wild ...
... and although the sun was shining, ice and snow remained. Hard climbing here resulted in a few walks and excuses for cake and water stops ...
... before we caught up with a group of ramblers prior to the high point of Back Tor. The views were simply stunning, a delight to be up here today … looking across obviously at Mam Tor and our old stomping ground in the distance …
… and away slightly west of North towards Featherbed Moss and Margery Hill and ultimately towards very familiar “Grin N Bear It” race territory of the Dark Peak …
But, once at Back Tor, the landscape became quite lunar – a flat ridge away back south proved very runnable and after the previous climb from the reservoir, it proved a welcome relief.
Never thought you could see so far!, what with the horrible weather of last week - so stopped to take a great and unmissable pic of the Kinder Plateau due East! ..
then onwards ... Back Tor, Cakes of Bread, Dovestone Tor, Salt Cellar Boulder and White Tor all came and went as we slowly lost altitude ...
... then a sudden down turn right and a hair-raising descent along rough tracks, woodland paths and fields towards the pastures bordering the reservoir, which suddenly came back into view – the last bit now!
Once we padded down the stone track seen in the field above, the return trail back along the eastern bank of the Derwent was dusty and hot and once again full of day trippers ... finally crossing the A57 back to the car in 2.40 ish with a 13.1 mile trail behind was good enough for all this training lark to be well on track - once again we've earnt those cakes!
Oh, here's the map in case you fancy an outing ...
