Day 5 Saturday May 6 2023 1.8 miles, 3664 steps
Not so much to report today. Weather has been uniformly dull and drizzly. I drove Larry around from Hayfield to Crowden, where I will be until Tuesday. I was all set to go for a walk this afternoon, but on arrival was given a ticket for a drinks and nibbles do, starting at 2.30pm in honour of the coronation.. by the time that was over, it was too late to do anything more than wander around the neighbourhood a little, and plan the remaining two days.
Tomorrow (Sunday), the weather is supposed to be reasonable and I have mapped out a walk of about 11 miles that goes along the Woodhead reservoir and then up to Bleaklow Head before returning via the Pennine Way to Torside. The weather for Monday is looking bad so I have left that for now and will have another look tomorrow evening.
The Crowden campsite is smaller than Hayfield and has no w-fi (!) and a very poor mobile signal. But the people here are very friendly. It is actually the third time I have been here, having stayed on each of my last two PW traverses, in 2014 and 2019.
Day 6 Sunday May 7 2023 13.1 miles, 26,561 steps
Ha, that's more like it .. fine weather all day today, a bit dull and gloomy to start but it gradually got better as the day went on, and in the afternoon we saw actual sun!
As previously mentioned, at 636m high Kinder Scout is the highest point in the Peak District, and in fact in the whole of the East Midlands. So obvously it towers over Bleaklow Head, which can only manage a puny 633m at summit... although of course that is still higher than most of the Kinder Plateau. And, it has lots of peat bogs!
Today I plotted a route from Crowden that went along the Trans Pennine Trail, which follows an old railway line alongside the reservoirs as far as the Woodhead Tunnel, and then I set off up the hill towards Bleaklow Head, returning to Crowden down the Pennine Way. Altogether, about 13 miles but given the nice weather and the ability to meander along at my own pace it all went very well. about 8 hours, leaving just after 8am and getting back about 4pm, but with plenty of stops to admire the remarkable views hereabouts, so not too bad.
The Woodhead Tunnel is an amazing thing. For example, there are not one but three! The first tunnel was built in 1845. It is a little over 3 miles long, and an amazing engineering feat, the longest tunnel in the world at that time. And well, they had gunpowder but all the rest was done with picks and shovels. What muscles they must have had! They forged the first rail link between Manchester and Sheffield, to the huge benefit of both cities. So obvously the thing to do was to build a second tunnel, alongside the first, which they did, opening in 1853. These two tunnels served the line until 1953, when the third tunnel was built, bigger so it could have dual track working. The two original tunnels were closed, but were used for 500,000v electricity cables to help power Manchester and avoid the need for pylons over the Peaks. More pylons I should say, as there are quite a lot around. Passenger traffic ceased around 1980 (and the cables transferred across) and now all of the tunnels are closed to public view. But see some photos, below.
So far as the walk goes, walking along an old railway line is never very stressful so I arrived at Woodhead in good order. I set off up the hill which became a typical peat district slog.. a steady uphill climb, with lot of interesting stuff underfoot. Today I wore my old Berghaus Supalite leather boots and they are the bees knees when it comes to dealing with peat bogs or rocky terrain. Much better that the trail shoes and Inov8 boots I have been wearing so far. I saw nobody at all on the way up, until I reached the summit. Once there, you are on the Pennine Way, so more people appeared but it never felt crowded or busy. We are over 2,000ft after all, so getting there takes some work.
I sat for a while and had my snack du jour, a small tin of mackerel in sunflower oil. They are great nutrition but tricky, you have to open the tin just right and drain the sunflower oil out, or else it goes all over everywhere, and a lapful of sunflower oil is best avoided (don't ask me how I know this).
After that, I set off back down to Crowden along the PW, a path I have done several times before, in both directions. This way is best, the views as the Torside and Woodhead reservoirs come into sight are very impressive. It is a long descent though, hard on the knees. The PW then goes along the top of the Torside dam, turns right and heads along towards Crowden through a really nice pine grove. Got back to the Crowden campsite about 4pm with a list of things to do .. cook a meal, have a shower, video call to Sue, write this blog. So, three out of four isn't bad is it? I will have a shower in the morning, perhaps ...
NB: updated 9 May, with more photos..
The Woodhead reservoir, with part of the Trans-Pennine Trail to right, using the old railway line
Looking across the Woodhead reservoir. Misty morning!
The old Woodhead railway station, with the three tunnel entrances behind.
Climbing up Near Black Clough, with nobody in sight!
Peat mounds near the summit of Bleaklow. Lots of them, don't try walking over them in the wet!
The summit of Bleaklow head, the big stones are called the Wain Stones, who knows why? There is a far view, needs a big screen to see it though!
A cairn and pole, but it is not the summit so not sure why they are there
Looking down at Torside reservoir on the return journey, along the Pennine Way.
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