Calderdale Way #3: Todmorden to Heptonstall 06/10/12

Self in Todmorden

Having mostly shaken off my bout of what I think must have been Fresher's Flu, I return to the trail, assuming that a walk of just over 9 miles shouldn't be all that strenuous. I ought to know better of course, as the rote guide warns of this being the hardest section of the walk and I know that one of the paths I'll be ascending is one of the most brutal gradients I've ever attempted and that there really are no easy paths in Calderdale. So out comes my new stick, to aid me on the ascents and descents, and feeling hopeful for another good day on the trail as the morning sunshine blazes through and the sting of a cool Autumn morning greets me as I arrive in Todmorden, ready to hit the apex of the Calderdale Way, and to start on the eastward stretch.

Calderdale Way #3: Todmorden to Heptonstall.  9.3 miles


Rumination: Disappointments

All my plans for walking through summer and winter had been mutable and subject to change, depending on weather and mood, but one was going to happen no matter what, and that was hitting Wild Boar Fell on 29th September. On my first trip up to Carlisle in February 2011, I saw this huge mountain that I'd never previously accounted for, and then read about it on my reading about the Eden Valley for the summer holiday, and it seemed such a tempting and under-visited walking target. However its size and lack of tracks meant it wasn't one I felt I could do without guidance, so it fell into 2012's walk schedule and I looked forward to it after seeing it snow covered in February and falling in love with Mallerstang in March, and I waited on the FOSCL group attempting it again. It came up on 7th July, but I didn't fancy it in early summer, and then the next walk was mid-week, so last time in the year was September 29th, and it was going to be a triumphant conclusion to my Dales trips and nothing was going to prevent me going...

Calderdale Way #2: Ripponden to Todmorden 22/09/12

Self in Ripponden

After all that talk of the End of Summer over the last few weeks, the Summer has now passed and we can move into Autumn. I know that the year always seems to descend quickly but the chill in the morning air is palpable and there's mist hanging over the Calder as I ride out through Mirfield, so now Autumn is here and I hope it remains as walkable as the last few weeks have been. I need to bus out to Ripponden from Sowerby Bridge, and I catch the 531, the minibus that bounces along the back roads as it's the first one to show up and it's always a good idea to make the local buses feel needed, so I can an early look at the field I'll be walking as we bounce through Mill Bank and Soyland, and the day looks as clear and bright as you could want, and the paths look inviting too. So off the bus and I'm ready to walk.

Calderdale Way #2: Ripponden to Todmorden.  10.5 miles

Calderdale Way #1: Brighouse to Ripponden 15/09/12

Self in Brighouse

The end of Summer is upon us and despite it being 'the wettest ever', for me it has been just fine, all those weekends of walking and only took two brief dousings, with only one weekend being ruined by the weather. The coming Autumn is an unknown of course, and projections of 'indian summer' and 'constant rain' are heard, and I'm going to go with my instinct that it will be nice enough to complete my Autumn plan of taking on my second long circular walk, namely the Calderdale Way. I may joke that the weather is always grim in Calderdale, based on past experience, but it has been good to me this year, and I'm going to thumb my nose to the fates of weather and hope for five more good days to get down the 50 miles of this trail, so let's head out to join this trail at the closest point to home.

Calderdale Way #1: Brighouse to Ripponden.  10.4 miles


Egerton to Rivington Park 08/09/12

Over to Bolton again for the end of my late summer break, mostly to get together with the family to celebrate my parents' 45th wedding anniversary, and with dinner out on the slate for Sunday, I've still got a Saturday to use to my own ends. Fortunately, with my Mum being away on other business for the day, and Dr G's 7-seater car being in the garage with all manner of mechanical difficulties, we only have My Sister's 4 seat road-bug as available transport, so if a trip to Witton Park is due for my nieces, at least two of us are left to our own devices by default. So that's as good a reason as any for My Sis to come walking with me for the afternoon, and having viewed a most uninviting morning, the day turns to a blazing hot afternoon, so this must be time for an assault on Winter Hill.

Egerton to Rivington Park, via Winter Hill.  7.9 miles

Cooper Bridge to Standedge 05/09/12

Catching the 220 bus from Morley to Cooper Bridge seems a much more sensible trip than riding the train to Mirfield and having a couple of miles of extra walking, even though the bus is something of a dawdlebug and wanders all over the Spen Valley en route to Huddersfield. What I hadn't realised is that September coming on means that the school term has started up again, and the service is crawling with children. Kids everywhere, and it's just as horrifying as it was when I was a youngster, and just to add to the ridiculousness, many are travelling from Queen Street to Bruntcliffe college, less than half a mile! Madness, all of it madness, and getting some downtime on the ride into darkest Kirklees is necessary to let the PTS of school memories pass away.

Cooper Bridge to Standedge, via the Huddersfield Broad & Narrow Canal paths. 12.4 miles

Mytholmroyd to Summit 01/09/12

The relief that comes with a week of being NIW is huge, especially when you have been able to relax some and refocus your interest in walking for the remainder of the year, plans are set out and targets are chosen and my head is back into the place that wants to walk. Still, I almost didn't get out as I'd got Lorna-ed the previous evening: getting hauled out for post work drinks against my better judgement. I know I mostly avoid using names here but some social interactions do need to be named after their progenitors, like getting Banner-ed: persuaded to stay out for more drinks when you really should be going home. Not really anything to do with walking, but a small insight into my world, and the reason that I got out an hour later than I had planned to.

Mytholmroyd to Summit, via the Rochdale Canal path.  10.7 miles