WALK ~ “The Kingdom Of The Seven Valleys” (minus two!), PEAKS ~ 10.01.26 ~ by Vinnie

I have taken more people on this one, over the years, than any other walk I can recall … now established as one of our CLASSICS. It is normally reserved for just before Christmas, for a good reason. With short daylight, the object is to descend into Valley Number Six as sunset approaches. By the time we exit it, we are in complete darkness … a great (and very valuable) opportunity to demonstrate the art of night navigation.

We start at Litton in the dimness of early morning and by the time we see this quaint Derbyshire village again, it is decked in magical Christmas lights! There is another reason for selecting this venue, it is home to the best pub on the planet … the Red Lion!

At the time of writing this, much of the country is in the grips of a sub-zero shiver bout. I would have preferred to have taken the boys more locally to teach them in detail how to tackle winter conditions and what kit is required, but we were all desperate to get this particular one ‘bagged’.

With patches of very thick snow and perilous packed ice to negotiate, progress was slower than usual. I made the decision to cut out Valleys Number Three and Four … it proved to be a prudent move.

WALK ~ Chee Dale, PEAKS ~ 31.01.26 ~ by Mareks

It has been some years since we have walked this one. The conditions were more akin to March (mud) than January (frozen), possibly an indication of our heating planet(?).

The start was essentially a very long riverside stretch. The river in question, The Wye, was in an angry mood to-day and heavily swollen. The warning signs were there … there were a couple of stepping stone obstacles to negotiate .. I reckon we just about got away with it! Our route ran parallel to the Monsal Trail (old railway line), so we did have its security to fall back on should the stepping stones prove impassable.

Great fun was had by the children (Jon and Mareks) negotiating one watery challenge after another.

Lunch came courtesy of Millers Dale Railway Station (disused) and we were joined by some mid-day sunshine.

I thought the tricky part was behind us, but hadn’t bargained on our next leg, Monk’s Dale. It was a very arduous stretch, made even more difficult than I remembered it by either the ravages of a storm or extensive tree clearing due to ash disease. Either way, it seemed to take an eternity to conquer.

Some rest bite came via the paths and open countryside around Wormhill. Following a brief reunite with Chee Dale, we made the lung-busting climb up to Blackwell and an end of walk hug with our ever-faithful transport (Jon’s car!).

WALK ~ Marsden Moor, SOUTH PENNINES ~ 14.02.26 ~ by Mark

Although I am no stranger to Marsden and its surrounding moors, I have never witnessed a day with such wonderful lighting … helped by the thick covering of snow.

This walk was produced by Mark … it was an absolute peach!

We started with a very mellow stroll alongside the Huddersfield Narrow Canal to the entrance of the world-famous Standedge Tunnel. The laughter was soon put on pause as we made the long haul up to Pule Hill … the moors looked radiant with their white coats on. The series of telltale air shafts told us we were loosely following the line of the tunnel (or tunnels).

After exploring an abandoned quarry, we made our way across the moors. There were plenty of other walkers out to-day, enjoying the rare winter sunshine. Normally, this would have posed a problem … compact ice on the paths .. we had nothing to aid us (poles or grips), but there seemed to be plenty of room to accommodate all and plenty of fresh snow to safely trudge over.

At Black Moss Reservoir, we took the opportunity to indulge in a hot drink (just hot water in my case … I forgot my teabags!) … another sublime lunch spot.

The waterfall crossing between Wassenden Moor and Black Moss made for an interesting experience … the ‘stepping stones’ were well submerged under the beck.

Just as we started, our finale was on a very well established track … all the way back to base, and of course for an obligatory pub visit.

WALK ~ Ambleside, LAKES ~ 11.03.26 ~ by Linda

Although I am in my sixth decade of walking the great outdoors, I can’t recall doing as good a short walk as this!

Our intention was for us to catch the ferry from Waterhead to the shores of Wray Castle, but we were too early in the season so had to settle for using the bus instead to get to our start point at the magnificent edifice.

The castle grounds are home to a fabulous cafe (“Joey’s”) … so, it was a ‘no-brainer’ to discuss tactics over a pot of tea and almond slice.

The weather was damp but mild, so off we set … destination Return To Ambleside was on. We followed an absolutely ‘mouthwatering’ shale-surfaced cycleway. For much of the way, it followed the lanes/roads in the most pleasant and secluded way, but there were a couple of long isolated woodland sections to savour also.

The only snag was around Clappergate, where we had to endure a short stretch of road walking. This didn’t in any way blemish this beauty walk.

Our finale took in a lovely (albeit muddy) riverside treat … it led us nicely to the vast old Roman settlement of ‘Galava’. Post-exploration, the treats were not over, thanks to Borrins Park (a picnic honeypot in the summer) and a lakeside walkway back to Waterhead.

WALK ~ High Cup Nick, NORTH PENNINES ~ 14.03.26 ~ by Mark

WALK ~ Ladybower, PEAKS ~ 11.04.26 ~ by Vinnie ~ “Operation Chastise”

The object of this walk was to find some mysterious ruins (cue … Banktop Farm) that Jon and I stumbled on many years ago. To expand our adventure, we decided to incorporate a revisit to yet another Peak District gem … Alport Castles.

From the main car park and visitor facility at Fairholmes, we made our way up through Lockerbrook Coppice to the enviously situated outdoor centre. Normally, we are doing this in reverse and in pitch darkness … it serves as the finale leg of my night navigation course.

With the steep climb behind us, we made our way along the very long, but very well-defined path over the moors of Rowland Pasture. The views down in the Woodland Valley were sumptuous, as were those of the Kinder Plateau in the distance.

Onto the star of the show … Alport Castles. This dramatic outcrop is actually a massive prehistoric landslide. The mounds of gritstone debris, especially ‘The Tower’, resemble a ruined fortress from the valley below … hence the name!

As we changed direction and headed east, our thoughts began to focus on food … another beautiful lunch spot was found in Ditch Clough. A further plunge took us to the shores of Howden Reservoir and onto the said mystery ruins.

Unbeknownst to me, there are extensive forestry clearing operations going on at the moment … right on our ‘flight path’. Perhaps I should have checked(???), but the forest has been here uninterrupted for the past century, so I didn’t think I needed to … mistake! Although there was no work being carried on to-day (weekend), there was plenty of very heavy machinery parked up … our target track had been turned into a churned-up mud bath. Mutiny was to follow … Jon and Mareks refused to go much further preferring the easy option of the nearby service road. Mark and I persevered through the quagmire. It was only a short stretch of inconvenience to endure before we were able to find an undisturbed way through. An absolutely delightful woodland walk ensued, up to EUREKA! … the ruins.

When we EVENTUALLY did all meet up again, what I failed to tell Mard & Marder, was that I had discovered the wrong ruins!

CYCLE ~ Monsal Trail, PEAKS ~ 25.04.26 ~ by Vinnie ~ “Slave Labour”

It has been some years since we last did this one too (Linda and I in 2018 to be exact). I was not entirely happy with the middle strip around Blackwell, so I completely revamped this offending bit … you can do things like this when you are not at the mercy and slave to an app!!!

The start and finish points are in the delightful town of Bakewell. However, for the purposes of this reccee, I decided to alter things and start at the very beginning of the Monsal Trail, at Chee Dale. This proved to be a canny move … it was an absolutely sun-drenched day, and the crowds were out in considerable force on The Trail, we arrived early enough to avoid the peak of the human invasion.

It was a ten mile peach of a ride, downhill, all the way to Bakewell … we were able to eat up the miles at great speed. From the ‘Capital of the Peak’, the long climb back began in earnest, along a blend of minor roads and country lanes. The section between Hassop and Monsal Head, via Great Longstone, was a particularly enjoyable cycling experience, overseen by glorious sunshine. Time didn’t seem to matter, so we allowed ourselves to get sidetracked to seek some spiritual guidance by visiting a chain of lovely churches and chapels en route.

At Monsal Head, things didn’t quite go to plan. Jon’s bike had developed a serious mechanical problem. This surprised me somewhat … he is so meticulous with his bike maintenance and care. It was quite easy to rejoin The Trail from here, so that is what he opted to do and enable him to retrace our earlier ‘treads’ and ‘limp’ back to the car.

I did have to dismount to make the steep (un-rideable) descent back into Chee Dale, via the Pennine Bridleway, followed by a mellow finale to journey’s end.

This was a well-needed work out and job well done. Vinnie Anderson … Influencer and App Champion

WALK ~ Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfalls, NORTH WALES ~ 04.05.26 ~ by Jon

CYCLE ~ Preston > Fleetwood > Blackpool, LANCASHIRE ~ 16.05.26 ~ by Mareks

WALK ~ Derwentwater Round, LAKES ~ 18.05.26 ~ by Vinnie ~ “The Four Tops”

It has taken us four attempts to do this challenge … previously, we had severe weather and car tantrums to thwart our plans. It is an absolute peach of a walk, with plenty of options to cut short if necessary … perfect for large groups, with mixed abilities, looking for a challenge (plenty of facilities and accommodation in Keswick too).

We arrived as early as my bottom-of-the-range Vauxhall would allow, and were greeted by light rain but essentially no wind.

Our first fell was Latrigg, a long and zig-zag approach was required, but increasing sumptuous views eased the pain! Last time we were all on this summit, I was in the early stages of hyperthermia … a VERY real and dangerous situation. I was able to identify this (from past experience) and make provision for an emergency exit and subsequent abandonment of the walk (this was 2024). This time around, the weather was far kinder, and I was allowed to show off the vantage point from up here.

I have called this walk, “The Four Tops” … between each summit, there was a long and comparatively flat stretch, time enough to catch breaths and reset.

Walla Cragg was target number two. This is the least favourite of mine … it is a long grueling slog, but a much needed break with view awaited us at the top.

As the strength of the sun increased, so did the spring in our steps, as we enjoyed the long stretch to Ashness Bridge and Watendlath. The boys had not explored this part of the world before and had no idea what treat was in store … I sure wasn’t going to give anything away in advance!

Down ‘The Khyber Pass’ to Rosthwaite to the foot of challenge number three … Castle Cragg. The climb up was short and sharp, but this one (the smallest of the ‘Wainrights’) is a beauty … they absolutely loved this unique and magical experience.

Another gentle stroll, via Hollows Farm, took us to our last objective. Cat Bells is staistically the toughest, but I for one found it the easiest, despite ever tiring legs. The secret is not to race up, but plod … at my age, I had absolutely no choice but to do the latter. The views at the top (by now in baking sunshine) were reward enough. The clock was ticking, and we had long turned our thoughts to our end of walk pub!

In conclusion, this was a heck of an achievement. I reckon we have done harder walks in the past and it took us a good hour longer than we anticipated … encroaching on valuable drinking time. I doubt we will do it again With nothing to prove, we will focus on a different tester. Thanks for the great memories, “Four Tops”!

WALK ~ Whernside, DALES ~ 23.05.26 ~ by Jon ~ “The Yorkshire One Peak”