Following the recent relaxation of lockdown restrictions to allow local day-trips, I was keen to spend as much as possible of the Easter weekend enjoying the great outdoors a little further from home than has been possible so far this year.

On Good Friday, I headed to the Peak District for a walk from Monyash, which I found to be very quiet despite starting at midday on a Bank Holiday! Apparently others are not yet making the most of their new freedoms! My route went down Lathkill Dale all the way to Conksbury. I enjoyed the limestone crags, mossy boulders, and the very clear waters of the River Lathkill.

I then doubled back along the rim of the dale to Over Haddon, pausing for lunch on one scenic overlook. From the village, I took to footpaths across the pastures to Magpie Mine – my first visit except one at running pace on a recent Peak Raid event – then through Sheldon and down into the Wye valley near Ashford in the Water. From there, I followed the footpaths up the valley through Shacklow Woods, then ascended Deep Dale right to its head, finishing with a few more upland pastures back to Monyash.

A map of my route can be seen here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1497917
My full photo album is available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/X1oi7BnRCoKTXKcy5

After the walk, I met up with Bec for a run around the parkrun course at Brierley Forest, followed by fish and chips for dinner.

The next morning, Bec drove down to my house mid-morning so we could travel up to the Peak District together for a walk over the ‘Dragon’s Back’, starting in Longnor. We started by crossing the Dove valley by Beggar’s Bridge, then ascended via Hitter Hill to Earl Sterndale. From there, we turned west to descend to the foot of Parkhouse Hill, which we traversed by the crest of its narrow ridge. I was glad that Bec enjoyed the easy scrambling and awkward, steep gravelly descent.

After Parkhouse Hill, Chrome Hill, although larger, always feels a bit of an anticlimax. It does offer better views though, both back to Parkhouse Hill and ahead towards Hollins Hill. We paused for a leisurely lunch part way along the ridge.

We looped around the western slopes of Hollins Hill to descend to Hollinsclough, then used a mixture of bridleways, lanes and footpaths to return to Chrome Hill, crossing the River Manifold on improvised stepping stones. A lovely day out in the sunshine with good scenery and great company.

A map of my route can be seen here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1497922
My full photo album is available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VKUe6XuZEAWCKGej8

On Easter Sunday, I met up with Jeff, Helen and Amina for a 15km trail run on Cannock Chase. We started at the main visitor centre and headed into the southeastern corner of the Chase, slightly extending a route I ran in the autumn. Afterwards we went back to Amina’s garden for bacon sandwiches and cake.

Monday was another sunny morning, although with a bitterly cold wind and few early snow flurries! I drove up to Thorpe for a morning walk around the rim of Dovedale, avoiding the main valley path to keep away from the crowds. Just short of the car park, I noticed the car had reached 100000 miles, so paused to record the occasion.

The visibility over Dovedale and the surrounding pastures was superb as I walked along the footpaths past Bostern Grange and then down into Milldale, with great views of Wetton, Gratton, Narrowdale and Wolfscote hills. Once I’d crossed the river and climbed back up the other side of the valley, I headed back south, the cold wind now behind me, via Bunster Hill and Thorpe Pastures, and so back to the car.

A map of my route can be seen here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1497929
My full photo album is available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ALuPVydkDKHCvyKD9

To conclude the Easter weekend, on Tuesday I drove up to the north of the Peak District for a walk with my sister, roughly midway between our homes. Ruth and I met in Old Glossop at 10am and began by walking up the Doctor’s Gate path to reach the Pennine Way south of Bleaklow, in warm sunshine.

We took the scenic detour across the moor to Higher Shelf Stones and its B-29 plane wreckage – a site that has become a bit of an unexpected tourist honeypot in the last year of travel restrictions – then continued north to Bleaklow Head, pausing in one particularly sheltered grough for lunch out of the very cold wind. The cloud gradually built as we continued, and the sunshine less warming!

From Bleaklow Head, we descended the Pennine Way all the way into the Crowden valley, with light snow now falling much of the time, then took the disused railway path down the valley past the reservoirs to Padfield. From there it was just a short walk along the lanes at footpaths back to Old Glossop.

A map of my route can be seen here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1499628
My full photo album is available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/i7LkErTxEmYCTsbq9

A good day in some wilder hills, and it was great to spend a few hours catching up with Ruth, not having seen her since Christmas. We agreed to meet again on Sunday, the last day of her Easter holidays.

I’ve been trying online dating for the last few months and have recently been forging a friendship with a lady named Bec. After six weeks or so of regular video dates through lockdown, we decided it was acceptable to meet up for a couple of walks near the Derwent Valley, roughly half way between our homes.

For our first face-to-face date, we met in Wirksworth and walked along the High Peak Trail to Harborough Rocks, returning via Brassington and Carsington villages.

A map of our route is available here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1476455
My full photo album is available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/kqzSp8QzB3y9VX8N8

The following weekend, we met again in Crich and walked both sides of the valley via the memorial, Holloway, Lea Woods, Alderwasley, Shining Cliff and Crich Chase.

A map of our route is available here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1485153
My full photo album is available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FcBLnvBDYh4UXoyk7

So far so good, and we will continue to meet and see how the relationship progresses.

It’s felt strange to spend a week on holiday at home in Derby – something I don’t think I’ve ever done before! I entertained myself with a mixture of running and walking, including two snowy walks in the Peak District that I’ll discuss here!

On Wednesday 30th I headed to the southwest of the Peak District, hoping to find snow on The Roaches. To avoid driving on ungritted minor roads, I started my walk in Leek, which had a fair amount of snow even in town. It’s not far from the edge of town to Tittesworth Reservoir. I followed the perimeter path along the eastern shore then ascended through farmland to Upper Hulme – and decided the road would actually have been fine!

Sadly the cloud base was low and my walk over Hen Cloud, The Roaches and Back Forest was in mist throughout: nice crunchy snow underfoot but no views! I dropped out of the cloud for a while as I descended to Danebridge and followed the River Dane down to Gig Hall, then climbed back up via Gun End to Gun (back in the mist). That just left a gentle descent via Gunside and the Hillswood farms.

A map of my route can be seen here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1383322
My full photo album is available on Google Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/vKxppifuatrjsbMn7

On Saturday 2nd, the forecast was for a sunny morning, gradually clouding over, so I got a prompt start. I fancied walking in snow again, so I headed up to the high ground of Bleaklow, starting at the car park just up the road from the Snake Pass Inn. I ascended onto the ridge by the path up the rim of Oyster Clough, then worked my way northwest through the snow over Over Wood Moss to eventually reach the Pennine Way – it felt a long way on this rough, pathless ground in a good covering of snow!

I was surprised see see that there was a well used and heavily trampled path through the snow up to the B29 wreckage on Higher Shelf Stones – apparently this has become a bit of a lockdown tourist attraction! This made the ascent much quicker and easier than I expected. I continued north to Bleaklow Head, then turned back south to follow the Pennine Way all the way down to Snake Pass and back up across Featherbed Moss to Mill Hill. The sections within about 1km of the pass were very heavily trodden with the snow compacted into very slippery ice, so I mainly walked beside the path on this stretch!

Light snow began to fall as I crossed Featherbed Moss, and had become heavy snow by the time I reached Mill Hill. I had planned to stop for second-lunch here, but thought it better to press on down the Snake Path through Ashop Clough to the car before the road got too tricky! I found a couple of inches of snow on top of the car but was relieved to find the road still easily passable with care. Slushy roads and overly-cautious drivers made for a slow drive home!

A map of my route can be seen here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1386513
My full photo album is available on Google Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/X9MzBUqNSxF1YfF6A