A homepage for my hillwalking photos
On the Sunday, we headed to the Dark Peak, for my sixth (and Ruth’s fifth) annual CUHWC Edale Trip, to help introduce the new intake of freshers to the club’s activities. Before the Cambridge party arrived, Ruth and I had walked over from Hayfield via Edale Cross (to avoid a car-faff!). I then took a more scenic route back to Hayfield, co-leading one of the groups with Alex P.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ghVd9SvyTcqYYLvq7
Ruth visited me for the Edale trip weekend. On the Saturday, we walked in the White Peak, starting at Ashford-in-the-Water. We passed through several of the most exciting nearby dales, including Deep Dale, Monk’s Dale and Monsal Dale.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HosKRkNtZtpg33gD6
I joined Ruth for a weekend of walking in Wasdale, where we stayed in the National Trust campsite. The weather was dry, but the tops were in cloud at times, particularly on Sunday. Nonetheless we had two decent walks and got some good views, and Ruth ticked off a few more Wainwrights!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/DNUzQUYnHEhRtaNG6
I went on the unofficial CUHWC trip to the Rhinog mountains of mid-Snowdonia, an area I had not previously visited. Enjoying good weather on Saturday, we climbed Rhinog Fawr, via various heathery bumps and attractive remote lakes. Sunday – my birthday – started off very wet though, so we opted for a touristy morning, visiting Harlech Castle and a nearby tea-room, and having lunch on the beach before heading home.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Mb2ZYY69jEPDiWraA
I spent a weekend in the Lakes with Ruth, Alex, Lottie, Kate and Egg. Alex and I spent the Friday night at Ruth’s house in Carnforth, and on Saturday headed to Buttermere for a sunny walk over Mellbreak and the High Stile ridge. We joined the others on Saturday evening at Lottie’s house in Cockermouth, and on Sunday did a shorter walk on the Whinlatter fells.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/294TGpVqiibLZ3Q6A
I spent a day exploring another area of the White Peak that I had not visited before: the upper reaches of the Manifold and Dove valleys, south of Buxton. The highlights of my route from Longnor were the three steep peaks of High Wheeldon, Parkhouse Hill and Chrome Hill.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7ZXRfd6iVEaJyT886
I headed up to the Hope valley for a fairly long walk on the hills around Castleton. The highlights were Cave Dale, Win Hill, and the flowering heather on the moors.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/snxke1Lvrdpf4S5y5
I went for a local morning walk with my parents, starting in Bonsall. Our route took in Matlock, the Derwent valley, and Wensley.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/WQWB2mpgjSMpUNg6A
After the Alpine course, we stayed in Switzerland for another week, moving to Zermatt for the official CUHWC summer trip, where we were joined by a few others from the club. We had more fine weather for a mixture of walking and mountaineering, including two summits over 4000m.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SZv79fZzBDZYoqjA7
We then drove north to Glen Shiel, where we stayed in the Shiel Bridge campsite, the group now increasing to ten. The weather continued to be unsettled, but improved somewhat for the second half of the week. I did several of the classic walks of the area, including the Five Sisters (+3), the South Shiel ridge, The Saddle and Beinn Fhada. By the end of the trip, my Munro total had reached 69.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/hnBtHiSwhmn2BxuZ8
Before the start of this year’s official CUHWC Scotland trip, a few of us spent a weekend in Glen Coe, staying on the Red Squirrel campsite. On the Saturday, we bagged four Munros on the Black Mount, and on Sunday we did a shorter walk up the Pap of Glencoe.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xbRQJm9mp5CV1w7t9
The last CUHWC weekend trip of the year was to the Yorkshire Dales, and was the club’s first joint trip with Oxford University Walking Club. We stayed in a huge and luxurious bunkhouse just outside Stainforth. On the Saturday, a small group of us did the classic Three Peaks walk, climbing Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. On Sunday we enjoyed glorious sunshine on a walk in the area around Gordale Scar and Malham Cove.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GNoPs9fQcVj2BVAA8
Exploring another area of the White Peak that I had not previously visited, between Bakewell and Buxton, today’s walk started in Taddington. The highlight was the winding path along the gorge of Chee Dale, including some unusual stepping stones!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8qQktbJvaLhP2VyV8
My parents visited me over the Bank Holiday weekend. We were just far enough north to avoid rain for walks on Stanton Moor, along The Roaches in Staffordshire, and through Lathkill Dale.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vexU6mD5UnBvroiF8
CUHWC visited my home turf for the day, so I met up with them in Alstonefield for a pleasant walk down Dovedale, and back via the Manifold Valley and Thor’s Cave.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/btzKy8q86rzRhEao9
Hoping that the bogs would be relatively dry after the recent good weather, I headed up to the Dark Peak for a long-ish walk from Ladybower Reservoir. Notable landmarks on my route included Derwent Edge, Back Tor and Margery Hill.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/r9CMma47VSAKwKXG6
I went on the CUHWC trip to Stair, in the Newlands valley, where we enjoyed dry weather all weekend. On the Saturday my walk was along ridges to Buttermere and back, and on the Sunday we walked from Whinlatter Pass. After the official trip, I stayed in the Lakes for a wonderful, sunny Bank Holiday Monday, and walked in the almost-deserted Central Fells.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kZ1ZL9MvyJZZp7HE8
A free weekend at home gave me time for two local walks. On Saturday, I went to the Staffordshire Moorlands, starting at Rocester and circumnavigating Alton Towers (at a fairly large radius!). On Sunday it was drizzly, so I opted for a short morning walk from Elton – I’d been meaning to visit Gratton and Long Dales for a while, but had struggled to combine them into a longer route so this was an ideal time.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/RSS4Mh67ZSBGrm83A
I headed to northern Snowdonia – my first visit to the area since October 2006 – for the first couple of days of the CUHWC Easter vacation trip. We stayed in the cosy Pinnacle Club hut in Cwm Dyli, right at the foot of Snowdon.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cfoibRX3QgXQrR2m8
I spent the Easter weekend camping in Glenridding with Duffers (mostly), walking in the Eastern and Far Eastern Fells. Heavy snowfall on Saturday night made the Lake District particularly spectacular for our final three days’ walks.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UHbQwoPqd8Uw12JCA
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