A second three-week trip to Rolls-Royce Deutschland gave me a couple more free weekends in Germany. On the first Saturday, I visited a few more sights in Berlin.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/eVZ1qw6w9XLDqR1j6
Berlin (13th April 2013)
Fort William (29th March – 2nd April 2013)
As usual, I headed to the Highlands for the long Easter weekend. An awesome few days in the hills with sunshine every day, snow on the high ground, and probably the best air clarity I’ve seen in Scotland. Hills were mainly chosen based on the others’ bagging needs this time, but I did tick off a couple of new Corbetts and a Munro Top!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8Demd1aUrqz5dVVaA
Berlin (11th-28th March 2013)
I went on a three-week business trip to Rolls-Royce Deutschland to provide Thermals support for a new engine being developed there. I made the most of the two weekends to explore most of well-known landmarks in the city and surrounding area.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/mTcvu82o3LjBJSN9A
Derwent Edge and Bradfield (2nd March 2013)
I made my first visit of the year to the Dark Peak, where I enjoyed sunshine all day for a circuit from Ladybower Reservoir. I started on the familiar ridge of Derwent Edge, then looped back round to the east to explore some of the hills around Bradfield Dale.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2uH1R6y3Vu1S8K4E9
Dovedale (23rd February 2013)
Mum and Dad visited for the weekend. On the Saturday, we walked in the Manifold and Dove valleys, starting in Ilam.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7dWq6wGAzDNM2TCY8
Stanton Moor and Lathkill Dale (16th February 2013)
For today’s local walk in the White Peak, I started in Winster and did a circuit to the northwest, including Stanton Moor, Lathkill Dale and Robin Hood’s Stride. A good cloud inversion in the Derwent Valley lasted most of the morning, and the sun shone most of the day. At 36km, this was my longest walk in almost a year.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8Vyu2TPYkbpBpuYGA
CUHWC Eskdale Trip (8th-10th February 2013)
I joined CUHWC for a weekend in Eskdale, staying once again at the Eskdale Centre near Boot. On Saturday, I did a snowy horseshoe of Bowfell, Esk Pike and Scafell Pike from Brotherilkeld. On Sunday, I opted for a shorter, lower-level walk to tick off the nearby Marilyn of Muncaster Fell.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/eFHNingoR3y67NSj6
North Pennines and Forest of Bowland (1st-3rd February 2013)
I visited Ruth in Carnforth for the weekend. On Saturday, we enjoyed sunshine, superb visibility and well-frozen ground for our walk in the North Pennines from Dufton. Sunday, in constrast, was rather grey and windy, so we opted for two short walks up outlying Marilyns of the Forest of Bowland: Longridge Fell and Easington Fell.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZgwNLVzBhzpxdhJQ8
Shropshire (12th-13th January 2013)
Finding myself with an empty diary for the weekend, I made an impromptu trip to Shropshire to tick off a few Marilyns, staying at Wilderhope Manor youth hostel. Saturday’s walk took in the Clee Hills, with snow on the tops, and Sunday’s visited a few lower hills around Craven Arms.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kJuRojn1ZYmh7uhc7
Aviemore and Kingussie (27th December 2012 – 5th January 2013)
This year’s Duffers’ New Year trip was to Kingussie, where fifteen of us rented a spacious and comfortable ‘cottage’, the former posthouse. This proved to be an excellent base for walks in the Cairngorms and Monadhliath, and we managed to reach a summit every day, despite strong winds all week. A few of us spent a couple of days in Aviemore before the main trip started. I ticked off three new Munros (281 down, 1 to go!) plus five that I’d done before, two Corbetts and two smaller Marilyns, plus a few Tops.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fTRksb68RZLBXV9NA
Wharfedale and Longsleddale (8th-9th December 2012)
I visited Ruth in Carnforth for the weekend. On Saturday, we headed to Wharfedale, in the Yorkshire Dales, for a snowy round of Great Whernside, Buckden Pike and Birks Fell. Sunday’s shorter walk was from Longsleddale, in the SE Lakes, taking in my final two Lake District Nuttalls.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/mNqWybDaP5AuvfMb9
A frosty walk in the western Peak (2nd December 2012)
Today’s local walk started at the Cat and Fiddle Inn, between Buxton and Macclesfield, and explored some of the minor summits to the west and north: an area I had barely previously visited. A decent day out, though the weather was not as amazing as forecast.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rL6RYJG4FEjgwmFQ9
A couple of south-western Marilyns (18th November 2012)
On the way back from a weekend in Saltash, Ruth and I broke the journey north by visiting a couple of Marilyns near our route up the M5: Christ Cross, near Collumpton, and Staple Hill, the highest point of the Blackdown Hills.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vM8DifyZEieDHVTR8
CUHWC Capel Curig Trip (10th-11th November 2012)
I joined CUHWC for their weekend trip to Snowdonia, staying near Capel Curig (though I opted for the youth hostel at Betws-y-Coed). Despite showers on Saturday and low cloud on Sunday, I enjoyed two good walks, on the northern Moelwynion with Peter and on the southern Carneddau with Dave and Jo.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FJkf2zDKiZrhfdpM8
Duffers’ Dartmoor Trip (2nd-4th November 2012)
DC organised a well-attended Duffers’ weekend on Dartmoor, staying in a comfy bunkhouse just outside the National Park at Galford Springs. We had reasonable weather both days, with sunny spells and just the occasional shower, which allowed for two pleasant horseshoe walks: from Meldon around the West Okement valley, and from Belstone around the Taw valley.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oAvB6XiHPyGdN5bc9
Southern Highlands (19th-23rd October 2012)
I spent a long weekend in the Southern Highlands. My rather complex itinerary comprised a weekend in Glen Etive (with Alison, and variously joined by Will, Peter and Alex!), followed by dinner in Edinburgh on Sunday evening, and some solo Munro-ticking on Ben Lawers and Ben Lomond on Monday and Tuesday.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sU6VmhHnEnMnWxuK7
CUHWC Edale Trip (14th October 2012)
We enjoyed sunny spells rather than the customary drizzle for my tenth CUHWC Edale Trip. As has become traditional, a few of us parked in Hayfield and walked briskly over to Edale first thing, and I joined one of the club groups for a more leisurely and scenic route back to Hayfield via the Kinder plateau.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/McikzMdkYV53GAEBA
Eyam, Froggatt Edge and Chatsworth (13th October 2012)
As usual, Ruth visited me for the weekend of the CUHWC Edale trip. On the Saturday, we walked in the central Peak District. Our varied route from Pilsley took in Eyam, Sir William Hill, Froggatt Edge and Chatsworth Park, in varied weather!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FRAcGEfxwbo1C5up8
Riber Hillside (30th September 2012)
Today’s short morning walk was in the Derwent Valley near Matlock. Starting at Lea Bridge, my route took in Bow Wood, the subHuMP of Bilberry Knoll, and a section of the Cromford Canal.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nLFmzANyrd1zzKso6
Somerset hills (24th-25th September 2012)
Before returning to Derby, I joined my parents for the first couple of days of their short break on the Somerset coast, staying near Watchet. This enabled me to tick off the four nearby Marilyns: one on the Quantocks and three in Exmoor National Park.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/uCweYq1qDeR1b9Ji9
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