A homepage for my hillwalking photos
We enjoyed warm, sunny weather for CUHWC’s Easter vacation trip to Snowdonia, staying once again in the Pinnacle Club hut in Cwm Dyli. I did two excellent and contrasting walks, taking in the Northern Rhinogs on Saturday and an unusual Snowdon horseshoe from Nant Gwynant on Sunday.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dk9FiXkfqScU8bds5
As I wanted to watch CUBB playing on tour in Birkenhead, I thought I’d make a day of it and do a walk in the Clwydian Range beforehand: a new area for me. Starting in the Alyn valley near Cilcain, I headed south along the Clwydian Way to Bryn Alyn, then crossed the valley to Moel Gyw and followed the main ridge all the way north to Penycloddiau, before heading back to Cilcain. An excellent day with some great views over North Wales, and six HuMPs bagged (including four Marilyns and two Deweys)!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jAAKRNFMgHQKc6La6
I joined CUHWC for a day in the far north of the Peak District. We walked up on to Bleaklow Head and Higher Shelf Stones from Crowden, descending via Near Black Clough.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/BkLeNytaYqjkiAwL7
After a morning spent orienteering near Leek, I headed a few miles NE into the Peak District for an afternoon walk taking in the high moors of Merryton Low and Revidge.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/E569Y8BBtBWN4PCNA
I joined the Duffers’ for a weekend in the Northern Fells of the Lake District, staying at the Hudscales camping barn. We walked on Blencathra on Saturday and on High Pike and Carrock Fell on Sunday, which also allowed me to tick off three nearby Nuttalls. Ruth and I also popped up nearby Faulds Brow and Sandale Hill before heading home.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/D7mhSsgjgQtg5pwAA
Mark and I spent the day bagging in the Chilterns: the closest significant hills to Cambridge! In all we did eight short and varied walks, taking in all the HuMPs of the area, and a bonus subHuMP! Unsurprisingly, not all of them proved to be very worthwhile summits, but overall it was an excellent day out!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/n12HohpVLnDqbvA1A
As the CUHWC Annual Dinner was conveniently arranged for a Friday evening, I headed down to Cambridge for the weekend, staying at Michael’s house in Cambourne. The dinner was held in the Prioress’s Room at Jesus College, followed by drinks in The Maypole.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FrXeCFh3YzQAQifD9
I headed up to the White Peak to tick off a few more obscure P30s, starting in the village of Elton. An excellent winter’s day, with temperatures well below freezing, lots of ice and snow underfoot, and clear blue skies overhead! Minninglow Hill, Moatlow Knob and Anthony Hill were the somewhat-unexpected highlights.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8VcocEbHybxdpL7k9
On the Sunday, expecting poor driving conditions, we wanted a walk not too far from Carnforth and for whicih we could start near a main road. A horseshoe over Gragareth and Great Coum from Ireby fitted the bill nicely, and MWIS’ forecast of cloud inversion in the Western Dales was spot on! A fantastic day out on the hill!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fg8kPJaGcFYtK5iR6
I visited Ruth in Carnforth for the weekend. On the Saturday, I was keen to take advantage of a non-firing day on the Warcop Range to visit Mickle Fell and its neighbours, but the forecast wasn’t very promising with heavy snow predicted for the afternoon. We therefore made an early start and walked briskly, and were rewarded with decent conditions on Roman Fell, Little Fell and Mickle Fell before the weather finally closed in on Murton Fell!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/bRLySPCDQseXBkUn6
I headed to southern Snowdonia for the weekend to join CUHWC in the Aran Hills. On the Saturday we had fantastic weather for a great linear walk from Cwm Cywarch to Bwlch y Groes via Aran Fawddwy and ten other less well-known Nuttalls. We enjoyed stunning views over much of North and Mid-Wales, with some amazing light conditions! On the Sunday we did a shorter walk from Dinas Mawddwy over the two Nuttalls and three Deweys at the southern end of the range.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ex45xnfZLyJRCYbR6
I went to Butlins in Skegness with Rolls Royce (Derby) Band for the 2012 Mineworkers Brass Band Contest. Here are a few photos of the Butlins park and adjacent beach, taken on the Sunday, and a few of Normanby Top, the highest point of the Lincolnshire Wolds, which I visited on my way back to Derby!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GuUTPK8QS74zjT8W8
With a weekend of long-awaited fine weather forecast, I was keen to get out in the Dark Peak. I opted to head to the moors around the head of the Derwent valley. My route started near Fairholmes, at the head of Ladybower Reservoir, and took in a few new Peak District P30s, most notably Horse Stone Naze (a Dewey), returning via Alport Castles.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/a9CXcjZHU7tfu31m8
Once again I headed to Seathwaite, at the head of Borrowdale, for CUHWC’s New Year trip. On the Saturday I visited two Nuttalls near the Corridor Route, returning via Great Gable, in reasonable weather. On the Sunday I headed to the Northwestern Fells but we only managed Whiteside and Hopegill Head before deciding to cut the route short and descend via Gasgale Gill, due to the persistent low cloud and rain.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/RqEAUszAJErZ7XMn9
This year’s New Year trip to the Highlands was to Roybridge, where we rented a couple of cosy cottages just outside the village. Very poor weather throughout the week somewhat restricted our hillwalking options, but I still managed to visit five Corbetts and sub-2000′ Marilyn!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rzR8KZZ5o9QuK8Zq7
It was a rather dreary day for my final Peak District walk of the year, starting in Eyam. My route took in Sir William Hill, which was under a dusting of snow, Froggatt Edge, and a few obscure P30s in between.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xUUhdjJZe66zguPp9
I went for another walk in the White Peak, starting in Ashford in the Water and ticking off a few P30 hills around Monsal Dale and Cressbrook Dale. The route included two tops that I’d been meaning to visit for a while even before acquiring the list: Fin Cop and Wardlow Hay Cop – both excellent viewpoints! The forecast was for showers, but pleasingly it stayed dry for me until the last hour or so of the walk.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/x8d1RBYMXYwiGSbY7
Needing to be back in Derby by mid-afternoon, I opted for a half-day walk taking in some of the P30s to the east and north of Hartington. The route covered quite a lot of new ground for me, the highlights being Carder Low and Sheen Hill.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xvrn7Yj624ivaacQ8
I went on the CUHWC weekend trip to Snowdonia, camping at Gwern Gof Isaf as the club had filled the Caseg Fraith bunkhouse. In search of new Nuttalls, I ventured further afield one generally does when staying at the foot of Tryfan (!), heading to the north-eastern Carneddau on Saturday and doing the Blaenau Ffestiniog skyline on Sunday. Only Andrew (and Mark, on Saturday) were dedicated enough baggers to join me, but both walks were excellent nonetheless!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dznXTi758P3aWace6
I visited Ruth for a long weekend in the hills, ticking off a few more English Nuttalls. On the Friday, I did a solo walk in the Howgill Fells, but sadly the higher summits were in cloud most of the day. Conditions were much better at the weekend, with clear blue skies for the Buttermere skyline from Fleetwith Pike to Red Pike on the Saturday (Honister Crag and Dodd being new Nuttalls for me) and a spectacular, unexpected cloud inversion around Wild Boar Fell and Baugh Fell on the Sunday!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/S4PSfujfUemQP5U59
David Pettit's photo blog 