Upper Derwent Valley (8th May 2016)

For today’s walk I headed to the Upper Derwent Valley, starting at Ashopton and heading north over the moors and back down the valley beside the river and reservoirs. Summer is definitely on its way – temperatures reached 25C in the valley today.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2yFSc9N79a7uY1H89

Looking over Ladybower Reservoir to Win Hill

Nuttall completion trip to Snowdonia (29th April – 2nd May 2016)

Some of the Duffers joined me for a typically wet Bank Holiday weekend in Snowdonia, camping by Llyn Gwynant. We did three fairly short walks: up Y Lliwedd on Saturday, to complete my Nuttalls on Mynydd Mawr on Sunday, and up the Great Orme from Llandudno on Monday.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8gfUHJumB4RwMz959

North Downs and London (16th-17th April 2016)

I and a few other Duffers visited Alex and Caroline in Ewell (outer London) for the weekend. We walked on the North Downs on Saturday, and headed into London Sunday.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aWYvRkzGAgq8veNR6

Looking over Maritime Greenwich to Canary Wharf

Parents’ visit (9th-10th April 2016)

Mum and Dad visited me in Derbyshire. We enjoyed two good walks in sunshine in the Peak District, exploring Gun and the Roaches on Saturday and Monsal Dale and Longstone Moor on Sunday.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DddASDj7wycr5Vxk9

The impressive crags of The Roaches and Hen Cloud

Appalachian Spring (27th-31st March 2016)

We then spent five days making our way south through the Appalachian mountains, pausing along the way for various walks up mountains, through the forest and beside waterfalls. We also visited the awesome caves at Luray Caverns, bagged five new states, and two state highpoints!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NhDmwAsicrF6scaU6

Warwickshire (27th-28th February 2016)

Tom and Helen hosted a Duffers’ weekend in Warwickshire, with a visit to Stratford to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the RST on Saturday, and a walk from Alcester on Sunday.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/65hut3x61FXDE5VeA

Breedon Hill and Calke Park (21st February 2016)

I went for a morning walk in South Derbyshire, taking in my nearest unbagged Tump, Breedon Hill.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5rmY92oy1hVYmmNf7

Tumps near Dronfield (13th February 2016)

A grey day didn’t merit a higher-level outing so I visited another obscure corner of Derbyshire to tick of some Tumps, this time south of Dronfield. 124 down, only 3 to go!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ir2AC8QTkk2Ba4Fn8

Chester-le-Street (5th-7th February 2016)

I visited Ian and Emma in Chester-le-Street for the weekend. On the Saturday, we headed into Northumberland for a drizzly walk on Tosson Hill and Simonside. On the Sunday morning, we opted for a shorter stroll from ‘home’ onto Waldridge Fell. I broke the journey home with a walk in the East Yorkshire Wolds to tick off another Marilyn.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/z26sCpkXGyAAVniS9

Ian, Ruth and Emma in the deciduous forest below Ravens Heugh

A circuit around Buxton (23rd January 2016)

Today’s 36km walk around Buxton took in three of my remaining Derbyshire Tumps, as well as the better known landmarks of Black Edge, Monk’s Dale and Chee Dale.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7Ze6y2GQucPrTKW49

Looking down from Black Edge to Lady Low, with Kinder Scout in the distance

Eastern Peak District edges (10th January 2016)

A colleague and I met up for a 30km walk along some of the gritstone edges north of Baslow, enjoying better-than-forecast weather with some sunny spells.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ikzLPkdMMGiKdHDB6

Looking up the Derwent Valley to Win Hill and Bamford Edge

Kingussie (28th December 2015 – 4th January 2016)

For this year’s Duffers’ New Year trip we returned to the Post House in Kingussie, where we had previously stayed three years ago. We managed a few good walks in the Drumochter Hills and Monadhliath despite the usual damp, windy weather!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ecRP7nazkfUWV6RT9

Heading along the ridge above Coire a’ Chriochairein

Alex P’s stag weekend (13th-15th November 2015

As Alex P had asked me to be his Best Man, it was incumbent on me to organise a Stag Do. We spent the weekend in the Yorkshire Dales, where we went caving near Ribblehead and for a walk above Littondale.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DfpPgD9GJgXoQR3v8

Gordon, Simon, Simon, Tom, Dave, Alex, Tom and James at the summit of Horse Head

Minehead (6th-8th November 2015)

I visited my parents for a long weekend in Minehead. The weather was rather grey, but we did short-ish walks on Exmoor every day nevertheless.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4ELxDgyqZ9dC2vsb8

Dad and Mum at the summit of Winsford Hill, with Dunkery Beacon in sunshine in the background

Ruth’s housewarming weekend (30th October – 1st November 2015)

A big group of Duffers convened in Natland for Ruth’s housewarming weekend. We walked on Middleton Fell (Yorkshire Dales) on Saturday and Bowfell (Lake District) on Sunday.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5cpbjwz6s3d8d6gE6

Jo, Dave, Caroline and Alex heading along the ridge to Calf Top

Ullapool and Pitlochry (19th-24th October 2015)

I spent a week in the Highlands: a few days near Ullapool with Michael followed by a couple of solo days based in Pitlochry. As well as revisiting eight Munros, I ticked off seven new Corbetts, taking my total to 102.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/rJBmV7r5uteTyBNW6

Heading along the ridge towards Sgurr Mor

Wet Sleddale (17th October 2015)

Staying at Ruth’s house ahead of the following day’s CompassSport Cup orienteering competition, she and I met up with a few other Old Duffers who were in the area for a walk around Wet Sleddale: an unusual approach to these fells, but it satisfied our various bagging needs for Wainwrights, Outlying Fells and Deweys!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qbm2U8HzXnZkgJV68

Joe, Andrena, Ruth, Dave and Jo at the summit of Tarn Crag

Visiting Alex and Ausma in Müllheim (7th-11th October 2015)

I visited Alex and Ausma for a long weekend in Müllheim, enjoying several short-ish walks in the nearby Black Forest (with spectacular autumn colours), and a day trip to Switzerland with Alex for a big mountain walk (above an awesome cloud inversion!)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Uifk4nYLKFe8a1uM8