Southport Fell Walking Club

  After a week of intermittent but heavy rain, we enjoyed sunshine throughout the whole day. The Oldhams were first to leave the coach at Birch Vale, just before Hayfield. It was a serious walk of about 16.5 miles and 4,000 feet of ascent starting with Foxholes Clough on the Pennine Bridleway Ridge and finishing at Winnats Pass above Castleton. Howie’s verdict: ...one of the best...! Stuart‘s group also did a lengthy ridge walk of 12 miles from Hayfield. They accessed the Ridge at Coldwell Clough and along Edale Cross to Horsehill Tor and Rushop Edge and so on to Lose Hill Farm and Hall, passing most of the other groups at some stage of the walk. Lesser mortals did a mere 8 or 9 miles along the ridges using different starting and finishing points. Mike J led his five Maidens along the ridge from Hayfield to Mount Famine on the Pennine Bridle Way and then on to Mam Tor and Hollins Cross to descend by the very precarious muddy slope down to Hollowford Road. There was a path there

                                                 What a wonderful day’s walking !         What spectacular scenery and conditions !   With reports that the Kirkstone Pass was blocked by snow the route was amended so that the coach entered the valley from the Pooley Bridge end. Some groups revised their planned walks but most were just delighted to see a good depth of snow on the fells above about 1500’ and had come prepared for it, Stuart’s group was first off the coach near Pooley Bridge to commence a 12 mile walk along the eastern side of the Lake - through Howtown, Sandwick and Silver Bay with panoramic views of the snow on Helvellyn and its close neighbours. Pat and Simon’s groups started from Watermillock to visit the popular local waterfalls and then followed the newly established lake side path to Glenridding. The Oldhams also alighted at Aira Force but they headed up to Dockray to follow the Dodds Ridge along to Raise and Stang and then down to Glenridding. The othe