John and Rosie's Birthday Bash


To celebrate John’s 80th and Rosie’s upcoming 70th birthdays they’ve arranged this walk, starting from Buxton. It’s a joint bash between the Staffordshire and South Manchester Groups but, with some members nursing injuries and others away, only 2 of our lot are here, Peter Whitehead and myself.

We’re lucky with the conditions - weather warm and sunny and the going dry underfoot - and it’s a pleasant, scenic route, at times following the Goyt Valley Challenge line, not always in the same direction! After traversing Wild Moor, we cross the old Goyt packhorse bridge and head up to Shining Tor, where we can enjoy morning coffee with clear views of the Shropshire and Welsh hills, under the watchful eye of hang glider pilots, suspended in the updraught as the breeze lifts over the edge.

Next we descend to Lamaload, where the water level is worryingly low. Thence follow the short sharp ascents to bring us across by Yearn’s Low to drop into Rainow for lunch at the Robin Hood. Here Rosie and John fetch out the home made celebration cakes they had deposited in the pub and treat us all to a pint or a cuppa.

We are joined by other Staffs members who couldn’t manage the walk for one reason or another and by Avril and Dave Allen who double the South Manchester representation. As Dave lives near me, he will join the afternoon walk and I can run him home, leaving Avril to go back and watch Wimbledon in peace. Some extra Staffs members swell our numbers for a while as well. 

Our afternoon stroll takes us past Jenkin Chapel and up over Oldgate Nick to drop to Errwood. After crossing the dam we climb to the old railway track, which we follow briefly before cutting across, on a trod not marked on the map, to rejoin our morning route. This could be a nifty shortcut for Goyt Valley eventers!

It’s been a really pleasant day out. There were about 25 in the group. We’ve covered some 18 miles with 3,500 feet of ascent. Thanks to Rosie and John for leading the walk and for the goodies!

 

Peter Schick