Five set off from Brighouse on the first of two Calderdale Way linear walks , with the distance evenly split between each . A quick mile along the Calder & Hebble then through woods & fields to negotiate three busy road crossings near West Vale . A steep climb left the traffic behind & lovely far reaching views opened up with the first stop at Norland Moor . More scenic views as we headed down the valley passing Ripponden church , then up the other side ; a pattern repeated for the remainder of this walk .

The forecast rain finally made an appearance in the form of persistent light drizzle as we sheltered by a wall just before the Hebden event route joined CW near Water Stalls . A scenic sharp descent brought us to Cragg Vale & a chance for some Bilberrying , the light rain continuing as we headed past Withens Clough Res towards picturesque Mankinholes . Across fields , by stables & a very close encounter with a snapping dog we reached the final stop at Morrisons . Tearing ourselves away from an elderly local who wanted to chat , we crossed the railway on an expensive looking new footbridge , then up near Dobroyd Castle with an inevitable descent toward Centre Vale Park .

A sting in the tail steeply ascending to Kit Hill , a quick photo call as waterproofs were discarded , then leaving CW at Hole Bottom to descend into Todmorden … for the third time , only now we were not heading up the other side of the valley ! A fine walk in good company was rounded off at Wetherspoons ( where else !!! ) … the Wobbly Bob & curry were on top form .

We had a good group out who fully entered into the spirit of a demanding , hilly brisk paced walk with minimal dwell time & the emphasis on keeping going between refreshment stops ; Karen in particular graduated from her debut brisk paced walk with first class honours & is returning for a second helping on CW2 .

We covered 27 miles with 4900 feet of ascent in a total time of 8 hrs 45 mins with three stops & a moving average of 3.5 mph . Many thanks to Norman , Karen , Andrew & Dave for turning out .

Ian