Dove Stones
After seeing the Met Office Severe Weather Warnings for Sunday, Sue
and I set off from home half expecting (hoping?) no-one would turn up.
No such luck! Five hardy souls were waiting for us in Stockport so
we were committed, and then another four incurable optimists joined
us in Greenfield.
No-one looked too disappointed when we announced that, in deference
to the Met Office's warnings of gale-force winds, we weren't going to
take the planned high-level route. Instead we'd settle for a more
sheltered alternative staying down in the valley. A decision, I might
add, emphatically endorsed by a National Park Ranger we spoke to later
in the day.
Although the sky was slatey-grey and threatening, the rain hadn't
shown up yet. However the wind certainly had, so as we headed up the
valley we were getting a good push from behind. I suspect we all hoped
that if we didn't mention it, it might have dropped by the time we had
to turn round and face it. I had to chuckle at the sight of a couple of
crows flying into the wind, flapping like crazy and getting absolutely
nowhere.
So up to the head of the valley for another look at Birchin
Clough. The decision Sue and I made on our recce not to attempt this
route was proved correct, as there was even more water coming down today
and crossing the stream would have been, er, "interesting".
So, we turned to re-trace our steps, and, no, the wind hadn't
dropped. In fact, funnelling up the valley, it nearly took some of the
less weighty of us clean off our feet on a couple of occasions!
However, we battled back a short distance and crossed the dam of
Greenfield reservoir (trying to make sure hats and people didn't get
blown into the water) to make our way back down the other side of the
valley.
Lunch at the picnic area was followed by a division of the party.
Some decided they'd been blown around enough for one day and would stay
on the main path back to Dove Stones Dam. There they'd wait for the rest
of us who headed up Ashway gap, and after crossing the footbridge over
the water chute, made our way back along a higher path directly beneath
the Dove Stones themselves.
All back at the dam, we were congratulating ourselves (between
mouthfuls of hot-dog and bacon buttie from the van) on avoiding the
rain. Then down it came! Actually it was more sideways than down, but
with only ten minutes walk back to the cars, we thought we'd had a
pretty good day all things considered.
We'll have a go at the high-level route in the summer!
Geoff
Click here for photos of the walk