There was time pressure tonight, heavy rain was forecast for seven o’clock so, in theory, that gave us at least a two-hour dry outing. Our group, including welcome returnees Dave Markham and Barry Needle, were all ready to go five minutes before our “official” start time but previous experience had taught us to be strictly on time to avoid leaving any latecomers stranded. With a nod to our absent Cap’n, we started up a truly Harmerian standard climb from the Westend car park up to the ruined substantial farmhouse.
Who would have thought that it was only about 3 km from there to the shooting cabins in Lower Small Clough? It didn’t feel like that. There was plenty of heather to cross which slowed progress but which provided us with the odd glimpse of white cloudberry flowers. A small group of us had the first of the moral high grounds by not using Black Dike to get to the cabins so we arrived later though with our heads held high. There is a tendency for the Slow Warts to propose the use of interesting places for the DPFR AGM so the top cabin with its chair and table, was duly suggested. (Other suggestions have included Oyster Cabin and, most popularly, the quarry above Jaggers Clough.)
Our route, suggested by Bob, was to continue over the heather to Barrow Stones via Round Hill though a few of us have to admit to the use of a possibly excessive 50m of path near its summit. In true Warting summit bagging style, some renegade Warts were drawn to Grinah Stones via a path (!) through the fence gate and then to a tiny path to reach Barrow Stones. Oh, the shame!
Round Hill
Barrow Stones
Bob’s plan was to continue on to the Three Sheeper sheepfold but not everyone could cope with so much more enjoyment in one evening so we split to allow six of us to rise to the second of the two moral high grounds. It has long been a pilgrimage or a rite of passage to visit the sheepfold, if only to be able to actually find it. With precise navigation from Barrow Stones, the sheepfold was found despite it being hidden from view until about 50m from it. It seemed appropriate that six of us were enjoying the sheepfold because that exactly matched its leg capacity though the uncertain origin of the name (Andy H or Lewis A or who?) was only an estimate.
There seems to have been an occasional need for Warts to scramble up water courses (e.g. the outing from Birchen Clough two weeks ago) so we did just this directly from the sheepfold up to near a spot height (595m) and watershed area close to the signposted source of the Derwent. Though we enjoyed a heathery descent to Grinah Grain, we then gave up our disciplined heather happiness for some disused drain running in a mesmerising trance along Black Dike only awakening to watch Louis dashing youthfully (there was a 65+ year gap in the group) from side to side and for a diversion over to Banktop Hey and a couple of steep descents to the ruined farm and the car park.
Our return at about eight o’clock was just as the rain started, such precision timing for our 2 hours 53 minutes outing. The other half dozen or so Slow Warts, now fully refreshed, were waiting for us at the Yorkshire Bridge Inn as some proper Dark Peakers joined after their Blackden outing. Matters of great concern were discussed, who is the whisky monitor responsible for maintaining whisky stashes, who originated the Three Sheepers term and where it is (seriously enough, maps were brought out) but most importantly what a splendid and classic outing the we’d had.
Graham