There was something missing for the eight Slow Warts’ outing from Strines Inn. Previously we’d had our doses of rain and had been suitably togged up, Tonight, there was no rain, just cold and grey, not that we could see the latter in the dark. We were still dressed for the conditions, with Moz and I making last minute contortions to get windproof trousers on, over our shoes. Advice: put the trousers on before your studs!
We set off down the road to the access gate, running, however, we soon broke into a walk up the track to Strines Moor Ridge. As the slope slackened there was more running, which, I think, we began to enjoy so much that we continued, and continued too far and so missed our turn off for our first check point of Blackhole. Clearly, we had had been caught by the urge to run by straying into the Running Moss area. We crossed Strines Dike and, in time, we did find some rocks, however, we never did get to Blackhole. Chris’s map and track below shows all our wanderings. At least, the line we took to Cakes of Bread was relatively good running, maybe worth repeating sometime.

Our enjoyment was curtailed leaving the Cakes by a section of slab running, to shake our bones and rattle our teeth. Along here we were shamed by our racer for the night, meeting Jim, who was doing a solo Winter Series race from Strines anti-clockwise on a similar route to us. Well done, Jim! We continued to Back Tor and across the moor to Howshaw Tor. It was inevitable that we had to return via the blockhouse though the ground was challenging to the extent that Andy twisted his bad knee and had to be helped to his feet. Hard man that he is, he continued, and now, with a borrowed torch! If Running Moss encouraged us to run, this section of Foulstone Moor seemed to encourage us to fall. Moz also took a spectacular fall into a drainage ditch next to the main track. It took two of us to extricate him from the oozing mud in the ditch. He was nevertheless none the worse and even sped off leaving his rescuers, john and I, to continue floundering in the heather.
A critical landmark for the return to the car park is the solitary tree marking the path to the stream crossing. We missed that so we could enjoy the rotting bracken rather than the path through it. By now, the fast path from the stream is no longer fast because of over grown heather. Here John kindly let me pass to continue to the car park. After the rest of had changed, John was not back, so we were concerned until his torch light appeared over the track. Meeting him, we saw a man with a distinct list to the left brought about by a returning back problem. Moz brought the car to the lower car park and john joined us later at the pub, still with his left list.
Greetings to Andy were made for his birthday on Thursday. Otherwise, discussions on access, damage to legally parked cars at an access point on Mortimer Road and the previous Saturday’s birthday run to Nether North Grain or Alport trig dominated drinking time.
A good time was enjoyed by all. thanks.
Graham
