After last week’s Priddock Wood trauma, there was a need/feeling to balance it with a gentler expedition (“can we have a shorter one tonight” or “I might drop out early”). Fortunately, our returning Cap’n had provided such a recuperative route suggestion, starting from The Grouse and then over Totley Moor. And, the weather also played its part, providing a gentle warm mist to soothe our hitherto troubled brows.
Moz, our local guide, still with his broken finger, led us off over the moor to White Edge and into the swirling mist. We actually got wet, a special and welcome feeling after the long hot summer. How long will that feeling last, now that summer was meteorologically finished and replaced by autumn? In our continual search for curiosities in the Dark Peak (which we were just about in), we nearly missed Lady’s Cross across to our right. It seemed to be more complete than other Lady’s Crosses with its column and its faint engraved date, possibly 1618?
Our misty moorland idyll soon came to a thundering end as we continued for a short (thankfully) distance on the road where we were inches away 60mph traffic which disturbed the peace of the moorland. We soon left via Flask Edge which doesn’t seem to look like an edge unless the various and curious pits on the way count, what were they for? Still pondering this, a pillar or two appeared out of the mist. No, not Totley trig point, possibly just some old gate posts, however, to our left was the trig point nicely camouflaged in white against the mist.
Totley Moss is not the most interesting place on our route but it was enlivened (?) by the sight of an air shaft, such was our low threshold of what’s interesting. In contrast, we soon suffered the life risking of road crossings at the junction with Stony Ridge Road. Too many roads, and too many cars! Our descent through Longshaw included the reverse of the stairway to heaven, the descent to hell, except it wasn’t. instead, it was a stroll through the (Longshaw) Park. All very pleasant, including some interesting magical misty moments. However, Pete and Andy took a short cut so that they could hurl abuse at us whilst we returned to the field by the Grouse car park.
It had been a successful antidote to last week’s Priddock Wood but the nightmare of being rather close to 60 mph cars and lorries did not feel close to moorland nature especially when changing at the roadside car park near The Grouse. For safety’s sake (?), Chris and the Loxley crew drove 50 yards to the pub, the remaining four of us walked.
Our normal pre-run medical comparisons were instead first on the post-run agenda, this time on our hearing ability. No detail was spared, including the delights of ear irrigation to remove accumulated wax and the satisfaction and pleasure of seeing the wax plug floating in the bucket afterwards (ugh!). Further discussions were on creatures being attracted to particular humans. The damp humid conditions and possibly the scent of sweaty humans brought out the flies to annoy us whist we were running through the bracken rather like sheep being particularly attracted to Chris (apparently) and tics to Andy! We finished with jolly recollections of Pertex trophy mishaps but, tellingly, five of the seven in our group, had all been holders. Some record!
Graham
