Saturday 1 January 2011 - Shutlingsloe

It’s not long since I was joined by Richard and Graham for a stroll up Shutlingsloe on the splendidly moonlit evening of 20 December.

It’s only a 5km walk with 270 metres of ascent from Trentabank, but for me the ascent of the Matterhorn of Cheshire always counts as a ‘mountain’ with its wide ranging views into the Peak District, across the Cheshire plain, and over much of Greater Manchester.

We enjoyed that walk, and the subsequent sojourn with beers in front of a roaring fire at the Leather’s Smithy.

But that was last year…

It’s a New Year tradition for Sue and me to go for a walk – a tough one if the weather is suitable.  Today dawned dull and dreich, so we didn’t rush off to get drenched in Snowdonia or the Lake District. 

That can wait.

Instead, we enjoyed a gentle ascent of Shutlingsloe with some good friends, setting off for a change from the Standing Stone Car Park, which reduces the ascent to just 170 metres.

Andrew and Kate were eager to bag the summit….

 
…which soon came into view, intermittently through the mist.

It didn’t take long to reach the top, where lots of photos of the group….

 
…were taken by our resident experts.

Descent was by the path to Trentabank, then through the woods which despite the low light levels sported some surprisingly bright green tree trunks.

This was an excellent way to spend a couple of hours on New Year’s Day,  followed by lunch from the kiosk at Trentabank Visitor Centre, where we happened upon Alan and Kate, out for a stroll with Obi the horse (by which time my camera, sadly, had been stashed in the car).

Some more pictures, for the benefit of those present on the walk, are here.

And here’s our route – about 4.5km, with 170 metres ascent, suitable for children, and those with little time to spare.

Happy New Year, everyone.