Wednesday 22 August 2012 – Bury Forest with the LDWA (aka ‘An Irwell Valley Walk’)

It was a pleasure to join ‘The Plodders’ today after quite a long break.  They have been doing, amongst other things, the Irwell Valley Walk from the river’s source to the point where it imminently mutates into the Manchester Ship Canal.

The 50 minute tram ride from Timperley to Bury was very pleasant in the sunshine, so I was somewhat surprised to find others dressed in waterproofs.  No matter, I’d brought the sun with me – a fact that some of the assembled masses failed to notice until their waterproofs were about to be ripped to shreds in Bury Jungle.

Anyway, we lined up for a mug shot – two Rogers, John, Don, Reg, Phil, Little Ann, Peter, Jim, Bernard, Dennis and Alan, if I’ve got that right.  Then Reg set off purposefully in search of the River Irwell.  We couldn’t see it, but we could see the Metrolink line to our left, so “we must be roughly right”. 

“We need the canal towpath” announced Reg - “it’s just down there, you go first, John.” 

“What, through that forest?”

“Yes, here are some wire cutters, and would Bernard please pass his walking stick.”

We spent some time in this short section of jungle, with its spiky brambles and stingy nettles.  There was a vertical section, lined with brambles, nettles and Himalayan Balsam.  So what to hold on to, given that the innocuous Balsam doesn’t exactly provide a solid grip?

The jungle exited into a flat field, but as you can see from the following image, two strands of barbed wire could easily rip the knees.  We couldn’t really complain about the wire, as we weren’t exactly on a path…

After rescuing Little Ann, who had tried to hitch a ride in Bernard’s rucksack, from the depths of the Jungle, we managed to extricate all 13 of us and find the canal towpath, where we were buzzed by grey wagtails and were closely vetted by some puzzled looking swans.

Little Ann, apparently dazed by her Jungle experience, paddled into the middle of the canal with my camera to take the following picture.  Thanks Ann, I didn’t tell anyone you thought the grass in the canal was dry!  You seemed a bit dazed and may not even recall the episode at all…

The next pair of swans seem to have had a (re)productive summer.

Eventually, Reg got bored with the towpath and took us down a track under a tree viaduct.  Those of us who didn’t bother with hats got sunburnt.

Incredibly, we spent some time on the Irwell Valley Sculpture Trail without finding any sculptures.  We did however find a few rocks on which to enjoy a speedy lunch and a second round of brownies.  Eventually a rather dilapidated piece of ironwork sculpture appeared, and Reg breathed a deep sigh of relief when he finally located the River Irwell, which he then insisted on crossing several times.

The fleshpots of Salford were gained in the vicinity of The Crescent.  Some of these have seen better days.

St Philip’s Church, constructed in the Greek Revival style in 1822 from ashlar stone, still seems relatively intact.

During the speedy lunch, Reg had been busy ordering a second lunch of sandwiches, salad and lots of chips at the Mark Addy, which we needed in order to provide our beers with something to wash down. 

Here’s an approximation of our 20 km (12.5 mile) route, which took us about 5 hours.  Bury Forest is positioned somewhere between points 2 and 3, but its exact location remains Reg’s secret.  The River Irwell turns into the Manchester Ship Canal at some indeterminate point just beyond the Mark Addy pub.

There’s a slide show with more ‘Forest’ pictures here, and my Garmin gadget track of the route is below:

Tuesday 21 August 2012 – An Evening Walk to Werneth Low

On a warm evening in Compstall, Sue and I were joined for a beer by Graham B, whilst teams of bowlers aimed for their targets on the pristine green behind The George.

It seemed a shame to leave, but Alistair, Colin and Helen turned up, eager for a walk.  So off we set, heading alongside the lake in Etherow Country Park.

The golden orb was soon lost behind the horizon, bringing to attention the need to carry torches on evening walks from now until next April or May, though some got away without them tonight.

I hadn’t walked the paths before, and hadn’t carried out a recce, but as expected Graham B pretty much knew the route up to Werneth Low.  It was still light enough for this self timed picture looking back down to Compstall.

Werneth Low hasn’t previously featured on these pages.  I’m not really sure why not, as it’s a fine viewpoint right on the edge of the Peak District.  Judging by my map it’s also on a European Trail – path E2, albeit not signed as such, and it’s fair to say we didn’t meet a trail of E2 backpackers snaking across the countryside.  A couple of dog walkers were our only encounters tonight.  Apart from the curious cows.

The War Memorial dates from 1920, whilst the ‘Low’ part of the name of this place dates from long ago - ‘Low’ being the North English word for a hill.

After I’d handed out some brownies – the first batch for a couple of months, we continued our circuit in increasing gloom along a very muddy track.

“I’ve not been here before” announced Graham.  Alistair, Colin and Helen also live close by, and they hadn’t taken the planned route before either.  So we fumbled our way along the lanes and paths in a southerly direction (Alistair takes an award for being the only one of us with a compass) as it went completely dark and torchless Sue was glad of the carrots I’d fed her for tea.

At one point the path disappeared, but a short stretch of jungle revealed a welcoming (unless you had a dog, we didn’t) gate with a yellow arrow that led us to a barking farmyard.  I always get nervous in such places at night, especially when, like now, an array of blinding lights is activated, but over the years our evening walks have scared other people more often than we’ve been scared ourselves.

I was quite pleased to find that we were somehow still on a path when we passed under some power pylons and reached a stile at a point that I knew was only 100 metres or so from the road.  But in the dark wood I then missed the path and led everyone across a boggy field from which a barbed wire fence had to be climbed in order to escape to the pavement.

I’m sure the ‘off path’ experience did no harm to anyone’s thirst, which was quenched a few minutes later back at The George.

Here’s our route – 8 km with 300 metres ascent, taking 2 to 2.5 hours.

 
Another very jolly evening – it was good to see you all.

Will and Geri get married

We had a lovely time at Will (my nephew) and Geri’s wedding in Northampton yesterday, and very much enjoyed our day with my brother Dave’s family, some of whom appear above.

I've uploaded just a few snaps, taken mainly by Sue outside the church - here.

Have a great honeymoon, Will and Geri, and we hope to see you all soon.  (Some readers may remember Dave and Toby from last year’s Christmas walk up Shutlingsloe.)

Butterflyfest

This image, taken on 6 July 2011 near San Giacomo in the Maritime Alps, was entered in the Austrian Alpine Club’s 2011 Photographic Competition, and gained the Nature Award.

I reported on that trip here.

But there was a serious faux pas on my part, as the photo now appears to have been taken with Sue’s camera.  I’m in trouble, especially as ‘Butterflyfest’ won the ‘First Time Entry’ category, beating ‘Reflections’ (indisputably my picture), which was Runner-up in that category.  So this year’s entries will have to be submitted in Sue’s name, but will be up against Paul, who is about to depart for Mayrhofen and takes better pictures than we do….

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Tuesday 14 August 2012 – Nether Alderley

After a long break from evening walks due to other commitments, we chose a great night to resume this activity, meeting at the Stag’s Head in Great Warford for a beer in warm sunshine before heading into the fields of Cheshire as the sun wandered down towards a seemingly flat horizon.

This was Andrew’s route – thanks for organising it Andrew – an exploration of the footpaths affected by the new A34 by-pass around Alderley Edge.  In fact the paths don’t seem to be greatly affected, with bridges and road crossings, as well as a footpath alongside the by-pass, enabling walkers to follow more or less the same routes as they could before the by-pass was constructed.

Here we are beside a bridge over the big road, with its cycle/pathway clearly signed above Gerry’s head.

It was a good turnout on a warm summer’s evening.

After crossing the by-pass we strolled through overgrown paths (“pass the dock leaves” asked Sue) to Nether Alderley, where Neil and Christine Hamilton used to live next to the fourteenth century church, pictured above and below.  This well proportioned building utilised stone from Alderley Edge and slates from nearby Kerridge in its construction all those centuries ago.

It was good to be joined by Pete and Gerry (en route from the Lake District to Bath), Mary (now working in Warrington), Mike (on holiday and taking a break from rebuilding his kitchen), and Paul (on his way home to Buxton).

They were all privileged to witness a lovely sunset, during which a quirk of optical refraction delivered a fine view of the Matterhorn, beyond the shimmering waters of the English Channel, on this calm summer’s evening.

It was more or less dark by the time we regained the beer garden of the Stag’s Head for further indulgence and entertainment provided by the annotations made in by Sue and me in Allan Hartley’s guide to a walk around the Zillertal Alps.  The book was handed over to Paul, and will no doubt provide entertainment during his forthcoming visit to the area.  It must break all records for errors in a Cicerone guide book!  Hopefully Paul will update the book, as it’s five years (just before this blog started) since our visit – a great walk from Mayrhofen by the way.

Here’s our 8 km route.

And here’s a route showing the line of the by-pass, though Google’s ‘satellite’ view still doesn’t include that feature.

There are evening walks next Tuesday (Etherow), and the following Wednesday (Redesmere), should anyone wish to join us.  We’d welcome your company, but it’s getting to the time of year when a torch may be a useful piece of kit to bring along!

‘Reflections’

This image, taken on 10 August 2011 at a lakelet near Cabane de Chanrion, on the Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route, was entered in the Austrian Alpine Club’s 2011 Photographic Competition, and gained the Mountain Landscape/Wild Country Award, following a Slide Presentation at the Club’s AGM, 2012.

I reported on that trip here.

(This is just to cheer people up, as it’s going to rain tomorrow!)

Sunday 12 August 2012 – Three Shire Heads

Just a reminder that our local countryside has major attractions, as well as some of those more distant locations that have featured in recent postings.

And it’s so nice to be inputting this from a proper keyboard!

Sue and I assembled at the Cat and Fiddle at 10 am, together with Sue W, David, Andrew, Graham, Tove and Paul, for a picturesque Peak District bimble, in undecided weather.

The walk down Danebower Hollow, which frequently sees the tyres of my bike, was in a cool breeze under a cloudy sky.

By the time we passed the chimney beyond the A54 road, the sun was emerging.

Elevenses were taken in bright sunshine at Three Shire Heads, where Cheshire meets Derbyshire and Staffordshire.  It took some time, as tales of recent trips and plans for future excursions were savoured, together with much discussion of the (surprisingly?) successful London Olympics, which finished on this day.

Beyond Knotbury, men in camouflage sporting pop-guns were shooting at targets rather than decimating the grouse population on this, ‘the glorious twelfth’.  We skirted the red flags and headed up Drystone Edge as the cloud drifted back.

Drystone Edge didn’t quite live up to its name – it got steadily more boggy as we progressed towards a minor road beyond Cheeks Hill for lunch in a sheltered spot amongst the Bog Asphodel.

After that it started to tip down, so by the time we reached point 475 and said goodbye to Paul, who strolled back home to Buxton, our leader elected to omit a planned visit to Errwood Reservoir and head straight back to the Cat and Fiddle for a welcome beer.

A most pleasant stroll in the best of company – 15 km (9 miles) with 400 metres ascent, in about 4½ hours (see below).  Thanks to Sue W for organising it.

Summer on Tayside

We've enjoyed another perfect summer's day here on Tayside.

First, an experiment with young Jacob Milnes, pictured (top) in a new form of transport on the back of a bike. A qualified success - his helmet was rapidly ejected, and he wasn't too keen on the bumpy trail back from The Hermitage and a 'hide and seek' cave.

Next, a visit to Birnham via the Birnam Oak (middle), an ancient tree that students of Shakespeare may recognise from the tale of Macbeth.

Lots of wild flower photos were taken on the way back via latte and 'Rocky Road' in a convenient bakery. These will feature in a forthcoming slideshow.

The flower pictures are mainly for Dave, who joined me this afternoon for the ascent of nearby Newtyle Hill, via a 13 km circuit. On the ascent, a walk along an access track to a mast afforded Dave as stunning a view of Dunkeld and the Tay valley as he has had in 20 years of visits. That was followed by an hour or more of the most extreme 'heather bashing' he has endured in those 20 years, as we hauled ourselves up to the 317 metre summit and down towards Loch of Lowes to the north. It's not a big hill (I'm pictured on the summit), but it tries hard to be!

After 2 km of energy sapping bashing through deep heather, bracken and bog, we regained the well maintained footpaths that led us to the north of Dunkeld and back home via a picturesque lochan.

It has been hot and windless today. Trouser legs were needed only as tick protection on Newtyle Hill. The air is as clear as you could wish for. All in all, ideal for a brief family holiday up here.

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Tayside and a stroll to Loch Ordie

Last night you could see the hills, perhaps Ben Lomond, far beyond Glasgow from Beattock summit, many miles away. It was magically clear.

Sadly Sue had been prescribed 'rest' after her exhausting E5 trip, so she was at work generating funds for the next trip.

Luckily, the clarity of air remained today for a 24 km (15 mile) stroll with Dave and Ollie. A lovely route from Dunkeld to Loch Ordie (top), unfortunately missing the faint path that would have led us up Deuchary Hill. That'll have to wait until another time.

The walk around Loch Ordie was a delight, with both Bell Heather and Ling now in bloom, adding colour compared with the sights we enjoyed in Scotland in May and June. There was lots of bird life, including Ospreys and Red-throated Divers, and a plethora of Highland flora.

We returned via the lower path to Mill Dam, having taken the upper track on our outward tack, turning right to go past Rotmell Wood and return through cooler woodland to our lodgings on this beautifully warm day.

Where have all the midges gone?

None were in evidence on our walk, or on a later jaunt beside the River Tay (bottom) when we found a need to go to town to replenish our 'medical supplies', being as it was thirsty work today.

The paths were dry and quiet, with just a few other walkers and a handful of mountain bikers enjoying the perfect weather.

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E5 in reverse - Day 29 - Arbon (398m) to Constance (395m)

Rain splattered against the shutters as we rose for yet another lavish breakfast. At the time it looked as if our 'walking in rain' statistic could more than double today, but by the time we set off at 6.45 it was our five litre drum of suntan cream that needed to be wrung out.

It proved to be quite a long stroll to Constance, mostly on lakeside walking paths. A very popular separate cycle track runs either next to or slightly inland from the walking route, conveniently separating us from the cyclists for most of the day.

Views ranged from the beech lined woodland (we passed through an arboretum at one point) that has often featured on this trip, to inland villages across the lakeside railway line, and beyond well manicured gardens and regimental moorings for sailing boats (pictured) to distant peaks glistening in the sun.

We tried in vain to identify the high ridge we traversed a few days ago before descending to Lingenau, but never mind, the day was stunningly clear with fine views across the lake and back to the mountains.

Lunch was enjoyed at one of the many campsite restaurants dotted beside the lake. Then, at 2pm, a large black cloud suddenly formed, stopping us in our tracks outside a conveniently placed café when it decided to dump its contents. It would have been annoying to have received a soaking for the final two hours of the walk, but thankfully, when we looked up from our empty glasses half an hour later all was well with the world and the risk of sunburn was higher than that of a drenching.

We pushed on past a second 'Seedorf' to Kreuzlingen, our final objective, Constance (Konstanz) never being mentioned on the signage as it is back over the German border. Good news for us as prices are cheaper in Germany.

A millennium tower at Kreuzlingen afforded views over the lake, back to the mountains, and onwards to the pleasant town of Constance (pictured).

We slowly shed the lakeside cyclists and joined the day trippers in this pleasant town. Our central hotel overlooks the lake (beyond the railway station) and is situated above a McDonalds. Not much further away, however, is Hafen Halle, the restaurant recommended by Nick. And very good it was too. Thanks Nick.

It was a lovely evening on which to finish, with the late light drawing one's eyes towards the Imperia, the voluptuous rotating oriental lady at the mouth of the harbour, erected in 1993 to commemorate the religious unification brought about by the Council of Constance that took place between 1414 and 1418.

There will be more on this trip in due course - index, gear notes, slideshows, etc, but that's all for now as we set off on what we hope will be an uneventful journey home.

Comments:

Patrick - thanks for your comment, I've enjoyed making the postings despite the dodgy keyboard. Sorry if they were a bit wordy at times, but that's the nature of the beast.
I suspect there need to be a lot more sales of Gillian's book before Cicerone would consider a second edition, and the route variations and adjustments are not really rocket science to achieve. The main constraints are the areas covered by the Kompass strip maps, and the alpine ability and confidence of those seeking alternatives.

Gillian - your book (pictured) proved a welcome and informative companion. Thanks for the inspiration for walking this excellent route.

Alan R - we'll bring a bigger box of washing powder next time, and all the wringing has ruined my socks!

Gibson - thanks, and I hope the weather's good up your way.

Gayle - we love the Alps, but the walking season is short so the trips just have to be crammed in...

Kate - we are glad you enjoyed some camping. Some statistics from our walk are below - it was about the distance from your house to Edinburgh and back, plus a vertical ascent (not all at once) from your house to beyond the centre of Manchester.

Everyone else - thanks again for your comments, they have entertained us throughout the trip.

Data:
5 August 2012

28km in 8 hours with 50m ascent

Cumulative on the 29 stages of E5: 535km with 27,000 metres ascent

Cumulative on the 37 day trip: approx 600km with 31,500 metres ascent

Total hours walking in rain on entire trip: 5 hours

Flower of the Day - Teasel - one of numerous lowland meadow flowers seen on the last stage of the journey, and a taste for what we'll find at home.

Itinerary - http://www.topwalks.com/E5%20Route.html

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E5 in reverse - End of Phase 5 - End of Trek

Here we are in Constance, in the sun as usual, after a successful five weeks and two days on or near the E5. A great trip. Today's report will follow.

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E5 in reverse - Day 28 - Rheineck (399m) to Arbon (398m)

Winding down? It didn't really feel like it! With no proper break for two weeks, and in temperatures consistently approaching 30C, the journey remains quite hard work.

After breakfast with Markus, he dropped us off at Rheineck on another warm, sunny morning.

Thanks Markus for looking after us and ferrying us around, and thanks Wolfie and Jutta for letting us stay in your flat.

"Have you used your compass?" Markus had asked. He'd been surprised by how often we had used it, usually for 'comfort' that we were heading in the right direction. We should have used it to navigate out of Rheineck. Instead, we rambled around the old town and then headed off along the obvious road. It wasn't until a sign notified us of our entry into the village of Thal that we realised we'd taken the wrong road.

Never mind, pleasant footpaths guided us through the village to a steep set of steps that rose over 100 metres through vineyards to gain the narrow ridge that we should have ambled up from Buriet.

Horse flies hastened us on our way. I would have thought the Swiss countryside agency would have eliminated them! Good views from this low ridge (pictured both ways) showed off the pretty Swiss countryside and the expansive vista of Lake Constance to good effect on this sunny day.

The residents could be accused of being lazy here. Lawns were being mown, but there wasn't a person in sight. They use automowers, huge mouse like gadgets that wander around a lawn, cutting it, and turning when they sense they have reached the edge. (Coming soon to B&Q, or are they already there?)

Easy lanes and paths wended their way to Goldach, where a handy corner shop provided the ingredients for an al fresco lunch on a nearby bench by a paddling pool sort of fountain. A couple entertained us by washing their Scotty dog by way of a ball game in the water.

Easy paths then led us past greenhouses full of tomatoes and cucumbers, and through orchards brimming with ripening apples, plums and peaches, and rows of harvested cherry trees.

Several narrow gauge railway lines were crossed today. They reminded me of the wonderful model railway that I used to take the children to at Carnforth.

Black kites soared overhead - we saw lots of birds of prey today. Some cyclists passed, and we heard murmurings about E5, which gets no mention on the walking signs hereabouts (pictured, bottom).

The lakeside at Arbon was a busy spot, with cliques of grebes and mallards vying with black-headed gulls for the best positions on the lake.

After an ice cream interlude our B&B, Garni Sonnenhof, was located and Sue was despatched to collect provisions for dinner whilst I recovered from the trauma of impersonating an overweight pensioner for yet another day.

Dinner was by the lakeside on a bench (we used a few today) and was an excellent alternative to a pricey Swiss meal.

We dashed back just before the rain hit, and in time to watch GB athletes win three athletic golds in the olympics, where the local coverage seems to have moved from German fencers to Swiss triathletes.

Oh dear! We finish tomorrow!

Comments:

Only spam. I've deleted it. Remember - don't click on any link inserted in a comment unless you are confident that it is bona fide.

Data:
4 August 2012
14km in 5 hours with 300m ascent
Flower of the Day - Narcissus-flowered Anemone (from the Lechtal holiday, since alpine flowers aren't in evidence down here at 400 metres)

Itinerary - http://www.topwalks.com/E5%20Route.html

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E5 in reverse - Day 27 - Dornbirn (450m) to Rheineck (399m)

How often do we walk 24km in a day, with zero ascent. I can't remember the last time, or indeed whether it has ever happened. But it did today. The steepest climb we've had was the stairs to Wolfgang and Jutta's first floor flat!

The day started well for us - breakfast with Markus at a nice bakery in town. Markus is exceedingly camera shy, so Sue's pose with her Austrian pin-up has had to be adjusted, as the pin-up took fright, and with a look of panic insisted on being behind the camera, not in front of it. (See top picture - I couldn't even fix it to get his reflection!)

We were then deposited at a bridge over Dornbirn Ache, one of many rivers that accompany the Rhine in dumping their contents into nearby Bodensee (Lake Constance). That lake then feeds the mighty Rhine on its journey to the North Sea.

We had hoped that Markus could join us for a day on the trail, but he had to take Silke to a Swiss railway station to start her journey to Lischana Hütte in the Engadine, where she will be cooking for the visitors for the next couple of months, and then he had to go to work, and also resolve a technical problem involving fuel.

Despite an overnight storm, the atmosphere was sultry, with rain in the air, but not enough for waterproofs. It was evaporating on landing.

A pleasant stroll took us through woodland inhabited by Dornbirn's fitness fanatics before crossing a bridge and entering open countryside leading to the northern fringe of Lustenau. On Schwatzer Ried a farmer ploughing his field had attracted a colony of storks, and large birds of prey floated overhead, whilst long-tailed tits and a variety of warblers fussed in the trackside trees. Sue is pictured en route near here. We were annoyed to have left our binoculars behind today - our loads had been culled, just for one day, given that we would be returning to Wolfie's flat.

An interesting covered bridge had been passed en route, and now a new bridge under construction over the Rhine caused a minor detour from our planned route. But we soon found a somewhat overgrown path beside the Rhine that led eventually to a bridge across the river, where we rejoined the (not waymarked) E4 and E5 routes.

Whilst there was little evidence of the path being used as a walking route, it's clearly a popular cycling route, as we discovered for the rest of the day's walk. But first we ambled into the village of Fußach and enjoyed lunch on a long bench under the church eaves, whilst it decided whether or not to rain.

The sun scored a decisive victory, resulting in further diminution of our increasingly meagre stocks of sun tan cream.

We then entered a nature reserve that runs to beyond Rohrspitz, where a campsite café provided welcome cold drinks. The view from here forms today's bottom picture.

It was hot and humid again today, and as yesterday care was needed at times to avoid picking up melting tar from the soft surfaces.

A call to Markus gave a slightly ambitious ETA at Rheineck, so the pace was stepped up for the last few kilometres alongside Lake Constance and then south along a pleasant lane to the bridge into Switzerland and on to Rheineck station, where Markus lay in wait to whisk us back to Wolfie's flat and later join us for beer and pizza.

Comments:

Dot - the hard days are over. We are entering the 'ice cream' phase of the trip - the home run...

Data:
3 August 2012
24km in 7.5 hours with minimal ascent
Flower of the Day - Great Burnet

Itinerary - http://www.topwalks.com/E5%20Route.html

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