Bleaklow via Ashton Clough

DATE 01.09.2012 | DISTANCE 11.5KM | HIGHEST POINT 621M

Posted by Matt | Filed under peak district

 

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FLICKING THROUGH THE PAGES OF 'SCRAMBLES IN THE DARK PEAK' HELPED CREATE TODAY'S ROUTE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO SCRAMBLE IN ENGLAND! I CHOSE A ROUTE THAT HAD SCRAMBLING WITH SEVERAL LARGE POINTS OF INTEREST. THE LAST TIME I VISITED BLEAKLOW, I WAS ON MY OWN IN WEATHER FITTING OF ITS NAME. TODAY IT WAS SUNNY WITH JUST ENOUGH WIND TO KEEP US FROM SWELTERING. ONE OF THOSE CLOUDY, DECEPTIVE DAYS WHEN YOU GO HOME WITH A PINK NECK.

NOAH WAS WITH ME TODAY, WE MET UP WITH THE OTHERS IN CHESTERFIELD AND MADE OUR WAY IN THE CARS ALONG SNAKE PASS OVER TO OLD GLOSSOP. IT AMUSES ME THAT OVER THE YEARS, MY FRIENDS JUST FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE PLANS WITHOUT REALLY QUESTIONING WHERE WE ARE GOING OR WHAT WE ARE DOING. I GUESS THATS BECAUSE I HAVE YET TO GET US LOST FOR ANY LONGER THAN A COUPLE OF MINUTES. I THINK THATs DUE TO ME TRAWLING ALL THE WALKING SITES AND GETTING A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT IS APPROACHING FROM ALL THE PHOTOS I SEE. I HOPE THIS SITE DOES THE SAME FOR MY FEW VIEWERS.

ANYWAY, BACK TO THE ROUTE -

TODAY WE FOLLOWED THE DOCTORS GATE PATH FROM THE EDGE OF OLD GLOSSOP. INSTEAD OF REACHING THE PENNINE WAY, WE CUT LEFT A KM BEFORE IT AND SCRAMBLED UP ASHTON CLOUGH. THE INITIAL VIEW TO THE CLOUGH LOOKED PRETTY STEEP BUT LIKE A LOT OF ROUTES, IT WASNT REALLY THE CASE ONCE COMMITTED TO IT. THE SCRAMBLE STARTS OUT WITH GENTLE ROCK HOPPING AND A COUPLE OF SMALL WATERFALLS TO CLIMB. WE PASSED A FEW SMALL PIECES OF AIRCRAFT DEBRIS FROM A CRASH IN THE 1940'S THAT HAD BEEN SWEPT DOWN THE GULLY BY FLOOD WATER. ABOUT 3 QUARTERS OF THE WAY UP IT SPLITS INTO TWO GULLIES. WE CHOSE THE RIGHT ONE WHICH WAS A SCREE FILLED SHOOT OF LOOSE BOULDERS AND SLABS. WE TOPPED OUT NEAR LOWER SHELF STONES, MADE OUR WAY OVER TO HIGHER SHELF STONES FOR A SANDWICH AT THE TRIG POINT AND THEN VISITED THE REMAINS OF ANOTHER (LARGER) AIRCRAFT CRASH SITE NEAR BY (CHECK THE PHOTO COMMENTS FOR MORE DETAILS) IT'S A SAD AND ERRY SCENE and bLEAKLOW HAS SEVERAL PLANE WRECKAGES SCATTERED ACROSS ITS PLATEAU.

AFTER A WANDER AROUND THE DEBRIS WITHOUT TOUCHING ANYTHING, WE MADE OUR WAY ACROSS THE ROUGH BLEAKLOW LANDSCAPE WHICH CONSISTS OF DEEP PEAT GROUGHS AND BOG. AT HERN STONES WE ADJUSTED OUR BEARINGS AND BOG HOPPED OUR WAY TO YELLOW SLACKS BY FOLLOWING YELLOWSLACKS BROOK. OUR ORIGINAL INTENTION WAS TO DOWN SCRAMBLE DOWSTONE CLOUGH BUT WE DECIDED TO SAVE IT FOR AN ASCENT ON ANOTHER TRIP IN THE FUTURE. IT DOES LOOK LIKE A CRACKING ROUTE!! i'D LIKE TO SPEND A NIGHT ON BLEAKLOW to SEE IF I COME ACROSS ANY OF ITS MANY GHOSTS. MAYBE I READ TOO MUCH :)

 

LEAVING OLD GLOSSOP BEHIND

SHELF BROOK

FOLLOWING THE DOCTORS GATE PATH

ASHTON CLOUGH

THE SCRAMBLE BEGINS IN ASHTON CLOUGH

ANDY AND BERNIE DETOURING ONE OF THE WATERFALLS IN AN ATTEMPT TO LEAD ELLE UP

small amount of debris remAINING FROM A C-47A Dakota THAT crashed on the July 24th 1945. ITS THOUGHT THAT A LOT OF THE WRECKAGE IS BURIED DUE TO FLASH FLOODING

about 3 quarters of the way up ashton clough it forks in two. we took the gully on the right. the rocks were very loose here and we dislodged a few clambering up.

a very happy looking elle

looking out across coldharbour moor from lower shelf stones

approaching higher shelf stones

higher shelf stones

higher shelf stones trig point

some very old graffiti at higher shelf stones

wreckage of a usafe b-29 superfortress. crashed in 1948 killing all 13 aboard

rough terrain but at least the weather is good today

negotiating the bleaklow peat groughs. now a lot greener since the re seeding began

the boys on hern stones.. oh and elle

noah on top of hern stones

following dowstone clough

yellowslacks brook

Looking down to yellowslacks brook. It was going to be our descent today but we figured going up it another time would be more fun. hopefully in the near future as it looks like a lot of fun and quite challenging in places.

descending lightside back to old glossop