Win Hill and Alport Castles

DATE 01.11.2011 | DISTANCE 22.5KM | HIGHEST POINT 480M

Posted by Matt | Filed under peak district

 

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After picking Andy up from work, we set of for the Peak District. Along the way it was looking like it was going to rain but I was convinced we wouldn't be needing waterproofs today. We arrived in the Bamford valley to glorious sunshine. It was the start of November and it was T-shirt weather! Todays route was a pretty long one and I knew we were pushing it for enough daylight. The short steep climb through the trees up to Win Hill was a sweaty one and once we reached the top I was wondering wheather I should have packed sun block. We then followed the Roman Road around Blackley Hey to the Alport Valley. After a late lunch break we climbed The Tower at Alport Castles and took in the stunning scenery left behind by the largest land slip in the UK. A long walk across Rowlee and Bridge-end Pastures as the sun set took us back down to Ladybower Reservoir and back to the car. Crook Hill was on our hitlist today but was avoided due to the lack of sunlight during our last hour of walking.

 

Ladybower reservoir. i was hoping to show ANDY THE IMPRESSIVE OVERFLOW. I'VE NOT SEEN THE WATER THIS LOW BEFORE. CHECK HERE TO SEE IT ON A PREVIOUS VISIT.

ONCE WE GOT TO THE END OF THE DAM, WE TOOK THE TRACK LEADING OFF UP INTO THE TREES.

HEADING UP THROUGH THE TREES IN THE DIRECTION OF PARKING CLOUGH

GREAT COLOURS THIS TIME OF YEAR

COULDN'T BE ANY CLEARER

THE FINAL CLIMB TO THE SUMMIT OF WIN HILL. THE TRIG POINT IS JUST IN SIGHT AND HOPE CEMENT WORKS

LOOKING DOWN TO LADYBOWER RESERVOIR AND SNAKE ROAD

LOOKING OUT TO BAMFORD EDGE AND THE GREAT STANAGE EDGE IN THE DISTANCE

A FELLOW WALKER LOOKING OVER AT MAM TOR FROM THE SUMMIT OF WIN HILL

ME AND ANDY AT THE SUMMIT OF WIN HILL. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SUCH HANDSOME HIKERS?

MOVING ON FROM WIN HILL

CONTINUING ON THE OBVIOUS TRACK. LOSE HILL TO THE LEFT.

MAM TOR

FOLLOWING THE TRACK ALONG THE TREE LINE AHEAD AND STRAIGHT ON UP THE ROMAN ROAD

LOOKING OUT TO EDALE

ON THE ROMAN ROAD NEARING BLACKLY CLOUGH

THE VIEW OUT FROM BLACKLEY HEY TOWARDS THE ALPORT VALLEY

HERE WITH HAd TO CROSS THE RIVER ASHOP. A COUPLE OF WALKERS HAD WARNED US ABOUT THIS AS THEY SQUELCHED PAST US EARLIER

ANDY TOOK THE NO MESSING, DIRECT ASSAULT. TESTING OUT HIS NEW LEATHER BOOTS. I CHOSE TO GO BAREFOOT. IT WAS FREEZING!!

ALPORT VALLEY. A SIMILAR IDEA TO THE WILD ENNERDALE PROJECT IN THE LAKE DISTRICT. REPLACING TREES AND PRESERVING TO BENEFIT THE WILDLIFE

ALPORT CASTLES. THE LARGEST LAND SLIP IN THE UK.

AFTER A LATE LUNCH AND FUELED FOR THE PUSH, WE HEADED UP TO ALPORT CASTLES

The Tower - i've seen a few pictures on the web of people sitting on this.

warning!! it was only after visiting here , i became aware that the national trust have advised no climbing here due to frequent loose boulders becoming dislodged and falling from the edges. that probably explains the barbed wire surrounding the area.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TOWER. WITH LOTS OF LOOSE ROCK, THE ROUTE UP IT HAD TO BE CAREFULLY ASSESSED. WE CUT ROUND TO THE LEFT AND FOLLOWED WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE SAFEST WAY. DOUBLE CHECKING YOUR HOLDS AND FOOTINGS IS A MUST!

OUR SHADOWS AS WE WALKED THE RIDGE LEADING TO THE TOWER

THE VIEW OF THE CLIFFS LOOKING NORTH UP THE VALLEY

ABOUT HALF WAY UP THE TOWER. LOOSE ROCK LIITER OUR PATH

ENJOYING THE VIEWS FROM THE TOP OF THE TOWER

ANDY SITTING ON THE SUMMIT. WE HAD CONSIDERD GOING UP THAT GULLY IN THE BACKGROUND. AFTER READING ABOUT THE FREQUENT ROCKFALL, ITS PROBABLY BEST WE DIDN'T AND I'D ADVICE YOU NOT TOO ALSO.

TARN BELOW

LOOKING BACK TO ALPORT CATLES FROM ROWLEE PASTURE

IT WAS ABOUT 4PM HERE AS THE SUN STARTED TO FALL BEHIND THE PEAKS

LOVELY GOLDEN FIELDS

LOOKING BACK TO THE LAND SLIP BASKED IN GOLDEN SUNLIGHT

CONTINUING ON ROWLEE PASTURE WITH WIN HILL BEYOND

THE GREAT RIDGE AND THE LAST OF TODAYS LIGHT

CROOK HILL AHEAD, LOOKING LIKE TWO WELL FORMED BREASTS. I'M SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THIS ;) UNFORTUNATELY THE LIGHTS WERE NOW OUT AND IT DIDN'T SEEM WORTH MOUNTING THEM TODAY.

ANOTHER SIGN THAT OUR DAY WAS OVER. AFTER NEGOTIATING MANY ANGRY SOUNDING BULLS ACROSS BRIDGE-END PASTURE WE MADE IT DOWN TO LADYBOWER RESERVOIR.