#22 Grafham Water Loop

#22 Grafham Water Loop

Distance - 8.82 miles
Ascent - 80 metres

After a few false starts I decided to try and get the full loop in.  On a nice day at the weekend I feared the worst as far as crowds go.  It turns out I was justified!  The first car park was full of bikers, with BBQ's etc (it's about the size of 3-4 football pitches, a big car park).  The second was taken over by the Riding for the Disabled.  And the third?  Nearly empty, phew!  Luckily Grafham has more parking than most town centres!

Almost like the Seaside

Starting from the opposite side of the Water, I decided to go clockwise for a change (oh I live on the edge!).  It was busy with bikers, walkers and families due to it being the weekend, but not that bad.  The path is pretty wide and generally caters for all!

#20 Grafham Village Loop

#20 Grafham Village Loop

Distance - 4.5 miles
Ascent - 28 metres

Ok the plan was to do the full loop but yet again as far as Grafham goes things conspired.  We arrived to late to do a full loop, the car park closed at 5.30pm.  So first plan was to walk to the nature reserve and back, Nick then had the inspired idea to make it a loop via Grafham village.  For the most part it was a good track until we hit the field edges.  Then it was hard to see what was path and what was water...

There's a footpath there... really!

Decent quick and short walk, not much more than a warm up, but that seems to be more than I have managed recently!  Not much of a write up...meh!

#19 Edale to Jacobs Ladder

#19 Edale to Jacobs Ladder

Distance - 6.15 miles
Ascent - 459 metres

Ok I will admit at the start that this wasn't quite the full route planned!  The plan was to walk to Kinder Downfall and back, the weather was due to be rubbish and the idea was that this would give me a good walk whilst sticking to a good path for navigation and sinking.  As it was, my legs never got warmed up after yesterdays walk and in the back of my head I had the idea of going home early and taking the tent down in the dry.

Mam Tor and Rushup Edge

Following the Pennine Way, the path is well maintained and well marked.  The weather today was meant to be worse than the day before, however apart from being overcast it was fine, no rain or snow.  Kinder was to the right and it looked like the rain of the night had fallen as snow, and to the left we had great views of yesterdays walk.

#18 Edale to Hope

#18 Edale to Hope

Distance - 8.76 miles
Ascent - 605m

This time last year I was getting a tan on the SWCP, this year I'm in a tent and its a bit nippy outside!  I suppose that why we love the weather in the UK so much!  A few days in the peaks was much needed and an awful weather forecast was not going to hold me back!  I arrived late the night before and hardly slept with the rain pounding the tent, remarkably it was only a few spots the next morning.

That's where we are heading, up there...

The walk started fairly easily from the Fieldhead campsite to Barber Booth.  The hills where I was heading were covered in low cloud and along with the lack of sleep were not encouraging me along at any great pace.  Oh well at least I get to try out my waterproofs!

When online shopping goes wrong - Update

In good news, the shelter appeared!  Admittedly it appeared back in America but at least it was found.  The packaging suggests that Royal Mail attempted delivery, but no one collected it.  Probably because they forgot to ask me to go and get it... Of all the deliveries I got a Christmas (all with the correct cards posted through the door) they had to cock up on this one!

Ron at MLD posted it back again, so this week I received my Duomid.  I have entered the lightweight shelter world.  The way MLD dealt with an issue that was out of their hands (postage) was exemplary and couldn't be faulted, they re-posted it at no extra cost and answered all emails swiftly.

Unfortunately the inner is still, after 5 months, undelivered.  No answers to emails (1 a month as not to pester) and a text (as suggested on website), so I have no idea where it is, if it's in a queue, lost in the mail, lost in the production queue.... humph.