#27 Rooley Moor and Top of Leach

11.81 Miles

578 Metres 

The weather was warm but misty, meaning no views and hot and sweaty!  Today’s walk was partly to find a good long walk for winter when staying in the area.  I wanted something that I can do in rough weather, that wouldn’t involve sinking and had a good mileage and ascent.  Rooley Moor road fits that bill.  It’s a track up onto the moors and is mostly stone slabs. 

Walking from Whitworth down a short section of the Healey Dell nature reserve brings you to the Pennine Bridleway and the Mary Townley Loop.  This begins the climb up to Rooley Moor on mainly farm tracks, through Prickshaw and onto the Moor.  The landscape is quite strange in parts with lumps and bumps, probably tailings from the mines and queries in the area.  Unfortunately some people still use the area for dumping waste, the ease of access can be a bad thing in places.

#26 Crook Hill to Brown Wardle

8.70 Miles

495 Metres 

Last Wednesdays walk up to Copy Clough had given me a few ideas so I set off today to explore a little.  Following the same route up to Copy Clough brought me out at the top of Ramsden Road, from here I planned to take the ‘long Causeway’ onto Crook Hill.  However I couldn’t find an obvious path, especially one with such a grand name!  So I went off piste up the hill to the obvious footpaths on top.  

I headed over Crook Moor heading towards Crook Hill and had planned to just wander over the moors between the paths.  There was however a well walked path in the general direction so I just followed that.  This led to a well-made stone circle shelter with great views across the whole of Manchester.  Even on an indifferent day in terms of mist and smog, it was still easy to make out the tower blocks in the city centre.  Might have to come back up here on a clear day!

#25 Snowdon - PYG Up, Miners Down

8.51 Miles

846 metres 

The weather was forecast to be rubbish and it didn’t disappoint.  Ideally we should of set off later in the day but the morning fitted in better with Marks day off, so it was an early start to the day.  Leaving Manchester before 6 meant we were the first in the PYG car park and hit the trail just after 7.30.  Admittedly the empty car park may have been due to the weather forecast!

Sorry it's blurry....did I mention the rain?

 It started raining soon up the first climb on the PYG track so the full waterproofs were called for.  It then got wetter and wetter! Oh and windier!  The rain varied between sideways and torrential.  It was a hard climb and going this way round involved a harder initial climb than the Miners but got some of the climb out of the way! 

#24 Copy Clough

5.84 Miles

368 Metres

After a flight back from New York Yesterday and spending most of the day in the car driving up, I needed to get out and about before tomorrow’s big walk up Snowdon.  So I headed up Waingap Hill and onto the Pennine Bridleway.  Normally I head down towards Ramsden Road and Watergrove, but headed up towards Rough Hill instead.

 

I had a bit of a time limit on this walk plus I wanted to be down of the hills before it went dark so after getting to Copy Clough I decided to turn around.  This short leg stretch gave me a few ideas for another walk which could include Rough Hill, Middle Hill and Brown Wardle.  Depending how I feel I might get to do later in the week. 

High Line to Staten island ferry

5 miles

50 metres

Whilst urban walking isn't everyone's cup of tea it can give a different look to a city. The High Line is a 1.1 mile long urban park built on an old elevated rail Road.  Run by volunteers the park is a green oasis and is well tended.  It's only problem is that it is not long enough!

Running from 30th street to Gansevoort Street (it's like I'm a local!) the park cuts a path between and at times through buildings.  It runs parallel with the Hudson River a block or two over, and forms part of an urban renewal turning the old warehouses and tenements into a trendy area.  A small park (run by volunteers) has helped form a renewal of an area, a quite inspiring idea!