Sunday 1 February 2009

Walking day

Today I went for a walk around Derbyshire after my one hour practise walk last weekend.

I went with my friends Andy, Linda and Freda from their houses in Nether Heage across Cromford canal towards Crich across to slopes to Whatstandwell then back across the Derwent valley towards Alderwasley before making our way through Shining Cliffs and back to their home all told a 6 hour walk with a 1/2 hour stop for refreshment at the Derwent Arms.
I would guess around 10 miles up and down steep and in some cases muddy slipper hills, it wasn't to cold at 1st walking despite the -1 temperature, but once you got into the fields the wind just sucked the heat of you, especially went you stopped took your thermal gloves off to take photos.
The weather was dry-ish although about 4 hours into the walk it started to snow, small flakes blowing horizontally in the wind, but the last hour as we got near the Hurt Arms it started snow bigger flakes, and started to white over the ground.
I finished the end of the walk as it was getting dark by getting a lift up the very steep hill to Nether Heage from Katy in her mini and was glad of it.

Photo below me and Linda about a hour into the walk just above the A610, wearing my woolly hat made by Julie, Linda was sporting a silly hat I bought her few Christmas's ago and come to think of it Andy was wearing a another hat I bought Linda, perhaps I failed and they where useful gifts after all.


I followed them down this steep drop trying to take a picture, nearly a bad mistake since I wasn't watching my footing.


Linda and Freeda, Freda has a bad knee and was told to take steady after injuring herself at badminton, this was not taking it easy in my book.


Mallards in the Canal


This duck was hiding


While walking I spotted this colourful garden full of pot animals


This is near Alderwasley about 3 hours into the trip, notice the tree stump in the background I thought it looked like a guarding knight.
One of Andy & Linda's dogs escaping from hollow tree, in fact part of the one the previous picture.


A brief bit of sun shining over Crich Stand.


We were just reaching the outskirts of Shining Cliff here around 3pm

The step across the overflow of Shining cliffs big pond.

About half past four as walk down past the old Wire Work factory, my camera needed its flash and this made the snow flakes look bigger.
Wire Works.
A blurry picture I think my hands where too cold.
I took quite a few more photos, a couple of interesting ones which I will save for my photo of the week.
Looking outside now with the road white over and promise of heavy snow tomorrow, I think I might take my camera to work.