David and Jacinta's Walks- 2023

 Win Hill We went first to Hathersage but the usual car park was full- at 9:30 in the morning! We decided to give Heatherdene and the Ladybower area a go and managed to squeeze into the car park at Heatherdene. This is a walk that we'd done before, but not for a while and it is always worth doing because of the excellent views in all directions. As we started, the light was lovely and the colours of the trees up Parkin Clough were vivid. Ladybower Dam and the trees on Win Hill We set out, crossing the Ladybower Dam with its magnificent spillway to the muddy path through the woods. The Eastern Ladybower spillway Up Parkin Clough, muddy and slippy as usual, until the path opened out and leads to the summit of Win Hill. Nearing the summit of Win Hill- Stanage on the skyline We were lucky with the weather as Win Hill gave us its splendid panoramic views- we've been there in the mist with just grey all around us. We walked on to Hope Cross with changing aspects of The Great Ridge an...

Lost Lad, Back Tor and Derwent Edge Another walk from Day Walks in the Peak District- 20 Classic Circular Walks. We parked up at Fairholmes and up to the side of the Derwent reservoir dam, then on for almost the entire length of the reservoir. The Derwent dam From there, it was a steady plod above the valley of the Abbey Brook. We'd not been there before and it had a very different feel to most of the Peak District that we're familiar with. As with other walks this year, the heather was fantastic. Heather above Abbey Brook After a couple of miles, the route turned south up Sheepfold Clough towards Lost Lad. On the way up to Lost Lad from Sheepfold Clough From Lost Lad, we joined the flagged path up towards Back Tor. From this point, there were no great navigational challenges! Back Tor from Lost Lad We had lunch at Back Tor and from there, it was a straightforward walk south along Derwent Edge with views of much of the Dark Peak to our right. The Kinder Plateau from Derwent Edg...

  Ladybower, Win Hill and Hope Cross According to MWIS the forecast was dry but cold, with a few snow flurries. In the end, this proved inaccurate and we decided to adjust our walk to suit the conditions. We parked at Heatherdene and, having admired the "plughole" by Ladybower dam, we climbed up Parkin Clough to Win Hill. The "plughole", or spillway, at the east end of Ladybower dam This was a walk that (surprisingly) we hadn't done together in 2022 although David did when he did the Edale Skyline walk. As ever, the views from the top were excellent. Derwent Edges from near the top of Win Hill Lose Hill, The Great Ridge and Kinder from the top of Win Hill We walked on to Wooler Knoll, where there was a gaggle of sheep feeding on a stook of hay. Having checked us out, they decided that eating was more important than retreating so they stood their ground (or high spot). Eat or retreat? We walked on to Hope Cross and the snow began to start slowly and we thought th...