Misty Mountain hop.....

Sunday was the last walk in this seasons calendar for the Incoherent Ramblers. Ladybower via Derwent Edge. The day started and ended in mist, only during the afternoon did it change in anyway... it got thicker. We decided to walk the route anti clockwise to allow the mist to rise for the afternnoons high level moorland section..... maybe not a good idea especially on Haloween. We climbed steadily if not sharply towards Cutthroat Bridge. Already the air was misty....very heavy and damp, but the braken and heather of Highshaw Clough rang out to the throaty song of the Red Grouse.

The mist lingers on...theres still no escaping it whichever direction you want

We would soon pick up the old packhorse road to Sheffield, this milestone shows that this exact route was driven by horse and cart way back around 300 years ago

the old road would lead us eventually to Strines reservoir and Dale Dyke reservoir, however we took a quick foray into the grounds of Sugworth hall and out past the Tower folly that on a clear day overlooks Strines.

Given all the rain in the previous months it was suprising to see the reservoirs still way below the normal water levels, I was able to stand in the reservoir to get this low level shot of Dale Dyke.

On the desecent to the reservoirs we did see a little of the autuminal colours, especially through the woodland of Bradfiled Dale and Bole Edge plantations.

Discussion

no mist down here

Early lunch was taken alongside Strines reservoir with the Tower of Sugworth Hall in the distance

next stop the Strines Inn for a half way pint

where the welcoming party were to be a dozen or so Peacocks.....

We needed to make good time in the afternoon as this was to be the longer section of the walk which would take us across the moorlands of Foulstone moor & Broggin Moss. We left the plantaions and civilisation and again climbed steadily through woodland and the not so woodlands.

So this is where all the trees go....

Now we headed for a completely differing landscape of the moorlands.
I personally love moorland walks, they often have  rugged but scenic and colourful landscapes as backdrops, well today was very different, and just because it was Halloween it was special.... damp, heavy, dark and misty, eery.... very eery.

Visibility at some points was down to 50 yards or so, it didnt stop the Red Grouse putting on brilliant displays. Possibly upto a 100 were visible, groups of 5 or 6, possibly parents keeping an eye on the naive youngsters, although it is sad to see the shooting butts dotted along the moors.... its a pity the birds dont have guns, perhaps it could then be called sport!

Of course there was still a trig point to bag.... in sillouette

ah there you are......

It wasnt until we started our descent of the moorland and Derwent edge that we realised how little colour and contrast we had seen through the ever thickening moorland mist. At least now the countryside started to show itself

 Down into the valley the reservoirs now came into view, even a little distant autuminal colour, the air dried out and the long steep descent of Lead Hill took us back to the Ladybower Inn.