The English Pennine Way - Day 2 — Long Walks, Organics & African Stuff

Crowden YHA to Globe Farm

Another good day ahead. The weather is still incredibly kind. Woke this morning to blue skies, with a bit of mist over "Torside Reservoir".

A healthy-ish breakfast, a chat with the people there, very friendly. The usual young walkers just finished their "A" levels, and burning up all that pent up energy after months of studying. An old chap from Germany, and a know-all personality, and sort of Karl Marx character, who espoused, "why-don't-all-the-rich-give-away-their-money-to-the-poor,-and-especially-me,-as-I'm-a slob" - type. Interesting.

I set out at 9 am and found the conditions ideal. Quickly up a good path towards "Ladrow Rock", due north of the YHA.

I met up with a group of 8 -10 guys, or instead, they caught up with slowcoach me, and we took it in turns to follow the path along “Crowden Great Brook". After a couple of miles, we decided that the track was somewhat dangerous, as it clung precariously to the side of "Laddow Rocks". We opted to walk in the river itself, using the stones and boulders to hop on. It was much more comfortable walking, but I did manage to get one foot well and truly soaked by slipping off one very mossy boulder!

We stopped for a break and paddled in the freezing water. Some of the lads took the opportunity to wash some of their smalls.

**My walking companions and I having a break in Crowden Great Brook. © Duncan Smith**

Eventually, the narrow, steep-sided valley began to open out in front of us. We were now entering "Grains Moss". Here "Meadow Grain Clough" joined "Crowden Brook". I took a bearing of "Black Hill" about 2.5 km away, our next stop, as a cold mist began to fall. We only had occasional glimpses of "Dun Hill", that stood between us and "Black Hill". I was glad I took a bearing, as it would have been easy to get disorientated and lost, and the mist had thicked. It was a reasonable path all the way up to "Dun Hill", provided you didn't stray off it. We eventually got to the top, and the mist became even thicker and very cold.

Another kilometre, on the same bearing, and an ordinance column appeared out of the gloom, a welcome sight. We suddenly found ourselves on the top of "Black Hill". It was an awful terrain of black, naked peat, where nothing grew in the very acid soil. It must be a dreadful place when it's wet. It felt desolate, especially with the clammy, damp mist surrounding us. I thought it must be a frightening place in awful weather. We were all pleased to get away from it.

**On top of Black Hill. Me (middle) in the freezing, clammy mist, with the "lads". © Duncan Smith**

As it was extremely cold now, half of us decided to head off north-west, on the main route, towards "Standedge". The rest took the slightly longer "Wessenden Alternative" route. It was a bit tricky going, and generally downhill. The odd bog slowed us up, but before we knew it, we met the solid ground of the A635 road. Phew!

We stopped here for a break for lunch. I made some soup, to warm myself up. While here, I also managed to fix the hip support on my backpack so that it didn't keep riding up all the time. From then on my poor old shoulders got a rest from carrying the bulk of the weight of my pack.

After a 40-minute break, we crossed the road and carried on our way north. Here we encountered the worst area of soggy peat bogs we'd seen so far. The place was a mess, with lots of peat sponges, and you had to guess the way you had to walk. Stupidly, I led our party across it and landed in black ooze right over my knees. I was lucky, I guess because some people land up to their necks in it, or even beyond sometimes, and have to be hauled out!

**Chestnut paling laid down across peat bogs.**

Only then did we stop and peer through the mist to see a substantial pile of chestnut stacks, just 50 metres from where we were, laid out over this mess. We all headed in the direction of this heaven-sent path. Had we originally gone 100m West, along the A635 road before heading across these bogs, we would have found this well-laid-out path straight away. Hey ho, next time!

An obvious path led us north-west, marked with cairns and stakes. Underfoot it was beautifully dry, with only the old soggy groughs to cross (easy after what we've been through!)

"Black Moss" ahead with a reservoir at its foot. Over the dam, up the final hill, "Roundhill", and eventually we met up with the A62 road.

I headed into Standedge, due West from here, to my next stop for the night at "Globe Farm". A warm welcome awaited me, with amiable hosts, and they had excellent facilities.

So generally a good day. I was little apprehensive about having company after my mad dash with Lawrence the "Manchester Express". However, my companions, Ian, John, Anthony, Steve and his grandfather, Stan, were pleasant to walk with. Very easy-going, not too chatty (which I liked) and seemed to need the same rest stops as I did. They also camped at Globe farm. It looks like I shall have their company again tomorrow.

Walked 23.2 km in 7 hours

Back to Day 1 - Edale to Crowden YHA https://duncangoeswalking.squarespace.com/blog-pages/the-english-pennine-way-day-1

Onwards to Day 3 - Globe Farm to Hebden Bridge https://duncangoeswalking.squarespace.com/blog-pages/the-english-pennine-way-day-3