The Gritstone Trail (North) 10/09/11

Yet another date ear marked in the diary for a days adventures where the weather gods weren’t going to  play ball….  The original plan was for the Crib Lem spur in the Carnedds (Snowdonia, Wales) but due to forecasted gusts of 80mph, we erred on the side of safety and decided to have a crack at the Gritstone Trail, this time from the North….

So another early start to catch the 7.10am train out of Congleton, a ½ hour stop over in Stockport (Maccie D’s) and out to Disley meant we were on the trail for about 8.20am.  Perhaps the most pleasant and civilised start to any walk so far!

Platform 0 at Stockport (a mathmeticians wet dream?)

Start (or end?) of Gritstone Trail

The day started well, a steady pleasant climb out of Disley and into Lyme Park, the location of the ‘pond scene’ in Pride and Prejudice..  We didn’t actually see the pond, besides it was too cold for any swimming, plus I'd make a fuggin ugly Mr D’Arcy.  But we did see lots of other stuff….

Deers with antlers and everything!

More Deerses

Folly thingy at Lyme Park

Big house

Its at this point the photos dry up.  Forgot to put the memory card in the camera, d’oh, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

Once through Lyme Park we followed a ridge to eventually drop into Bollington and a climb up to White Nancy for elevenses.  It was at this point, that thoughts were beginning of extending the original plan of a 15 mile jaunt to Teggs Nose (nr Macclesfield) and to keep going a further 15 to Congleton.  This was a mere walk in the park for the now super-fit, N and I wasn’t doing too bad.  How quickly things change!

From White Nancy it’s a ridge along towards Rainow to begin what we thought, would be a quick climb up to Teggs Nose.  How wrong could we be!  A small navigational error, a slight miscalculation in stats in terms of distance to go and the first thoughts of ‘oh god, I'm knackered’, conspired against me.  Its amazing that once those negative thoughts start to creep in, how it can affect you physically.  I can almost see what they mean when they say marathon runners, ‘hit the wall’.  I’ve ‘bonked’ and stuff on the bike before (completely ran out of energy) but this was different, this wasn’t [quite] a complete lack of energy, this was pain.  Back, knees, hips and bollocks!

So down a couple of cogs and into plod mode for what would normally be, a pleasant gentle grassy climb to Teggs Nose.  Considering we thought we were nearly there, it went on for ever, and ever, and ever.  Ow Ow Ow.  At Teggs Nose, a welcome bench and a drink and butty put just about enough fuel back in to start the road plod down to Macc (no bus dammit), then once on the Buxton main road a bus into town.

The pint in Macc was OK, but was feeling slightly nauseous by now, so didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have.  Back home though, a quick kip, and a shower, I was right as rain!  Went for a hair cut and everything!  Oh well.

So lessons learnt?  Clearly losing fitness, especially next to N who’s on an upward curve in contrast to my decline.  Need to drink more (*take Camelbak in future), need to start walks at a steadier pace, need to keep ‘fuelling’ despite being a fat bar steward.  But most of all, need to do exercise more often!

Stats:

Miles: 13 [66% of Gritstone Trail now covered]
Real Ale Pubs: 1 (Waters Green Tavern – Macc)

Performance: 0