Win Hill to Kinder

15/01/2017

The walkers met at 9am as planned on the side road in Hope.

The weather was awful – exceedingly wet and windy (sods law, the day before was wonderful) with Kinder at its worst. Most of the paths ran with snow melt and rain water, such that paddling would be a more appropriate term for some of the walking. The stream in Jaggers Clough was raging and only crossed by a short diversion upstream and a jump. Three of the walkers stopped at some point with Graham taking the blue ribbon by almost lying horizontally to escape one particular boggy path! In the conditions, the circuit of only about 12 miles, was hard work, and took in Win Hill, Hope Cross, Jaggers Clough, Ringing Roger, before crossing to the North Edge and a return to Hope Cross and the Packhorse Road back to Hope.

Lunch was taken on Ringing Roger, in the lee of some rocks, in what turned out to be one of the windiest places on the walk! Mike J and Tony C, were sensible and walked in the valley from Hope to Castleton and return, whilst Richard S went running somewhere local.

The cavers descended Eldon Hole by SRT, including the ascent into Damocles Rift by some, the highlight seemingly being George being de-tangled by Mike. Tea was well received by all at the Hut at 6pm, with thanks particularly to Tony and Gill!

Syd