Regular readers will remember that a couple of weeks ago we ran across Bleaklow in preparation for Rachel and her team running the High Peak Marathon next weekend. Today we were back for a second look at bits of it, this time with Amy (from last time) and Katy, but it really did look totally different. This Zebra can change it’s stripes: the long thin snow drifts that had filled every peat grough had been transformed into miles of boggy running.
This time we started from Ladybower Reservoir, getting the bus to the end of Howden Reservoir before setting off. We went up Cut Gate to where we joined the High Peak Marathon route, then turned left for the long slog through the bogs of Bleaklow. Last time the cloud was down for most of this section, meaning that we were almost right on top of the trig point at Outer Edge before we found it. This time we could see it from about a kilometre and a half away, so went pretty much directly towards it. Rachel will be doing this section at night in the race, so they’ll have no such luck then!
As it was a little windy and cold, we headed on steadily to our favourite rock from last time. What a difference two weeks makes!
From there we climbed up through what felt like endless peat hags to Bleaklow Stones, a very pretty spot that we’d been too cold to hang around at last time.
Rather than continue to the Pennine Way and Snake Pass, this time we turned South and headed back to Ladybower via Alport Moor and Castles; a lovely, mostly downhill run with thankfully many fewer peat groughs. We finished with tea and cake in Hope (sorry, no picture).
