Edgeways

Yesterday I visited the north end of Stanage Edge. It involved parking by Manchester Road - up on the verge opposite the entrance to Moscar Lodge. My plan was to walk from the north to the triangulation pillar on High Neb and back again. You may remember that I walked to this very point from the southern end of the escarpment just before Christmas. Go here.

Though our recent snows had almost all gone, it was bitingly cold when I set out across the rising moorland. Any puddles were iced over and soft ground had been hardened by frost. I was wearing my fingerless gloves which are useful for photography but I was wishing I had brought the lovely lined leather gloves that our Ian kindly gave me a few years back. For the first mile, I kept my hands in my pockets just for the extra warmth.

The north end of Stanage End is far less popular with visitors than the southern end. Quite possibly this may be explained by the difficulty of  simply parking at the north end and also the mile long trek before you actually get to the rocks.

At Crow Chin

At first, the day was grey and still. Not the best day for photography but at least there was no rain or snow in the local forecast. Besides, not long after arriving at the rock buttress known as Crow Chin, the sky lightened and weak sunshine  began to illuminate my surroundings quite nicely for an hour or so.

Thought I had not encountered anybody else, I could see the white triangulation pillar just up ahead. It was at this moment that a mountain biker rode past me with a pleasant, "Hello!".

At the pillar, he dismounted and then, damn me, just as I arrived, he climbed up on the pillar and simply stood there. Upon reaching that remote destination, my plan had been to drink some hot coffee from the flask I had made up at home. This liquid vision required a slight delay.

Icy grouse basin 13 on Stanage Edge

I asked the young man if he would like me to take his photograph and then I could e-mail it to him. When he clambered down we shook hands. He told me his name was Lincoln - a very unusual forename in this country. He also said that he rides to High Neb every week of the year and always climbs up on the pillar but this was the first time he had ever had his picture taken there.

By the way, the sheep at the top of this blogpost was about 250 yards away from my viewpoint. She is snuggling down  in the dead bracken of winter with Stanage End's millstone bulk behind, looming like an ocean liner. The rock is around 350 million years old - formed during the Carboniferous period.

Lincoln at High Neb