10/11/12 – Peak Practice

Distance – 4.5 Miles
Geocaches – 6
Why we are here – Student Visiting

A great idea…  Lets book a cottage in the Peak District so that Ellie can catch a train and meet us from Manchester.  Whaley Bridge was chosen for its proximity to Manchester and a suitable cottage was found.  This was about two months ago.  As things would turn out, we have seen Ellie every weekend anyway.  No problems with this as university life is putting her in a good mood, where she is likely to break into spontaneous laughter at anytime.
 
However, as the first Mapp in university, you would hope that she didn’t say things like “is that Hadrian’s Wall?” when she looks out the car window on the way to Buxton.

We have the joys of a Friday night on the M6 but spirits are lifted when I get a visit to the offie down the road for wine and get to start a proper man fire.

Our Cottage - Saturday Afternoon Sunshine

Twisted Firestarter

Up early on the Saturday.  The plan was a family geocaching walk, followed by a walk around Buxton.  Somehow, this got lost in translation and Sonia thought the kids were only coming to Buxton.  They have no walking gear suitable for the Goyt Valley.

Ever get the feeling that you’ve been had?


So we leave the teenagers to the Jeremy Kyle show, so that they can learn all about life and Sonia and myself park up around 0.75 miles away from our cottage.  We should really have walked.

The walk is stunning.  Nothing planned, just the cache trail, but we are rewarded with some great paths and stunning scenery. 

Which Way?

First part of the walk is along Shallcross woods.  I clamber up a bank to get cache 1, just as three sheepdogs come and round up Molly. 

Their owner soon catches us up and overtakes us.

Not a sheep

Next Cache is at a nice footbridge, where we cross the River Goyt.  Bit of Mankneery is called for, while the dog auditions as a statue on a plinth.

Troubled Water

It’s a climb up to Madscar Farm, stopping for a cache in the ridge.  Molly is ambushed by another dog, who leaps over the wall and follows us for quite a way, until is owner manages to get it to go back.

Nice path along to the reservoir, with the first nano of the day at a gate.

All Resevoirs look the same

Then its a case of walking back on the high ground, with the valley below.  At times, the fields turn into a quagmire.  I can only imagine the moaning that the kids would have given me, so quite glad they are back home.  I also get the added bonus in that they can let me know if he really did spend the kids xmas money on cocaine.

We get one more cache, then a couple of DNFs.  We probably could have got them, but our stomachs are rumbling and there is only so much appeal in tupperware that doesn’t contain sandwiches.

Arrive at the pretty little church at Taxal and more importantly, when we reach the Goyt, there is ample opportunity for the dog to get clean.



Home for bacon sarnies and then a trip to Buxton.  Fine old town….. just thought it would be bigger.