11/12/13 - Macc Lad

Distance - 8.8 Miles
Walk Inspiration - Jarrold, Cheshire - Walk 28
Geocaches - 4

Tegg\'s Nose

Was I too hasty in nominating Sunday's walk in Goodrich, "2013 Walk of the Year?"

Today, I find myself the chauffeur for a family trip to Manchester.  Student Daughter is taking my wife and mother in law out to the finest coffee shop in town before hitting the shops.  As appealing as this sounds, I consult my walking manuals and find a suitable walk from Macclesfield.  I can drop them off at the Station and within a mile, I am in the wilds of Tegg's Nose Country Park.

And what a day for it!  By the time I have laced up my Meindls, the fog has completely disappeared and the sun truly has it's hat on.

Not a bad start to the day

First, I have to summit Tegg's Nose.  Walk past some quarry machinery and stumble across a woman who has taught her springer spaniel how to pose for photos.  They move on and I grab the first cache of the day.  Its going to be a long time to the next one.

The book instructions stupidly tell me to retrace my steps but there is a very easy way of descending Tegg's Nose to take in the reservoirs at the bottom before picking the official route back up.

I would have missed this view of Tegg's Nose

I walk around the water and up to Clough House before heading East on a never ending climb into Macclesfield Forest.  This adds some variety to the walk - first dense pine, then spooky winter trees.

Very Hansel and Gretal

The next tree takes me by surprise but made me smile and put me in an even more festive mood.

Happy Xmas Blog Fans

Eventually, I reach the summit and out of the trees.  Stunning views of my former mountain friend, Shutlingsloe.

Cheshire's Matterhorn.  Much bigger when you are trying to climb it.

I am now following some familiar paths from when I walked Shining Tor and Shutlingsloe.  I make no excuse for re-treading a route when it is as good as this.

My sort of track

This takes me to Chapel House Farm, Greenways Farm and the ruins of the two Ballgreave Farms.  All familiar from my previous walk.  I have the added benefit of knowing what the building is on the eastern sky line.   The fact is a pub is not good... tantalisingly out of reach.

The Cat and Fiddle on the Ridge line.  Close but no pint.

It up and down country, with surprisingly soggy ground bearing in mind I don't think it has rained in December yet.  The signs provide me with future inspiration.

Useful

Less Useful. But more amusing

Back on the Gritstone Trail and the caches come back into play.  Good job, as I need something to take my mind of the fact that my legs have gone.  Three more found, 1 not there.

Eventually, the ground levels out and I am reminded why walkers want to get high.

The Cheshire Plain

The Peaks of the Peak District

As much as I have enjoyed the last four and a half hours, the visitor centre is a sight for sore eyes.  I had fantasies of a nice piece of cake and a coffee.



But it is unfortunately unmanned.  Made do with the Khazi.

No doubt, this walk put up a fight for the honour of best walk of the year, but Goodrich pipped it.  They have a castle.

Back down to Macc for a Coffee in a pub (tres European) and amusing text updates about my Mother in Law having to run for trains.