A wander up Win hill.

26/11/2017

Another short walk today of around 5.5 miles..I remember years ago we wouldn't have gone out for anything under 10 miles but these days 5 or 6 miles is just right. In those days we used to race around clocking up miles, but now we take our time and enjoy the slower pace, Some things just can't be rushed. It's late November now and winter seems to have arrived..Horray, I love winter, the best season of all...We had heard that there was a good chance of snow on the hills today, I really hoped so as snowy walks are always the best...days you don't forget. We drove out of Sheffield hoping to catch a glimpse of the white stuff. Then as we passed Moscar, Win hill came into view, just a dusting,never mind...We parked up by The Yorkshire bridge pub and set off along the Ladybower Dam.

A popular place is Ladybower, superb scenery and the starting point for so many good walks. Built between 1935 and 1943 by the Derwent valley water board to supply the water needs of the East Midlands. We chose to ascend Win hill via the Parkin clough path, I don't know why we decided on this route as it is possibly the worst route up, being a steep and muddy treadmill up through the woods.

There are no views, just a steep scramble. I got to thinking of all the other routes up Win hill, there are probably another 7 or 8 main routes up to the summit, all of them better than this route. I like the route up from Hope railway station via Aston or the steep path from Twitchell farm, There are so many routes up to Win hill, one of the Peak district finest summits.

We finally left the trees behind, things should get much better now. From here there is a well constructed path up to the summit. it always amazes me that when you find a lovely stepped path that the ground on both sides of it are terribly eroded, why would you walk beside a path?..At the top we were suddenly treated to the view Northwards to the snowy hills of the Dark peak..Mam tor, Lose hill, Kinder scout and Bleaklow all gleaming white, would have loved to have been up there on Kinder today.

The summit of Win hill stands at 1519ft, or if you prefer 463m..never been one for metres myself. Its like Kilometers, it makes me laugh when I hear people say how many kilometres they walked...it means nowt....it will always be feet and miles for me...We left the summit, known by some as Win hill pike or the Pimple. I have also heard that it was once known as Old Witches Knoll...I love these old names for our hills.

We carry along following the path to Hope cross. The weather was superb with some great views across the valley. Lose hill was looking her very best.

We never made it as far as Hope cross as we turned off right into the woods near Wooler Knoll, a path we had never walked before..Some nice views across to Crook hill from here. We soon went astray following a sketchy path that turned out to be a mountain bikers track through the woods, lots of twists turns and jumps. Those bikers are crazy dudes...As long as we kept heading downhill we will reach the main path around the reservoir..and yes it eventually turned up. Its a nice track alongside the reservoir, a path we have walked dozens of times before. I thought back to the time I walked along here with my daughter Emma a few years back...I will never forget it. we came to a sheep grazing and as we passed it turned towards us. Shock horror.!! it didn't have a face. I think it had probably been hit by a car, it had no eyes just a black head  that looked like dryed blood...It was horrific.....Anyway nearly back to the car..We passed the reservoir overflow and realised how low the water level was. everyone stops for a photograph here.

Well that was another walk over...roll on the next one.