statcounter

Friday 21 November 2008

Horse Stone Naze and Cut Gate
















Me and superdawg met Mike once again – possibly the final time in this current series of middle distance walks – on a nastily busy A616 near the Flouch Inn. [I need a rest after all of this]
Our route took us over doggy-prohibited grouse shooting moorland on to the wind and weather-clipped (and therefore, much easier to walk on than the heathery parts) tops. The particular top which we made for was Horse Stone Naze, a Dewey and otherwise fairly nondescript hillock which has a little gritstone tor on the top to provide just a little bit of excitement. Bruno made it to the very top with a little encouragement and a tug on the lead at a crucial just-about-to-blob-off-point.
Crow Stones, a bit further South provided a bit more interest with it’s strangely tilted rocks and nooks and crannies. Anybody who likes scrambling about on grit could pass a few entertaining hours here. Today (that’s yesterday actually) it was a bit cold and windy for that sort of thing. And I’m not much cop at that type of activity any more, so I tend not to do it.
And so we progressed Southly.
The peat hags around here are BIG and otherwise the ground is soggy and, in places, precarious for the cleanliness of one’s lower trousers – so the trek over to the junction with Cut Gate was, shall we say, sploshy and, occasionally very circuitous. Even superdawg, who doesn’t usually mind a bit of soft muck, was starting to get a bit paranoid about the potential depth of some of the soft and peaty bits.
Then it rained, then it almost went dark.
We descended easily, and very enjoyably in a half gale and fading light by the Cut gate bridleway.
The recrossing of the road was “testing” and took a long time before there was even a slight gap in the traffic. This road is a right bugger to cross – a constant stream of headlights in both directions. My best suggestion for doing this walk is to mug a lollipop lady of her lollypop and secrete it in the trees for use on your return. You’ll probably get killed, though. Live with it.

Or not.

A Somerfield petrol station and mini market sold me a bottle of Blossom Hill on the way home ..not my home… the dad-in-law’s home in Halifax.
Huddersfield ring road still as scary as it was when I once went to Huddersfield Poly…. Only scarier, actually..
Nice walk, though – about 12 miles.

4 comments:

Martin Rye said...

Another walk!....I want to retire. crikey Mike you'll super, super fit for the Challenge. Muddy Peak District. Is it time for me boots to come out instead of trail shoes?

Mike Knipe said...

Gawd Martin, I'm knackered..If it wasnt snowing outside I'd be staying in front of the fire today... but as it is, me and the dawg look set for a little wander in the very next blizzard.
Lovely stuff, that sloppy peat, though eh?

Anonymous said...

It's a very long time since I went to Horse Stones Naze. Enjoyed revisiting it in the company of your good self and the superdawg.

Mike Knipe said...

You're welcome, beatingthebounds... I don't get to this area much but it used to be a bit of a stamping ground for me. The next venture down there will probably be next March at the English TGO Challenge gathering.