A wander up Pendle Hill

25.01.2014

Popping up Pendle for the day as weather stopped us going any further - the weather also stopped any pics being taken as it was horrid.  Pendle pics another day!

Pendle Hill Kicking off 2013

First walk of the new year and we decided to stay local mainly because of the adverse weather forecast and the risk of being stuck in some remote Lakeland area wasn’t an option as it was Sunday and normal life resumed tomorrow....sadly.

So Pendle Hill was the destination, if nothing else, it would be a mild leg work out and serve as a little bit of preparation for our epic Scotland adventure early next month (fingers crossed for lots of snow in the beautiful Glencoe).

So we ventured out, the few miles to Barley and as we’d made a late start the car park was already full and even the road was lined with parked cars.  Good god there was even a coach in the car park which meant only 1 thing.  Crowds of other people venturing on our route today.....grrrrrrrr! 

My preference would have been to go up on the road through Barley and past Ings Farm and up the steps, left over towards the trig then back down to Ogden Reservoir but I was promised that going up alongside the reservoir and following the river up to come back down the steps would be a better way.  So we'll see.....

Making our way up the road that lead us to the reservoir the weather was reasonably good.  Cold, dry with a risk of snow/rain in the afternoon.  Very light wind and all round nice conditions to be walking in.  Sadly the light wasn’t brilliant for reflections on the lake but I managed one or two pictures. 

At the end of the reservoir we veered right and followed the path up through the rocky banks of the river that flowed down the side of the hill.  This wasn’t a way I’d come before and was instantly pleased that this was our route today.  Off the conventional path and making our own way up the banks of the river was much more pleasing than following the now steady stream of people following the main route.  The rocks were slippy in some places and the higher we got the icier it became with some impressive groups of icicles dangling down.

It wasn’t long before we met the path at the top and could see the trig point in the distance through the now hazy scene before us.  The sun which had tried to come out was now just about giving up as the cloud became thicker and the landscape was white with frost and a little bit of snow.  It was like Grand Central station at the trig point and my picture with the hazy sun never materialised as there were just too many people about.  People, dogs, bikes, children, all sorts of day trippers out for a wander.

Needless to say we didn’t stick around long.  Making our way over to the top of the steps I was reminded of my last visit here almost a year ago and it was a similar snowy landscape.  I was reminded of the spot where I stopped to eat my sandwiches and my wander over the wall towards Downham Moor.  What a difference a year makes!!! 

The steps were busy with people going up and down.  Some of them were slippy and I took my time.  “You’re not doing well on getting down here, are you” I heard being muttered lol.  “I think you’ll find I’m doing well enough, thank you very much” was the reply.  Cheeky J.  However, it didn’t take us long to get down what with all the hello’s to passers by and thank you’s to folk letting us pass and apart from a little slippy slidey incident it was plain sailing all the way.  

A little flurry of snow met us on our final walk through Barley to the car park.  It was hardly a flutter really but just some white specs dotting the air in front of us.  It was forecast to snow much harder later but for now we just had this little teasy weansy flurry.

And there we were, back at the car park and it felt like we'd only left it moments ago.  It was very much overcast now and it was good to be back into the warmth of the car.  All that was missing was a cuppa.