~Pendle Hill~
31st December 2019
Me on top of Pendle Hill
The final walk of the decade. The first month of 2020 will mark the 10th anniversary of this website's first publication. It's been what you might call a labour of love. The relentless pace of change in the world of software and hardware computing has made it a little difficult to maintain this hobby. However, it has been a challenge worth commiting to and whilst I haven't counted the hours put in or the cost of hosting and other bits and pieces, it has been very satisfying to commit my walks and other adventures to a worldwide audience. Viewing figures will never be published by me, it's not about that - it is not an egotistical venture. I just wish I had more time available for the walks and, as was the case in 2019, better weather!
25th December 2019 ~ Christmas Day
Nowadays, we always try to get up here on Christmas Day and this year a party of three of us made it. This is the 5th time Libby has joined us on this date and Peter and I have achieved such on one other occasion, so we have six ascents on Christmas Day.
Roughlee
Today's walk started from the little hamlet of Roughlee, close to Barley.
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To Barley
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Lower Ogden Reservoir |
Christmas Decorations |
Three trees have been decorated in the quiet wooded path between the two reservoirs.
Ali's Bench ~ Upper Ogden Reservoir
Misty Moorland
Seemingly from nowhere, the cloud rolled in and shrouded the moors in mist. Ah well, this is how it has been for the best part of three months, occasionally stealing an hour or two off work to get up here in the brief window of sunny weather before the next bank of cloud / rain.
Molly on her 6th Birthday, 31/12/19
The Stats
At the start of 2019, I knew the big "600" was achievable and so it was on the last day. It is taking me about 18 months to clock up a century of ascents based on the last 200. We'll see what happens.....
No Parking!
There's always one, isn't there?
The Cabin, Barley
Sunsetting on 2019
Peter R joined me at the top and we walked down for a snack at The Cabin.
Time taken: 4hrs over a distance of about 8 miles, including the time spent eating at The Cabin.
Route: Roughlee, Barley, Ogden Reservoirs, Boar Clough, Pendle Summit, Steps, fields back to Barley, Roughlee.
Weather and conditions: Early clear skies soon giving way to a blanket of low cloud. Cool, no rain.
Refeshment Review: The Cabin is very good and seems to cope well in busy times. Twice now my request for a sausage sandwich on toast i.e. not a teacake (as we call them in these parts) has been overlooked. Molly prefres toast to soft bread!
This occasional award goes to a short but remarkably beautiful walk in Herefordshire back in July.
Molly 356
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2019 ©
Take me back to the start ....