Day 03Start - Standedge OS Grid Ref:- SE 02434 09927 - Height:- 363.73m
Day 03Route - Standedge->Hebden Bridge
Days Walk:- 16.82 Miles
Days Ascent:- 727.84m
Start Time:- 10:15, Finish Time:- 18:55
Walking Time:- 8hrs 40mins
Average Speed:- 1.94mph
Places of Interest:-
M62 Crossing
Stoodley Pike Monument
Peaks visited:-
Blackstone Edge
PHOTOS (DAY 03)
Click here to view a slideshow of photos taken on DAY03 Sunday 26 September 2010DAYS JOURNAL (DAY 03)
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| Breaking camp behind The Great Western |
Today the plan was to walk 18 miles to Badgers Farm near Hebden Bridge, nearly half as much as I had managed on the previous 2 days and as I could not improve the pace the remaining option was to extend the walking day.
What was making the walk so tough seemed to be the extra weight I was carrying. Although I had consumed some food, thereby reducing my pack weight, I had aquired a tin of custard which I had still not got round to eating. I had also accumulated 2 days worth of wet clothing, which of course weighs more than dry clothes . I therefore decided to leave some of the food I had brought as well as taking less water. ½ a bag of pasta and 2 litres of water reduced the load by nearly 5lbs, setting off by 09:45 meant I would have over 8½ hours to cover the 18 miles which at 2 miles per hour would get me to my target destination before dark. In addition there was just less than 200m less of ascent which suggested the terrain would be easier as well.
The first stage of the walk from The Great Western Inn was along the A62 back to the Pennine Way, this was easy enough going to get warmed up. The first climb was up Millstone Edge taking the higher route along the Oldham Way. There were great views and navigation was easy enough along the worn but firm and stony path.
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| Oldham Way to the left, Pennine Way to the right |
Crossing the A640 saw the return of boggy terrain and a steady climb to White Hill trig point. The optional detour to bag Waystone Edge, the county top of Calderdale was dismissed without any consideration reducing the days walk by nearly 1½ miles.
The next checkpoint would be the M62 way marked by Windy Hill transmission aerials and the hum of traffic from the busy trans-Pennine highway.
12:30 marked the M62 crossing, meaning 5 miles had been covered in just over 2½ hours. A quick calculation buoyed my spirits when I realised the reduced distance of 16½ miles should be covered by 6:00pm well before dark or even dusk.
Blackstone Edge appeared next after a steady 100m climb and 1½ mile walk of mainly slabs from the M62. As the trig point was spotted the slabs stopped. Whilst there was not a clear path, line of sight navigation to the trig point over the compressed black peat between large boulders was straight forward enough. It was here I spoke to the only person I met all day, I mentioned how tough the first 2 days had been and he assured me I had done the worst and it was plain sailing from here. I thanked him for his encouragement and promised him I would come and find him if he was not telling the truth.
A brief rest and photo call of the graffiti daubed trig point preceded the less than obvious descent of the north end of Blackstone Edge. The weather was clear so you could see where you wanted to be, but if it had been foggy there could well have been problems, just keep descending but make sure you tend left.
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| Blackstone Edge trig point |
At the bottom of the ascent the path becomes clearer and marker posts return, leading to the Aigin Stone where you briefly follow a grassed stony track (claimed but not proven, to be an old Roman road) before turning right along Broad Head Drain over Blackstone Edge Moor.
Before descending to the A58 and White House Inn I could see what looked like a church with a spire beyond the reservoirs to the north, however I could not identify a church on the map.
Descending to the A58 the spire disappeared and kept reappearing as I passed Blackstone, Light Hazzeles and Warfield reservoirs. It was not until reaching Warfield Drain that it became obvious that the spire was really Stoodley Pike. A monument built to celebrate the capture of Napoleon in 1812, but completion suspended when he escaped from the Isle of Elba.
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| Stoodley Pike Monument |
The track from here had been badly churned up by cyclists using the path, making progress more difficult and while the monument was getting larger it still seemed a long way away. The combination of boggy terrain and feeling tired, considerably reduced my pace meaning it took nearly 2 hours to complete the 2½ miles to Stoodley Pike. The one encouraging note was that from Stoodley Pike I could make out Badgers Farm in the distance across the valley, next to a wind turbine which turned out to be the farms private electricity generator. The downside was that it was the other side of the valley and half way up the other side. But at least I knew what had to be done.
I had a little trouble following the path just before Lower Rough Head Farm but was soon on track and what’s more soon crossing the Rochdale Canal at the bottom of the valley.
Crossing the canal then the A646 and under the railway brought me to the bottom of the final climb and only about 1 mile to finish the day's walk. It also included a 200m ascent in the first ½mile. It was the toughest part of the walk so far and at the end of a day when 15 miles had been walked so far.
It occurred to me to go back and find the bloke on Blackstone Edge who assured me that the toughest parts of the walk had been covered. But was consoled by telling myself that at least I would not have to do this first thing tomorrow. By the time I was turning into Badgers Farm an hour had passed and it was nearly dark. At least I could look forward to a comfortable bed and a hot shower.
Knocking on the front door, with the hall light shining through, made me notice a sign asking me to knock harder. After knocking harder I then saw another notice inviting me to call a mobile phone number if there was no answer. The friendly voice on the other end said they were out for the night and would not be back till later, I suggested I could wait but was offered the chance to camp in the field behind the farm. Following such a long day I was less than pleased at the prospect of another night in a tent. I went round the back to be greeted by strong winds blowing across open fields and decided to pitch at the front of the farm where there was the afore mentioned wind turbine humming away.
I was not happy but reverted to the routine of change into dry clothes (top half), pitch tent, climb in, unpack, get food out and boil hot water to rehydrate meal and make a hot drink.
Problem - No water.
"I know" I thought "there will be a tap in the farm yard". Out I get, put on my headlamp, wrap up against the wind and search a dark farmyard for a tap that may not be there. Low and behold I find a tap and I turned it on in excited expectation. No water, it had been turned off at the stop cock. I call the mobile again, apologetically and the lady gets her husband to explain where the stop cock is inside one of the barns behind a heavy sliding door that is wedged. Inside there is a web of yellow and blue pipes and a choice of taps. After a quick plumbing lesson I turn on the right tap, close up the barn and return to the tap and turn it on. After what seemed an age, but was no time at all. fresh water flowed. I have never been so grateful and after feeling low about not sleeping in a warm bed was relieved and satisfied beyond belief that I had fresh drinking water. I drank to quench my thirst, which was now raging, and returned to the tent to climb into my sleeping bag and boil the water for my best hot drink and meal in a long time.
I slept that night as well as I had in a long time and was more grateful and satisfied than I can remember in years, simply because I had secured a fresh supply of drinking water.
MAP DAY 03
ROUTE CARD DAY 03
| LOCATION | HEIGHT | DIST | ASCT | EST TIME | |
| Great Western Pub | SE 02434 09927 | 363.73 m | |||
| Great Western Pub->Standedge (A62) | 0.48 Mi | 35.5 m | 00:17:01 | ||
| Standedge (A62) | SE 01851 09478 | 382.80 m | |||
| Standedge (A62)->Millstone Edge Trig Point | 0.79 Mi | 66.4 m | 00:30:00 | ||
| Millstone Edge Trig Point | SE 01236 10407 | 443.60 m | |||
| Millstone Edge Trig Point->A640 | 1.47 Mi | 42.8 m | 00:48:00 | ||
| A640 | SE 00225 12286 | 421.31 m | |||
| A640->White Hill trig point | 0.95 Mi | 63 m | 00:34:01 | ||
| White Hill trig point | SD 99066 13171 | 461.33 m | |||
| White Hill trig point->A672 | 0.91 Mi | 2.1 m | 00:27:00 | ||
| A672 | SD 98298 14138 | 415.45 m | |||
| A672->M62 | 0.39 Mi | .7 m | 00:11:01 | ||
| M62 | SD 98344 14751 | 369.01 m | |||
| M62->Rochdale (C), Blackstone Edge | 1.31 Mi | 115.5 m | 00:50:01 | ||
| Rochdale (C), Blackstone Edge | SD 97200 16300 | 467.00 m | |||
| Rochdale (C), Blackstone Edge->WC (A58) camp in quarry | 1.29 Mi | 16.1 m | 00:40:00 | ||
| WC (A58) camp in quarry | SD 96809 17638 | 389.48 m | |||
| WC (A58) camp in quarry->The White House public house | 0.28 Mi | 17.6 m | 00:09:01 | ||
| The White House public house | SD 96979 17932 | 384.76 m | |||
| The White House public house->Power lines - Light Hazzles Reservoir | 1.26 Mi | 16.7 m | 00:39:00 | ||
| Power lines - Light Hazzles Reservoir | SD 96226 19468 | 380.76 m | |||
| Power lines - Light Hazzles Reservoir->Warland Reservoir | 0.63 Mi | 4.3 m | 00:19:00 | ||
| Warland Reservoir | SD 96106 20359 | 377.07 m | |||
| Warland Reservoir->Warland Drain | 1.03 Mi | 37.7 m | 00:34:01 | ||
| Warland Drain | SD 95551 21753 | 381.93 m | |||
| Warland Drain->Path to White Holme Reservoir | 0.68 Mi | 5.1 m | 00:21:00 | ||
| Path to White Holme Reservoir | SD 96439 22008 | 384.16 m | |||
| Path to White Holme Reservoir->Footpath to Todmorden (Calderdale Way) | 0.74 Mi | 19.4 m | 00:24:00 | ||
| Footpath to Todmorden (Calderdale Way) | SD 96730 23123 | 364.00 m | |||
| Footpath to Todmorden (Calderdale Way)->Stoodley Pike Monument | 0.81 Mi | 49 m | 00:29:00 | ||
| Stoodley Pike Monument | SD 97302 24209 | 395.44 m | |||
| Stoodley Pike Monument->Lower Rough Head Farm | 1.22 Mi | 7.4 m | 00:37:00 | ||
| Lower Rough Head Farm | SD 98032 25405 | 277.52 m | |||
| Lower Rough Head Farm->Rochdale Canal | 1.33 Mi | 12.4 m | 00:41:00 | ||
| Rochdale Canal | SD 97195 26413 | 109.39 m | |||
| Rochdale Canal->Winter Cottages | 0.64 Mi | 145.8 m | 00:33:00 | ||
| Winter Cottages | SD 97078 26913 | 254.63 m | |||
| Winter Cottages->Badger Lane | 0.43 Mi | 60 m | 00:18:01 | ||
| Badger Lane | SD 96756 27448 | 314.68 m | |||
| Badger Lane->Day03 - Hebdon Bridge | 0.11 Mi | 10.3 m | 00:04:00 | ||
| Total trip | 16.77 Mi | 727.8 m | 09:35:01 | ||
| Est Time: 2.0 Mi/hr, 600 m ascent adds 1hr | |||||
| Magnetic variation : 4o | |||||
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