Marsden to Edale walk 23mi. 22/09/2012.

I have the Long Distance Walkers Association to thank for opening up the world of weekly challenge events in countryside I would never have visited otherwise. The LDWA is where I started in 1996 and it is where I will finish. Sandwiched in the middle will have been a good run (plod?) of more competitive running events.



This year is the 40th anniversary of the LDWA. Local groups put on special walks to celebrate the occasion. This one was South Manchester group's offering. I had heard a lot about Marsden to Edale but had never set foot on one inch of its route, so I was delighted to have the opportunity to be shown the way by our leader John Knight without the pressure of having to run or compete. Good rail links at both ends made it easy to do the linear route without transport worries.

The day began with the first frost of the autumn and continued in sunlit vein with crystal clear views. My fear of major bogs proved unjustified. It was amazing and novel to view a distant Woodhead Pass from grassy moorland instead of view moors assumed to be riddled with bog monster death traps from the warm coccoon of a car on the Woodhead Pass.

We enjoyed roadside support for water refills at two points from Avril and Jean (essential as it turned out in view of our ten and three quarter hour outing). We had good conversation along the way and saw a spectacular sunset from atop Kinder Scout before descending to Edale at nightfall. Soup and sandwiches, organised by Quentin Blagg and paid for from group funds, were laid on at the Nag's Head. We had just under an hour to down that before continuing down the chill, moonlit lane to Edale station for our train home.

John Knight wrote a good account of the day here.

My pictures tell the story of another beautiful day in the English countryside (I cannot believe our luck with the weather).