Meet Report: 25-27 October 2024 at Carlswark Cottage.

Stoney Middleton lies between the deeply incised White Peak valleys and wide-open moors of the Dark Peak offering climbers near endless climbs on both limestone and grit. All around are culturally significant locations including Eyam, Chatsworth, scores of Stone, Bronze and Iron Age sites, and old lead mines.  Plenty to keep the dozen of us at the venerable Derbyshire Pennine Club’s compact hut busy on this weekend of decent autumn weather.

On arrival, Mark Rothwell walked in low cloud, west of Stoney Middleton through Coombs Dale to a flooded old quarry (not the picturesque lake he was hoping for), and back via Eyam only to find himself still locked out of the DPC hut.  Meanwhile, Tim’s 28km ebike circuit over the moors to the west culminated in an exhilarating narrow descent to Eyam village with foggy flat lighting resulting in some surprising dips and bumps.

Friday evening saw all assemble except the Smiths from nearby Sheffield, Lizzie and Dan who arrived as breakfast was finishing on Saturday morning. 

Tim and Mark Rothwell climbed six of the long routes on the slab area in Horseshoe Quarry just north of Stoney.  Rope length was an issue on some routes for which ropes longer than their 60m ones were recommended.  The highlight of their day was the two pitch Men at Work (5).  Further amusement came from watching a slackliner traversing 25m above the quarry floor.

Conrad was still slowly recovering from his knee injury, so he and Beverley explored the lower reaches of the vast Chatsworth estate.  After parking in Baslow, they crossed the fields to the delightful village of Pilsley, a detour to the farm shop was made where victuals were bought for lunch and the evening meal.  Next was on to the model village of Edensor and eventually, to Chatsworth House. Despite the House’s £7.50 parking charge there was no shortage of vehicles queuing up along the driveway.

The others headed first over the high route to Eyam then north to a ring cairn marked on the map – actually a Bronze Age barrow from which stone has been plundered and an urn removed.  Reaching their next site, another Bronze Age one well away from any decent path, involved crossing a blocked-off stone gateway where the extended Trasler group headed off to take a longer much more sensible route round and down to Leadmill by the River Derwent. The remainder yomped across rough heather and bracken to the second barrow, Wet Withens sunken stone circle, and a chair stone.  The barrow gave some protection from the cooling wind during a coffee break.  On reaching Leadmill via Hoghall they were surprised to find the Traslers already there enjoying a coffee break.  Here, Tom headed off to Hathersage for some retail therapy in the Outside climbing store.  The return south was beside the swollen Derwent with occasional sightings of dippers.  To show support for local initiative, coffee and apple crumble were taken at the Grindleford Community Store.   A final pull up from Froggatt village to Riley took them to the seven Hancock family graves, 1666 plague victims who died in a single week.  A pleasant 20km tour of historic and ancient sites with 520m ascent.

President Elect, Ged Campion, joined us for Beverley’s meal on Saturday evening. Discussion topics afterwards were as diverse as ever:  re readings of Northanger Abbey; covid and the plague; bunk-bed ladder design and the value of Enid Blyton’s and JK Rowling’s oeuvres.

Stuart made a solo Sunday round of Higger Tor, Carl Wark hill fort and after crossing the stream, Burbage Edge all from the northern end and under blue skies. 

Tim’s 58 km ebike tour went up past Curbar Edge and onto a fine and varied track north over Topley Moor followed by a bone jarring high speed descent of Houndkirk Lane to Ringinglow for a pint of Guinness Zero at the Norfolk Arms. Then tarmac lanes up to the Redmires Reservoirs, rough gravel along the top of Stanage Edge to High Neb before turning for home. A delightful descent followed down Burbage Valley to a detour around well-made tracks in the Longshaw Estate before a return to Stoney via Grindleford.

Mark Rothwell patrolled the length of Froggatt Edge in search of Tom, unsuccessfully. He did though help a young climber balanced on a ledge by providing the correct cam to protect the upper half of bold Brown’s Eliminate (E2 5b). A good deed done. 

From the DPC hut, Michael and Helen walked through Curbar steeply up to the Wellington monument, and Big Moor (no deer in sight today) to busy White Edge, dropping to another Bronze Age stone circle before finding Mark below Froggatt. Their return to Stoney by Stoke Brook finished off this good meet in the Peak as the sky clouded over.

Attendees:  Dan Curtis (PM), Stuart Dix, Beverley Eastwood, Tim Josephy, Mark Rothwell, Helen Smith*, Michael Smith*, Tom Spencer, Conrad Tetley, Mark Longmore (PM), Lizzie Trasler (PM), Martyn Trasler.   [*Arrived early Saturday]