Peak District - A Saddleworth Moor Circuit 21/01/2012

Distance - 23miles

Ascent - 4543feet

Time - 9hrs 15min

Route - Crowden - Hey Moss - Tooleyshaw Moss - Black Hill - Wessenden Reservoir - Black Moss Reservoir - Standedge - Oldham Way - Diggle - Alderman Hill - Dovestone Reservoir - Chew Reservoir - Laddow Rocks - Crowden

Map of the route

A quick text to Mark to let him know I was free to do a big walk lead to this route coming from Marks imagination. A fantastic route from the moment we set off it was all new to me. We set of from Crowden before the sun came up, straight away we had a short but very steep climb up through the disused quarry onto Hey Edge where there was a good path to follow which shortly turned into a boggy track as we headed across Westend Moss. The more we climbed the stronger the wind became, by the time we reached Black Hill the wind was that strong we was struggling to make any ground. Just after the summit Mark was at braking point and was thinking of calling it a day.

We kept going telling are self's the wind would eventually die down, when it started to hail stone on top of the wind and I was thinking what have we done why dint we just turn round back there? The sight of the butty van on the A635 made us smile. When we reached the butty van we stop for a hot cup of coffee and bacon butty. Crossing the road we headed for Wessenden Head Reservoir the drop in height had helped with the wind so it was turning into a great day.

There are some great view's passing the three reservoirs that look us to Standedge Tunnels and down into the little village of Diggle.

We joined the Oldham Way following it onto a short canall section then through a few field that lead us back to the moors where there was a lot of people on the hill side just stood watching as we got closer we asked what was going on which the lady answered with "exercising are dogs in side the law of course" as it was a pack of hunting dogs. All of the village must have been out helping them.

Finally making it to the top of the hill we followed the ridge to see the massive War Memorial next to the Pot's and Pan's Stones. The picture dose not do the size of this thing justice.

From here we descended down to Dovestone Reservoir around the edge on to Chew Road witch would be the last ascent of the day leading us up to Chew Reservoir which has got to be the highest in the country sitting around 1617feet up. Well worth making the effort to climb up to see the views.

Heading over Laddow Moss the sun was starting to set we quickly made it to the Pennine Way and followed this back  down into Crowden just as it got dark.

A fantastic route from Mark which with a few small tweaks i think this could be a clasic Peak District walk.