Pike Low
Pike Low
Walking with my brother RFM Blue Line
24/05/24
The blue line is the walk route
A dull and cool early meeting at about 7.30 at the back of
Langsett Res. The route today was special as we had first attempted it a couple
of years ago on Peter’s birthday with kids and grandkids in tow. Unfortunately
on that occasion, in early January, the weather conditions put paid to a
serious attempt as it was extremely wet, windy and cold. It’s a not a very
difficult walk but it is rarely done being well off the normal beaten track and
very much at the edge of the Peak District.
The climb to Cut Gate over Midhope Moors was, as is normal
this year, wet, muddy and a bit of a trudge. Plenty of bird life especially
curlews gave us something to watch and listen to.
The Cut Gate section was a river where normally there is
just a trickle. Our route took us about half a mile along Cut Gate before we
turned off onto the moor towards Pike Low.
At this point the path though still discernible was much
diminished. The moor was sodden so more mud and morass. The photo above shows
Pike Low in the distance, not exactly inviting.
A curlew came close enough to photograph.
A mysterious marker stone marked the path along with a useful
line of stakes. This is a very flat upland moor with very few gullies so though
it was wet and spongy it was relatively easy to cross.
Believe it or not the weather improved a bit as we
approached the Low. Low seems to be a word that means hill. I am sure this
predates the ordnance survey so surely it is a word of Scandinavian origin. As
we approached the summit the path narrowed and was overlapped with heather.
The view from the top was great. This telephoto shot shows
Langsett Reservoir from the summit.
It was not a clear day but we reckoned from the top you
could see parts of Huddersfield, Halifax, Wakefield, Barnsley, Rotherham,
Doncaster and possibly Sheffield. Not bad from one hill.
The closer views of Langsett and down the valley to
Broomhead and Moorhall were much more interesting. All good walking country.
Coming off Low Pike we walked a path through a waist high
jungle of moorland plants mainly bilberries. A surreal experience and a
definite trip hazard.
After a short walk around Gill Royd Lane and Mortimer Road
we followed the path through the woods along Edge Cliff Brook and climbed the
steep hill to the top of Edge Cliff. The steepest part of the walk but
mercifully quite short.
The path along Edge Cliff, past old tree stumps and bordered
with a brand new fence protecting the newly planted trees and hedges, gave us a
wonderful view of dozens of swallows flying majestically over the ground, up
the hill and over the wall into the farmer’s field. Round and round chasing
insects. I tried to take a photo but failed miserably. I have seen this kind of
collection of swallows quite a few times and it is always a joy to behold.
Black
faced sheep and the Midhope Reservoir provided a beautiful back drop as we
walked along the very quite lane towards the end of the walk.
Upper Midhope a picturesque ending to the walk.
This walk according to the OS app was 9.18 miles, a total
ascent of 1450 feet and took 4 hours and 25 minutes.
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