Sunday 14 August 2011

Redirect from ncski.co.uk

I'm just toying with the idea of hosting my blog myself, could be a lot of hassle for little gain - I like the current layout (please comment on your thought about it) and with it been on blogger I get a lot of spam type protection.
The main thing I dont like is the address however my ncski.co.uk domain is not used much since I'm not at home during the winter to pick any ski tuning work up. So I thought I would redirect that to here. 
This will make it easier to post a link up as ncski.co.uk instead of http://nick-dontfollowmeimlosttoo.blogspot.com far to much typing there. 

As to what's happening with the walks. Well two fold really, 1 I've started working nights and it's taken a week or two to get into the routine so that I'm only just beginning to feel less tired during the days off now. 2 I smashed my Achilles heal last week and been resting it until it heals. I must remember that as I get older I do not  heal so fast, and yes that lesson was learnt as I went for a 5 mile run the next day which probably did more damage than the initial incident. 
 
I had a short jog yesterday which woke it up a bit but it feels ok today so off out in a bit for another short one, if it's OK I my go for a short walk tomorrow. 

Do you want a picture?

Here have one



 





Tuesday 9 August 2011

There is no reasoning with the scum, all we can do is stand back and watch.

There is no reasoning with the scum, all we can do is stand back and watch.
They do not care about your opinions or your ideals.
They will not  feel bad for what they have done.
The fact that people have lost their livelihood and businesses they have worked hard over the years to build up have been wreaked in a night wont matter as they consider you the fool for wanting to build something for yourself.

Modern society has lost it's ability to control the masses, there is no fear of the state any more. We just speak softly now having lost the big stick.
People who say bring back national service should think for a second. Would you want to be in a life or death situation with these selfish morons backing you up?
If they get caught and go to court will justice be done? Remember the saying at court you get the law not justice. Do we want Sharia law, There are comments been made that amount to this by people who are very much against that.

I do not have the answer, all I can hope is that my family and friends do not get caught up in it and manage to ride the storm out.


Be safe.

Monday 1 August 2011

Macc Forest & Shutlingsloe = About time

It was one of those days. This is not the walk I planned, I was going to do a much longer one (next week now) but I woke up in total disarray, You know the feeling when it's starts off bad and after a while you just to come to accept that the day is knackered. 

So a totally disorganised morning meant I left the house later than I wanted to, what with it been school  holidays I wanted to get out early and to a less popular spot to avoid the crowds. Once I realised that was not going to happen I looked for a shorter walk closer to home to make a bit of time up. Settled on this and set off, The day then gave me another hit with the wet fish and my route selection to the start was poor but I got to Trentabank Reservoir and Macclesfield forest centre eventually.

You may have noticed that this post is not laid out in my usual anal style because once I had parked up and turned my phone's gps tracker on my trial licence had ran out and I could not get a signal to download a new one.  However this is a rough google earth trace of the route.

Walked in a anti clockwise direction taking 3 hours and of a distance of very approximately 6.5 miles
The weather was hot but cloudy - nice to walk in.

On a plus side and there were a good few today, as you know I never one to mope and moan :P the car parking was only £2.50 for four hours. There was plenty of road side parking as well but I don't mind paying a reasonable amount to help to keep the areas financed.
I set out alongside the Ridgegate reservoir When the next embuggerance came to light. I thought ohhh piccy time got my camera out and the batteries were flat, not a problem I always carry spares in my camera case which is at home next to my computer... big sigh
I then remember I am now in procession of a superduper smart phone. It saved the day although the quality is a little lower than normal. So here are the photos of Risgegate Reservoir looking across to the Leather's Smithy Inn




After breaking from the water I crossed the overflow stream which was a bit dry.


I turned left onto the Gritstone Trail for a short while. This area reminded me a lot of the Derbyshire dales only a bit more open and gentle. I walked past hanging gate inn and up onto the moor finally almost.
Once I got up there and after a kind farmer told me where to go which was straight ahead (I had a flash back) I had my first real look at shutingloe and was just about to head across the moor when I noticed a sign that basically stated that piggford moor was an area of Natural and Scientific Interest   bla bla bla I do realise these places are special so I followed the route around the moor down Oakenclough across the lower fields (not to happy to come back off the moor)  On my way down I took this pic


Now Shutlingsloe is know as the Matterhorn of Cheshire I have seen the Matterhorn up close and personal and to be honest this is the one view (I saw) likely to emulate it's consubstantial twin. If you squint real hard you can just make it out to be a hill where as the Matterhorn is a great big bugger off mountain.

My photo - Yes I can see it now... maybe not
I leave the men of Cheshire to live in their fantasy

I then entered Wildboar clough, Great name, never saw one though ;)  next to the crag inn Just up the road a few metres was a bridge over clough brook which was a nice spot so I stopped for an eat.


This is where the phone struggled with the lower light, I took a few and this was the best photo.

I then headed off finally up Shutlingloe

The approach

I must be out of practice and it was rather warm but the last few metres really had me blowing out of my arse Breathing very hard. But once I got to the top it was worth it.
The final climb


Back to Macc Woods

 Once I had enjoyed the view and got my breath back It was then a simple walk back into the forest and to the car. I did try to that a photo of Trentabank Reservoir but I did find it to have restricted access so this is all I got



For a day that started in the hands of Loki it turned out to be a good day, the views were great and it was good to get back out after nearly three weeks off