Joke doesn't help matters by her luxurious approach to car camping, especially in the sleeping department. Her usual sleeping gear, consisting of camp bed, extra thick mattress, TWO sleeping bags, two full size pillows and spare blanket, has me puffing and sweating to shoe horn it all into the car, and practically fills the Fiesta by itself. Mind you, she does get a good night's sleep.
On this trip my own luxury item, the bike, was securely clamped to the roof, with the plan that I would do a couple of short rides up the Derbyshire hills when we weren't walking. Actually, the bike wasn't as securely clamped as I thought, as when we returned home I noticed that the front wheel quick release had completely loosened on the journey back, and I was nearly the proud owner of a unicycle.
My first short ride was a quick burst up to Monsal Head (a category 3 climb according to the people at Strava) before breakfast. I had previously assumed that Monsal Head was at the top of the hill, but I was very wrong, and was mortified to find the road climbing onwards and upwards way beyond the hotel. Mind you, I must have enjoyed it, as I repeated the climb a couple of days later, and the descent was fantastic.
My other ride was a rollercoaster of a climb up to Monyash, fantastic riding up to high ground on superb roads, and another glorious descent. That was it cycling-wise, and our first walk was a return to Monsal Head, a walk we have enjoyed many times before.
Next day, one of my favourite walks, up to Baslow Edge
Joke has always been terrified of cows. Things aren't quite as bad as they once were (she no longer comes out in cold sweats are grabs hold of me as soon as we get within 100 yards of a herd of cows), but signs like this don't help
After the Challenge blister debacle, I had invested in a new pair of Keen boots, and pristine and supremely comfortable they were too. Sadly, after a day's walking in cow country, they were pristine no more.
Our final day was a fantastic walk around Castleton and Edale, first leaving Castleton by Deep Dale and the Limestone Way
then along Rushup Edge
to this rather lovely old footpath sign. I'm not sure who the Peak District and Northern Counties Footpaths Preservation Society were, but they can be proud of their signpost, still here after more than half a century
Then down to Edale
before climbing back up to Hollins Cross and MamTor
Mam Tor may just be the most sanitised, artificial hill walk in England, with a stone staircase leading hoards of folk to the top from the car park that's only a few hundred yards away
Nevertheless, it remains a most beautiful ridge-walk, especially when combined with Rushup Edge, and I have no doubt we'll being walking it again soon enough
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