Anyone for Monsal Dale / Miller's Dale September 30 or October 1st.

Can I wave my hand in the air and say I really want to go and do Monsal Head/ Miller's Dale as I haven't been for ages. How about this for the next weekend? What do people think? From Bakewell to Miller's Dale, doing an open-jaw bus trip, or a round trip for the car drivers? Is there a good route back round, up one of the side gorges? (too lazy to go and fish out my map right now. Shocking!) Or shall we start at Monsal Head itself?

And would people prefer Saturday 30th or Sunday 1st? Bear in mind the bus timetable on sunday is likely to be pantser.

Can I wave my hand in the air and say I really want to go and do Monsal Head/ Miller's Dale as I haven't been for ages. How about this for the next weekend? What do people think? From Bakewell to Miller's Dale, doing an open-jaw bus trip, or a round trip for the car drivers? Is there a good route back round, up one of the side gorges? (too lazy to go and fish out my map right now. Shocking!) Or shall we start at Monsal Head itself?

 

And would people prefer Saturday 30th or Sunday 1st? Bear in mind the bus timetable on sunday is likely to be pantser.

I'd prefer Sunday but may be willing to forego the delights of Barnsley FC if the consensus is for the Saturday

Just remembered there's a bit where the path floods when it rains, but that'll just make it more exciting and a larf. Hope everyone can swim!

That viaduct looks rather fab

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsal_Dale

Great looking views from what I've seen on various websites

Or shall we start at Monsal Head itself?

Parking at Monsal Head is a nightmare, so I would maybe suggest a different starting/ending point.

I'm hoping Mrs Grinder and myself can make this one, Mrs Grinder has just started a new job so we will not know until just before if she will be available.

I can recommend the ale in the stables bar at The Monsal Head Hotel Just order food early as last time I was there the wait was over an hour!

I will add a link to photos later.

Grinder

I'd love to come! Unfortunately I tend to be tied up at weekends (but enough of my private life haha) so forgive me if I am unable to attend - it's not because I wouldn't very much like to join you all!

What's the route like Purdyamos? How many miles, ascent, etc? I quite fancy this one.

there's very little ascent, and the length of the route is under debate at the mo, as there's 2 loops we can do as a figure of 8 (prob a bit too far) or we can separate it out into two separate trips

Me and my other half were talking about a walk like this just yesterday! We had done Baslow to Totley via Froggat Edge and it was a lovely day.

We thought it would be best to catch the bus out to Taddington and then walk to Bakewell and bus back from there - buses to Sheff a lot more frequent from Bakewell than Buxton.

Would love to hear more about it!

There are a couple of loops to choose from*. One follows the Monsal trail to Monsal Head then follows the Wye back to Bakewell. The other starts at Miller's Dale, follows the river. We could either walk back along the river or go up onto the high ground and follow paths round back to Miller's Dale. The first would be 10 or 11 miles, mostly flat. The other would be 6 or 7 miles, half flat half changeable (I think!).

Relying on buses I would prefer the Sunday, as on Saturday evening I have commitments that I can't risk missing by missing the early bus home.

*For people who aren't familiar with that area, there are two basic height levels - the level of the old railway (i.e. flat) or along the river. So there'll be a climb up or down at some point, but it's mostly easy. The valley is very dramatic. Miller's Dale is a deep gorge and very beautiful.

P.S. Grissom - Miller's Dale viaduct is pretty impressive also!

there's 2 loops we can do as a figure of 8

All those loops and figure of eights make it sound like an ice-skating contest!

Sounds nice to me.

Monsal Dale is one of our favourite Derbyshire walks, we tend to park up just off the A6, poodle along by the river, join the old railway for however long the fancy takes us then poodle back again!