Catch-up Weekend
Report
The training centre at Hesley Wood outside Sheffield was again the venue for the SAGGA Catch-Up weekend. This year it did not snow and 40 SAGGA members were able to get to and stay at the centre. Day visitors on the Saturday and Sunday increased that number so the hall was full of activity and talk.
In recent years, one component of the February Catch Up weekend has been walking in the hills, with the participants loosely organised by Philip Hetherington. Thus it was again of the Saturday this year.
Since the underfoot conditions on most of the hills were thought likely to be very bad, with recently thawed muddy peat over still frozen subsoil, the five walkers decided to go West and pick up the bit of the Pennine Way that has been reinforced in the boggy bits by stone paving from former mill floors and head up to Black Hill from Crowden. There was rather cool low level cloud blocking out all views at first. Philip had established that this was forecast to break above 500metres and observed as that level approached that it would be very pleasant were the weather to clear as we neared the summit. A minute or two later it did so and we were above the cloud. Both lunch stops were taken in sunshine that seemed warm, though the air temperature stayed low. The descent to return to the car park by the youth hostel was by way of the other path, along the ridge somewhat to the South East of the approved Pennine Way route. There were small residual snow patches, but nothing to trouble us. The cold cloud was still there to welcome us as we regained the valley and it was pleasant to return to tea at Hesley Wood after walking almost eight miles and climbing and descending about 1,000 feet, taking six hours or so including two relaxing lunch stops.