the 'hip flask walk'
Published: Monday, January 1st 2007
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Well, the Hip Flask Walking Club had it's annual trek around the Peak District in Yorkshire on the 28th December.
Normally, there is myself and my youngest son, Thomas, but this year we were joined by my other two sons, Sean and James also. I was really looking forward to the day because of this, and partly because I have been so busy lately.
I did the usual, preparing everything Thomas and I required the night before the walk. Change of trousers, socks, t shirt, water, sandwiches etc etc. Sean was 'tagging' along with our bag, so I sorted his kit also..... James was going to do his own!
It's an early start as we always take the train from Doncaster to Sheffield, and then from Sheffield to Grindleford where the walk starts. Taking the train is one of the beauties of this walk, no-one drives, so everyone can have a drink or two.
I hate to be late with anything, I have always been the same, even as a child it would drive me nuts to agree to meet friends who would then be late wasting my time!
The walk to the station from home is about 20 minutes. The train goes at 0842 and we set off at 0810 so we have plenty of time, so I thought, I forgot we had James! We were barely up the street and James was straggling. James then turned around to go and change the batteries in his walkman, I was shouting him to get a move on. James appears again, I tell him to get his arse up here, now, run! Sean runs ahead of us to call at the local shop, Sean appears and catches us up, I turn around no James, he's in the bloody shop holding us up again! My language is blue at the best of times, when James appears sauntering along, I could have exploded right there! I also realise, James has nothing with him, no change of clothes, no food or water. This is going to be an interesting walk for him.
We have to get a right 'dab on' now to get the train, then, as we walk over the bridge to the railway station, James then tells me he has no money! We finally arrive at the station and this is going to be a close call, very close. I sort Thomas and I tickets, Sean gets his own, I give James money to get his. I shout to James, "return ticket from Hope" 3 times, "yes" James says. James doesn't leave the counter, talking to the ticket guy, I go over to check he's got the correct ticket. What a suprise, wrong ticket! We sort the tickets and make a run for the train, somone shouts "platform 2", I don't remember catching the train for this walk on platform 2, ever, but we carry on. Stood on platform 2, i'm now saying "we don't get the train from here", as I turn to see the trans pennine train we need standing on the other side of the station! It's now a full on sprint to catch it, as we run like mad down the stairs, along the bloody tunnel, up the stairs, just in time to see it pull out!!
I have never missed this train or any other train, ever, i'm fuming now!
This is a right balls up now, we will miss the connection at Sheffield to Grindleford and the walk is 'one way', there is just no easy place to join it without missing half the walk.
Any way, we get the next train from Doncaster to Sheffield. Yep, the next train is 1 hour, no point trying the buses, they take us to the wrong place. We will now have to get a taxi.
We set off by taxi. There is no way we are missing any of this walk, I get the taxi to drop us off at the top of Padely Gorge, £15 for the fare, instead of £2.50 on the train. The walk starts at the bottom of the Gorge and heads up to where we are now, it will be impossible to miss my mates heading up. We get a pace on walking down the Gorge, as the others that got the train to Grindleford have about 15-20 minutes on us. We get almost half way down, James is lathered in his trendy white trainers and moaning like mad, who cares, we are laughing like mad at him, this walk is about 10/12 miles, over moors, no turning back now!
If like magic, my very good pal John Heggie appears along with Alan, a fella' i've met a couple of times, we've done it, met up finally!
Meeting John half way down, we've missed nothing in distance off the walk. This is important, my mates would needle me like mad if I take one step less than them.
We now turn around and head back up the Gorge to have the first 'heart starter' of the walk. We stop, and wait for everyone that was behind John to catch up. It was great to see some old mates I have not seen since last years walk, you always pick up like it was yesterday. There were about 18 walkers in total this year, and some others that did not walk but met us at the pub later. We gave in later and let James share our food and drink. We made him carry the bag from the lunch stop though. He did nothing but moan, "my shoulders hurt, it's heavy", I am going to have to take him under my wing and sort him out for next year!
The picture below is Sean, Thomas and James, as we head down the Gorge to meet the rest of the walkers that are on the way up. It was very mild this year. Last year it was thick of snow and was brilliant.
The picture below shows us on route to Win Hill, the peak in the distance. This is about half way round the walk. It was too foggy earlier to get any pictures worthwhile, a real 'peasouper'. This is one of two places on the walk that is on road, the rest is on the Peak.
The picture below is John Heggie and me on top of Win Hill. This gets steeper every year, and I was blowing like an old sow on the climb up the back route we take. It did not help that half way up 'shuggy', a former 'tankie' met us with a bucket, yes a bucket, full with a mixture of port, brandy, rum and some other spirit, and shoved a cupfull in your hand! Maybe thats why John and I are smilling! The next picture is my lads on the top of Win Hill at the 'trig' point. They are as fresh as daisies! Tom's even taking a nap!
The next picture is us having come down Win Hill and on our way to the pub, which is about 15 minutes from here, we are moving fast!
The pictures below are, Thomas having the last drop of my 17 year old port from my hip flask waiting for the train to Sheffield at Hope station. Siobhan and Mick on the train to Sheffield, yes it was me with the shakey camera work. And finally John Heggie in his usual position after a drink, asleep!! Tut tut RSM, oop's, sorry, Captain now!
Despite a shakey start to the day, we had a brilliant time. We are looking forward to this years already! Drop me a line if you fancy joining us!!
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