Walk Description

The big freeze continues and so we decided to make the most of the fine weather and have a snowy walk on some of the local moors.  As the M62 was open, we drove up to Junction 22 and then parked in the lay-by under the motorway.  The road was closed to traffic but we weren’t the only people parked there, some people were getting ready to go skiing and some to go snow boarding.  As the photographs show, winter is really here!

The snow was wonderful, deep, dry and powdery.  We walked towards the transmitters, at times the snow was so deep, I walked in Steve’s foot prints.  Steve was in his element, kicking the snow, making snow balls and trying to find the deepest drifts.  Eventually we decided to try to walk southwards along the Pennine Way towards White Hill.  Steve as usual went first and I followed behind.  I had only gone a few steps before my right leg sank through the snow and into a wet ditch.  I felt the cold water trickle over the top of my boot.  I tried to pull my foot out, but I was well and truly stuck.  Steve just had to take at least one photo of me struggling in the snow before he came over to help dig me out.  That was the end of the morning’s walk.  I plodded back to the car with cold water sloshing around in the boot.  I wasn’t going any farther like that; all I wanted to do was to get home and dried.

Once I was cleaned up and dry I was ready to go out again.  I put my spare boots on and this time headed for the reservoirs near Blackstone Edge.  I knew that the path would be easier to follow here.  I parked the car at the side of the A58 just past the White House and we set out for the Pennine Way again.  Here the Pennine Way runs along the Water Board access road next to the reservoirs.  There had been plenty of people along here but there were still deep drifts of snow next to the reservoir wall.  I stayed on the path but Steve walked in the narrow groove next the reservoir wall.  It wasn’t long before he was larking around again, making Snow Angels, diving into the soft snow drifts and rolling snow balls down the slopes.

We followed the Pennine Way along the south west side of Blackstone Edge Reservoir.  When we reached Head Drain the path improved.  Steve decided to visit the quarry near Light Hazzles Edge.  It looked wonderful, almost as if it had been covered with swirls of whipped cream or meringue.  At one point the snow drift had formed and edge leading up the front of the quarry.  Steve was there like a shot, almost thigh deep in the snow climbing the ridge like a seasoned winter walker.  Steve continued onto the moor above the quarry and I stayed on the Pennine Way until I reached the permissive path along Light Hazzles Reservoirs.  This had not been as well trodden as the Pennine Way and by the time we reached White Holme Reservoir there was just a narrow trod to follow.  It was strange not to see water and just have these large ice fields in front of us.  The reservoirs looked frozen enough to walk on, but I wasn’t going to try that especially after getting wet this morning.

Once we were past White Holme Reservoir the path improved.  The path follows the side of Cold Laughton Drain, which brings water from the moor on the other side of Turvin Road.  The drain is approximately 6 feet deep and usually has about 6 inches of water in it.  Today the drain was filled to the top with snow drifts, in fact in places the snow in the drain was higher than the snow on the path.  In the distance we could see the occasional car driving along Turvin Road towards Mytholmroyd.  They looked as if they were in the middle of a snowy artic scene with Great Manshead Hill rising up behind the cars.

Once we reached the road walking was easier, but we had to keep very close to the snow drifts whenever a car came past.  The sun was starting to get lower and we could feel the air temperature decreasing.  It didn’t take long to get back to the car.  I was glad to get back into the relative warmth of the car.   I drove very carefully down the A58 back towards Littleborough.  In places the slush was starting to turn to ice and I was glad that we hadn’t stayed out any longer.  This is one of our main roads that is often closed when it snows.  In fact Littleborough has Snow Advice Notices to inform motorist when the roads are closed.

This had been a much more pleasant walk than the morning walk. 

N.B. Please remember that although this is graded as an Easy Walk, the winter conditions made the walk more difficult. 

 

Route & Planning

Details and Route Map

Photo Opportunities

Walk Profile

The route map shown here should not be used as a replacement for the appropriate map(s). Before attempting the walk you should check the suitability of this route in relation to your capabilities and experience.