On the drive up to Kidsgrove, the rain beat down on my car
windscreen for all but the last ten minutes of the journey, making me think
that I was going to be running all day in the rain. The rain had stopped and I
parked in the Kidsgrove station car park. I got my trainers and bag on and
started at the start of the Gritstone Trail.
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| The Start |
The start followed canal towpaths for the first couple of
miles, which allowed me to get my legs going. I noticed that my new Salamon
pack was very comfortable even with extra weight than usual. After a couple of
miles the trail turned off right and started up hill along road and footpaths
until it came to the top of my first hill of the day, Mow Cop.
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| Mow Cop Castle |
The views from Mow Cop and along the Congleton Road we’re
good and then there was some fun skipping over the rocky, muddy paths on Edge
Hill. The trail then went down off the hill and was followed by a boring of
couple of miles along a disused railway path. The trail then turned off the
path and uphill across muddy farmers fields to Timbersbrook. The muddy fields
we’re very slippy and this is where I decided I chosen the wrong footwear and
should have gone for more grip.
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| View along the trail from Mow Cop |
From Timbersbrook the path ascended up the hill called the
Cloud. After the ascent, I made it to the trig on The Cloud, where there we’re
great views all around, including views back to Mow Cop and then further ahead
to the rest of the Gritstone Trail. There was a quick descent off The Cloud and
then the trail followed the Dane Valley Way, adjacent the river Dane where the
path was very boggy and slippy making it hard work.
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| View from The Cloud |
The trail then turned north off the Dane Valley Way and then
uphill across farmers fields before the trail then went down into a valley and
then started the ascent up Wincle Mimm. The weather turned at this moment and
rain soaked me and it was cold on top of the hill and along the ridge. The
trail dropped down to the road and then went sharply up to Croker Hill which
had a great steady grassy descent off which was a great bit of running.
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| Teggs Nose |
The trail passed the reservoirs at the bottom of Teg’s Nose
and then sharply up Tegg’s Nose, which seemed to take a long time to get up. At
the top there wasn’t much to look at as the weather hadn’t improved. I
continued down to the Tegg’s Nose Visitor Centre where I hoped I could get some
food as I had run out due to my poor packing as I had forgot to pack the Eccles
Cake. I got very hungry.
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| White Nancy on Kerridge Hill |
A good runable descent took me down to Tower Hill and then
he trail went up Kerridge Hill and to White Nancy where there we’re good views
due to the weather improving. The trail went down past Bollington before the
trail took a long ascent uphill which really tested my aching legs. The trail
carried on uphill to the road which I ran for a bit before taking a few minutes
to change the map, take a break and wish I had some food.
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| Looking back from the ascent up towards Sponds Hill |
I headed back up the trail before I got too cold and continued
up Sponds Hill on tired legs, as I had done about 30 miles at this point. As it
was starting to get dark I didn’t hang around on the hill and continued along
the hill until the trail headed down off the hill. The descent was quite sharp
so it was quick running which then continued through a dark wood until it came
to Lyme Hall. I stopped and put on my headtorch and finished off the trail in
the dark. Having made it to the end of the Gritstone Trail at Disley Station, I
had covered 35 miles and 5300ft ascent. I then took trains back to Kidsgrove
after a change at Stockport.
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| The End |
