Join us this Saturday (20 September 2025) for a day hike round the Goyt Valley and Combs Edge, between Whaley Bridge and Buxton. With autumn now in full swing and decent weather forecast for the weekend, this scenic corner of the Peak should be looking fantastic. For added interest, the plan is to locate the twenty clues that legendary climber Joe Brown chiselled into stones around the area while he was an instructor at the White Hall Centre in the 1960s. Each clue gives the coordinates (or occasionally a bearing and distance) to the next one.
The purists are welcome to do it by following the grid references and bearings given in Joe’s clues, using map and compass. I can confirm that the clues all still there and legible. Others may prefer to use this crib sheet, with hints about where to search near the given coordinates (which to be honest are not always accurate). It should take us about eight to nine hours to complete the course at standard Rucksack Club pace.
Distance approximately 31km (19.2 miles) with 1000m (3280 feet) elevation.
Meet 9 a.m. at the back of the White Hall Centre, Old Road, SK031765, https://maps.app.goo.gl/1MvNf8pzLdanJQr17
There is layby parking there for about six cars, but please don’t block access to fields at gates etc.
Bring a map & compass or phone app-based digital map to locate the clues.
Please email outdoormeets@rucksackclub.org to let me know if you plan to join us.