Author: Dan Calverley

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[…]

This Saturday it’s the Rucksack Club classic Etherow Watershed hike. As predicted a couple of months back, Saturday looks set to be blessed with good weather – dry with a light breeze and plenty of sunshine. There’s been so little rain in the last two months that the ground is dry enough that you can bet on getting round without losing a shoe to the bog monster. Underfoot conditions like this are not to be missed! As per the previous post: The Etherow Watershed is a walk of about 35 miles (56km) with around 4000 ft (1250m) elevation around the edge of the drainage basin of the River Etherow. It starts and finishes at Hobson Moor Quarry, Mottram, then goes via Laddow, Black Hill, Holme Moss, Woodhead, Bleaklow, Coombes Edge, and returning to Hobson Moor about 12 hours after departing. With it being a circular route there are plenty of opportunities to take a shortcut back to the start if that’s your thing. Here’s the route on Strava. Meet at 7.30 a.m. on Saturday at Hobson Moor. https://maps.app.goo.gl/Rx8puKxwDyMv1BYFA GR: SJ 989 966 Email Dan Calverley at outdoormeets@rucksackclub.org if you are interested.

For your convenience, here’s the 2025 outdoor weekend meets programme on a single page. Also available for download to print here. The eagle-eyed amongst you may spot that there are no UK outdoor weekend meets scheduled for a few weekends. Please contact outdoormeets@rucksackclub.org if you are interested in putting on a meet on any of these weekends (one day or the whole weekend). 31st May / 1st June 2nd / 3rd August 9th / 10th August 15th / 16th November 29th / 30th November  

As we now have a gap in the meets calendar at the end of April, it seems a waste of the longer daylight hours and potentially fine spring weather not to put on a meet! So I’m proposing a reboot of the classic Etherow Watershed hike on Saturday 26 April 2025. A regular feature on the RC meets programme, the EW hasn’t been done by the club (I think) since those last few innocent weeks pre-COVID19 in Feb 2020. So it’s well due a revival! (And this hike was my first encounter with the Rucksack Club, way back in 2013, where the photo is from, although I didn’t end up joining the club until last year.) For those not yet in the know, the Etherow Watershed is a walk of about 35 miles (56km) with around 4000 ft (1250m) elevation around the edge of the drainage basin of the River Etherow. It starts and finishes at Hobson Moor Quarry, Mottram, then goes via Laddow, Black Hill, Holme Moss, Woodhead, Bleaklow, Coombes Edge, and returning to Hobson Moor about 12 hours after departing. With it being a circular route there are plenty of opportunities to take a shortcut back to the[…]

Heads up for anyone planning to leave a car in Edale for after their Marsden to Edale hike: unfortunately the new manager of the Ramblers will not accept overnight parking there (only for residents). I explained we would pay and that this is a longstanding thing etc, but they wouldn’t budge. Doublers will have to use the main council car park, which I believe is £6 for the chargeable period 8am to 6pm tomorrow. I’m inclined to finish and celebrate my hike at the Nag’s Head rather than the Ramblers now!

Following on from Ian’s post about the Marsden to Edale walk on Saturday – is anyone brave enough to tackle The Double with me? I was looking forward to being inducted into this Rucksack Club institution, but sadly Andy L can’t lead it this year. I might go for it solo (or might not!), but would definitely rather have company. Happy to do it as a hike in the traditional manner, or as a steady ‘run’. The weather looks set to be not too bad, as things stand at time of posting (New Year’s Eve). So come on, where are all the long distance maestros that the club was once famous for?!! Cheers & Happy New Year Dan

In case it slipped under the radar, just a reminder for anyone who finds themself at a loose end next week that there is a hike on Christmas Day from High Moss. I’m going up on 24th on my way up to Scotland later in the week. Taking my gravel bike and winter mountain gear. Cheers, Dan [Posted 17.12.24]