Crowden brook un soft snow

Parking in the car park at Upper Booth I met a fellow member of Buxton Mountain Rescue Team http://www.buxtonmountainrescue.org.uk/ Peter Parker.

 http://www.moorlandadventure.co.uk/ we had a chat about this un that then moved on.

A small jaunt up Crowden Brook today saw an interesting change in the weather. All looked good till the rain started as I walked up through Upper Booth past the farm and into the Clough. Rain,why rain it's meant to be winter. There's plenty of snow on the ground and the whole of Derbyshire is locked in a winters coat, but it seems that it not to last. The change in temperature has started a thaw, a thaw which is not really welcomed, certainly by me as an avid climber. It's also a slightly different walk, I am testing out my new purchase. I recently purchased a new rucksack so that I didn't need to keep emptying my MRT bag ever time I went out on none MR (Mountain Rescue) walk. I can say that the Montane Medusa 32 did everything it said on the ticket, super light and rugged to boot. Well chuffed, I will be looking to change my MRT rucksack over to Montane as soon as the spon du licks allow.

http://www.montane.co.uk/range/packs/medusa-32

The super little barn on the way to the beck.

Crossing the little bridge before the Clough opens up.

Looking up Crowden Clough.

Looking back towards Mam Tor.

Heading deeper in to the jaws of the Clough and the steep acent towards the plataue. The mist is cloaking the summit, the cloud base has lowered to around 550 meters preventing a superb view of Crowden tower.

Doogle sporting his outdoor jacket.

Heading back home the light starts to fade.

Misty Cloughs

Sitting on Rushup Edge waiting for Tom to arrive, weathers very dismal and grey. Lots of DofE in the distance coming down off Chaple Gate track, like little drowned rats dressed in orange maccs.

Parked at Tipps car park, not many spaces left. Kit change, boots on and were off up to Upper Booth to join the track into Crowden Clough.

Super walk in over the river, lots of people in the beck gorge walking. Into the Clough now heading up to the water falls.

Looks inviting, plenty of water in the brook.

Tom and John at the bad step just before we head on up into the brook.

Bad step negotiated and it off up the side of the Clough and into the moors for a bit of navigation training.

One last look before we head on in to the awaiting mist, blanket mist down to floor level.

Making our way from Crowden Head to Kinder gates had to be performed via leap frogging. New technique for Tom and a re cap for John. All went well, tom found a new skill in handling fog and john made a super marker post dressed all in black (ninja)

Of course all the navigation was performed with map and compass, I used the OS mapping on the IPhone to show the bigger picture of the progress the guys were making, super tool but never to be used as a stand alone system.

So another great day in the Peak District.