Seán Donohoe

(*Just outside the Peak District) My first trad outing of the year🪢 Really nice day out with a small group of Sheffield Mountaineers. We tried out a variety of roped climbs and short scrambles at Wharncliffe, which was a new venue for me. There were a good variety of climbs from chimneys to slabs. Everyone was very supportive of each other - this is something I really like about these crag meetups. The weather was a little cool but at least dry for most of the day. Looking forward to more climbing meetups and developing my skills. 🧗‍♂️😃

Pleasant forest and wind farm walk on a mild day

Chasing waterfalls 🌊 "What do you do on a Friday night?" is a question, for me, where the answer has changed a lot in the past year or so... This brilliant outing with Sheffield Mountaineers was the culmination of a GMT-season of dark hikes and scrambles. Unfortunately I didn't manage to attend them all, but I'm sure glad I went on this one! We met just after sunset in Dovestone Reservoir car park and set off past the reservoir on the path up Chew Brook. It became quite interesting with some stream crossings, a big boulder (which invited a little bit of climbing!) and some mushy ground where some "bog dancing" may have taken place... The start of Wilderness Gully East was relatively easy to find and we wasted no time getting onto the scrambling. Even though plenty of water was coming down the gully, the gritstone rock was still grippy. There are plenty of good holds on this route too. It is continuous scrambling all the way to the top, which was very good fun. The darkness and the waterfalls made it more exciting. It was great to reach the top edge, where we had a short break before walking over to the nearby Wilderness Gully West for the down-scramble. This gully is more straightforward, so better for down-scrambling. Care was still required as there were some slimy sections of rock. There was a nice boggy pool to be avoided at the bottom 😄 We all gathered on a grassy patch then walked up a slope to the main track. From here it was a good, straightforward walk back down to the reservoir. The bright moonlight, stars and distant city lights gave the place real atmosphere. It was good to get changed into dry clothes! This was a really fun outing which was well worth making the journey for. The only downside is that it has now raised the bar for what I look for from a scramble! What a start to the weekend 😎

A Magical Morning 🌄 Hills: Shining Tor 🔼 Whetstone Ridge (not summit) Shutlingsloe 🔼 Tegg's Nose Charity Lane (unnamed hill, not summit) A gorgeous morning where I went looking for the northern lights... and think I found them 🤔 In any case, it was the most beautiful dawn I've ever seen! The walk up to Shining Tor from near the Cat & Fiddle Distillery is quite straightforward and not strenuous. I spent a lot of time around here taking photos and just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. After a very nice sunrise, I headed back down and set off on the walk proper 😄 The walk across Whetstone Ridge was straightforward and the route down by Cumberland Brook was beautiful, with fine views ahead to Shutlingsloe. The weather was fine but a little hazy. I met a few people out running / dog walking. My ascent up Shutlingsloe was quite steep but the views from the top are great! I met a few people here and had a short break before heading down through Macclesfield Forest. It's a pleasant mix of forest and reservoir trails. I did need to take a diversion as one of the reservoir footpaths was closed. The views across to Tegg's Nose were impressive, for a small hill. It also combined with some nice water views. Tegg's Nose was a novelty for me, as it's not an Ethel and doesn't have a trig point. It's an unusual hill in that it is a country park with various things to look at and picnic areas etc. The weather by now was clouding over, although I still had views to surrounding hills. After descending Tegg's Nose, I had a long road bash to get back to the start. Thankfully I avoided traffic for some of it by traversing Charity Lane, a bridleway on an unnamed (?) forested hill that runs just below the summit. The remainder of the route was basically on A-roads with trafffic. The sting in the tail was a long slog back up to the start near the Cat & Fiddle. I did at least see a paraglider flying above Shining Tor (an area well-known for paragliding) 🪂 Afterwards, I decided to stop at the Country Kitchen Café en route home, for a well-anticipated dinner. 😃 A fine day out.

In memory of our friend Mark Sheffield Mountaineering held a wonderful memorial hike and short scramble on Kinder Scout in honour of our friend Mark, who sadly had a tragic accident on a mountain last year. We were joined by some of his family and close friends, which made it even more special. The weather was cool but sunny and spring-like, ideal conditions for the time of year. The approach to Red Brook along the River Kinder is famously muddy, but everyone managed this ok. The grade 1 scramble, which I have done a few times, was enjoyable, although definitely slippery in places. At the top of the scramble, a couple of us did an extra little out-and-back to reach the true summit of Kinder Scout (my first time at this location!) On the return, the group were have lunch at the top of Red Brook, accompanied by a very inquisitive sheep who was interested in snacks! We continued along the edge, past the Downfall and impressive rock formations with great views down to the reservoir. The descent was via Ashop Head, William Clough and the reservoir, then back out along the road. Many of the group met for a post-hike social in the Sportsman Inn afterwards. A very enjoyable day all round, and we also raised a good amount of money for Mountain Rescue in honour of our friend.

Fascinating historical visit to one of Edinburgh's biggest attractions. It was thronged with tourists, as expected! So much to see and experience. The cannons, including the One O'Clock Gun! The War Museum, the War Memorial, The Great Hall and The Prison Rooms. Along with fantastic views of Edinburgh. Definitely recommended. I had a light lunch in Gladstone's Land café on the Royal Mile afterwards. 😋 Note: Forgot to stop recording before getting on tram! 🚃 Distance should be approximately 4.5 km.