mopped the floor and cleaned the cooker, then up to Meadowhead via the preferred route. Out to Holmesfield, got cut up just as I was about to turn left for Common Side (no not that one) Followed the miscreant all the way down, but never quite close enough to point out the error of his way (just as well probably). Then up the hill to Pudding Pie, being followed by a trotting horse but he never quite caught up. Over Beeley Moor, did a zigzag to avoid the rough bit of track, following the pp route to Derby. There's an enticing looking track off to the right which looks to take you down to Darley Dale, so I followed it - warned by some MTB'ers thst it was pretty rocky, but it was OK to go down on a tourer with a little walking - uphill might be a different matter, Down to Two Dales, across the A6, found mysefl in the car park
of DFS Sofas. You can get on to the narrow path that runs alongside Peak Rail - this might be fun to follow down sometime, narrow but cycleable (give way to walkers of course, but it's not exactly the pennine way) had a look at the station, no large kettles in sight, so on to on to Winster & Elton - this a strenuous climb. Beyond Elton you are in one of those area where nothing is quite like it looks on the map- set off down a road then convinced myself I was going the wrong away, went back to the top, discovered I wasn't. Despite this my best efforts to come out on the Long Rake west of Youlgreave were thwarted (think I know what do next time though) and I swooped across the Bradford vallet leaving with me with that tedious climb out of Y. continuing to Arbor Low. I knew I had to turn around at 2:30, and this was rapidly approaching, so a quick cup of tea and cohocolate cake at Parsley Hay was in order, the soft cyclists parading around in their smart gear, with my Sustrans tabard on (become a Sustrans ranger and get one free) I felt like everyone's great-uncle. (Sustrans didn't built the Tissington & High Peak trails of course, but they have linked them in to the Pennine Cycleway, forming a continuous route between Derby & Berwick-upon -Tweed and placing a requirement that the trail be kept up to NCN standards. ) Turning around, shot back down the way I had just come, across Lathkildale with its steep climb out, found a neat little way in/out of Bakewell,
stopped to take water (it was HOT!) over to Froggatt, drifted up the climb to Longshaw with the wind following, checked out whether the path through the estate is a bridleway but the evidence is inconclusiv. Shot down Hathersage Rd, across Sheephill to Ringinglow, then down the 50th anni route (unusual to go down it - usually the temptation to shoot down Ringinglow Rd is too strong.) Just below Forge Dam, took the new route up to Fulwood (loose surface and bit steep - had to push up the last bit just because I couldn't get any grip) - leaving me to hurtle down to the Rising Sun to meet Ian Sam and Andy for a world-shattering meet of the Executive and a couple of tasty well-earned pints, before repairing to Kumquat Mae for dinner.