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Tour du Mont Blanc Day One – Les Houches to Refuge du Fioux

The storm eventually passed over in the early hours leaving behind a dry but overcast morning. Steve slept right through it all, not a care in the world, that’s an Irishman for you. Although it’s dry now, more thunder and lightning are forecast for the afternoon, just as we will be at our high point on the Col de Voza, so there is some urgency to our efforts to get out of Les Houches and on the trail in order to beat the storm.

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The Tour du Mont Blanc – An Introduction

It’s been a long two days in the driving seat, it turns out the Alps are a long way from the UK but at 5pm we roll into Bellevue Campsite in Les Houches. Dark, brooding, rain filled clouds are hanging low over the Chamonix valley cloaking the mountains. The atmosphere is still and electrified, awaiting the coming storm. The driving has stopped but walking the Tour du Mont Blanc is just about to begin. I’m tired but excited in equal measure and I can’t wait for the next twelve days.

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A walk up Place Fell from Patterdale

Place Fell is one of Lakeland’s iconic and best known mountains. The walk up it from Patterdale, one of it’s prettiest villages is a Goldilocks walk, not too long, nor too steep, but just right. It attracts children and grandmothers alike, neither of whom would be inclined to tackle other tops and the view from its small but perfectly formed summit is also one of Lakeland’s finest.

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A walk up Rest Dodd and The Nab from Brotherswater

It’s a dank grey day in Lakeland with a cloud filled leaden sky hovering worryingly over it. A day where the monochrome clouds threaten to descend to earth and smother the tops with their blanket of invisibility. Having a self imposed rule that I will see the view from each summit as opposed to only the hand in front of my face has inevitably meant some return visits on my journey through the Wainwright’s. This is because the weather does what it wants and does not seem the slightest bit interested in my needs, wants or desires. If we were in a relationship it would not be a happy one. It’s all good exercise though and as the saying goes, a cloudy day on the hill is still better than a good day in the office, not that I have had occasion to visit the office recently. And so it is in this frame of mind that I set off, more in hope than anticipation towards Rest Dodd and The Nab.

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Stony Cove Pike and Hartsop Dodd from Brotherswater

Putting my boots on in the car park of the Brotherswater Inn, my eyes are drawn upwards to the long straight grassy ridge that leads to the summit of Caudale Moor. Stretching high into the blue sky it gives the mountain the look of a giant green Lakeland pyramid and I wonder what ancient king is buried at its centre. This ridge is my chosen route to the heights today where I’ll be visiting Caudale Moor, (which has a somewhat split personality as it is also known as Stony Cove Pike and John Bell’s Banner) and Hartsop Dodd. The ridge looks pretty steep from the car park but I console myself with the words of Wainwright, who says “Of the many approaches to the summit, this is by far the best”.

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Five Wainwrights from St Peter’s Church Martindale

The morning sunlight is casting soft shadows over the quiet valley of Martindale as I park up at St Peter’s Church. Time passes slowly in this peaceful remote valley on the edge of Lakeland. St Peter’s sister church, St Martin’s, a little further down the valley dates from the fifteenth century and has a thirteen hundred year old yew tree in its graveyard. Not far away there is a Queen Victoria post box dating from 1851. Five Wainwright’s is a lot for me but they fitted together nicely when I was planning the route. So ahead of me, on what is turning out to be a fine spring day are Steel Knotts, Wether Hill, Loadpot Hill, Arthur’s Pike and Bonscale Pike.

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Sandstone Trail Day Three Burwardsley to Whitchurch

This last section of the Sandstone Trail is possibly the best. There is sustained good walking throughout the day along varied and interesting paths passing through differing landscapes. There are hills to climb with sandstone escarpments to walk along providing panoramic views of surrounding counties. There is peaceful walking to be had through ancient woodland and unique heathland and, once across the obligatory fields there is a pleasant watery flat section along the Llangollen canal before a short walk across town takes you to the finish in Jubilee Park, Whitchurch.

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Sandstone Trail Day Two Willington to Burwardsley

Today’s section of the Sandstone Trail turns out to be a walk of two halves, the first, fields and crops, the second canals, woods and castles. I’m dropped off where I finished last week and the early walking is a very pleasant downhill section along a pretty tree lined track. Thick old oaks and beech trees line the trail, roots exposed on some by the erosion of the path. The walking is easy along soft earth with views between the oaks of flat green fields and distant Welsh hills. It’s another warm dry summers day and the morning sun is strobing through the leaves.

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Sandstone Trail Day One Frodsham to Willington

The Sandstone Trail is a thirty four mile footpath that runs down the centre of my home county of Cheshire. Starting in Frodsham it follows a sandstone ridge south through the Cheshire countryside giving good views of the Cheshire plain, the Clwydian hills in the west and the Peak District in the east. It finishes in the attractive market town of Whitchurch. Being a walker and living locally I have walked various sections of it over the years.

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Port de Pollença to Cala Sant Vicenç via Coll de Siller

The walk over the Coll de Síller begins in the attractive tourist resort of Port de Pollença with its bars, restaurants and sun worshipers and ends in the smaller but equally busy resort of Cala Sant Vicenç with its bars, restaurants and sun worshipers. In between there is a slice of Mallorca that would be alien to most of the bikini clad beach dwellers who tend not to venture beyond the resorts. It’s only a short walk but can be lengthened if you decide to return over the pass after spending time in Cala Sant Vicenç. It holds interest for walkers because of the views along the Cavall Bernat ridge and down to Port de Pollença and the way, in only a mile, it connects ‘holiday resort’ Mallorca with a bit of ‘walking’ Mallorca. 

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