Meet report 3-5th July 2026 at the Orpheus Caving Club cottage.

Attending: Stuart Dix, John Dobson, Aurore Sansinena, Tim Josephy, Nick Crapnell, Mick Borroff, Michael Smith, Steve Crossley, Peter Baker, Carol Baker, Mark Rothwell, David Large, Geraldine Lally, Ignacio Corradini, Helen Brewitt, Conrad Tetley, James Greaves.

Steve Crossley arrived early on Friday and set off on his bike for a circular tour. In the afternoon,he met four others, Mark Rothwell, Helen Brewitt, Peter Baker and Tim Josephy travelling the opposite way on a steep hill. Her was somewhat miffed that they appeared to ignore him; in fact they were all concentrating on avoiding a wipeout.

It was a splendid afternoon for a ride. The quartet went South on the Tissington Trail, along Carsington Water and back along the High Peak Trail, stopping for a welcome pint at the very pleasant pub in Carsington. Mark’s bottom bracket bearing showed noisy signs of incipient failure near Casington Water and he had to complete the ride in low gear, legs moving at an astonishing speed.

Michael Smith walkedt to Arbor Low Henge, an impressive earthwork work with a circle of tall stones unfortunately now collapsed.  Then via the Limestone Way from Monyash to drop into Lathkill Dale from its southern side and returning through Bagshaw Dale. 

On Saturday, Mick decided to re-walk one of his first hikes in the Peak District going back to the days when he was a long-haired student caver at Loughborough. So with Conrad, John, Geraldine, and Martyn they drove to Monyash, where the an Ultra Challenge was being staged with 100/75/50 km options. Having forgotten to enter, they followed the start of their route down into the steep sided valley of the lovely National Nature Reserve of Lathkill Dale. They soon encountered the impressive portal of Lathkill Head Cave. It was dry, but almost the whole system floods to the roof in wet weather, when a sizeable river rises. The eponymous river now emerging from springs lower down is gin-clear and as it became larger, they soon observed a few trout. Martyn photographed a little field mouse. At the confluence with the River Bradford, they turned upstream and then diverted through Youlgreave for a spot of refreshment and “hell’s bells” as the local campanologists were practicing. There were more of Mick’s caving recollections about crawling through liquid mud in Cales Dale Cave, as they returned to the car via Calling Low and One Ash Grange.

Michael and James Greaves walked 17km from Hartington, the high route past Carder Low to High Wheeldon to peer into Fox Hole Cave then down steeply to the BMC’s Aldery Cliff crag. They returned along the Dove valley to Crowdicote’s Pack Horse Arms for a refreshing pint then on to the remains of Pilsbury Castle and a light shower or two as they headed up to the Dove’s western scarp and down to the car.  Half a kilometre from the end they met a DofE group with one of the girls clearly distraught having realised that they had set off on the wrong side of the valley.

Steve and Stuart Dix walked north up the Tissington Trail, then followed lanes south past the wonderfully named Custard Field Farm and into Hartington.  They then cut east along farm tracks to Heathcote where they rejoined the Tissington Trail which took them back to the Orpheus hut.  A very pleasant and relaxing circular walk.

Helen, Mark and Aurore Sansinena climbed at Harpur hill  on the Long Wall sector. Various routes from 5+ to 6a+ were climbed including , Easy on the Gas (6a), The Pillar Talk(6a+) Have we Addit (6a+). Some loose rock was encountered which although worrying is par for the course in this quarry. A few light showers interupted but did not deter a good days climbing. 

David Large, Nick Crapnell and Ignacio Corradini went to the imposing Beeston Tor to climb two multi pitch HVS routes. The previous (feathered) tenants had only recently departed and must surely have lost their deposit (or left their deposit?) considering the mess they left behind. In time honoured fashion, a day out with David ended well after dark.

Tim cycled down the Tissington Trail again and carried on South before crossing over to the Manifold Valley, passing Beeston Tor without seeing the climbers. He returned to the hut via a network of bridleways and tracks.

With guidance from a couple of Orpheus members, a partition wall was removed, furniture scavenged from around the hut and a table for 18 was constructed to consume Stuart’s  excellent repast.

Sunday dawned unseasonably wet and windy, although the weather improved later in the morning.  Mick, Conrad, Helen, Aurore, Jim and John drove over to the village of Wormhill for a another varied outing which took in a section of the Pennine Bridleway, the Monsal Trail with its tunnels and excellent cafe, Chee Dale and Monk’s Dale – the latter is another National Nature Reserve, a dry gorge with natural woodlands, where numerous colonies of Early Purple orchids were seen amongst many other wildflowers.

This was a well attended and most enjoyable meet Thanks to Stuart for the catering and the Orpheus CC for the use of their cottage.