Todays walk in detail

On a glorious hot day in late May eleven of us set out from Monsal Head not knowing perhaps how we would cope with one of the hottest days of the year [26/27 degrees]. Welcome to Kayleigh [ great to be named after the marvellous song by Marillion] who joined us for the first time. We were not inconvenienced by too many bikes along the Monsal Trail before heading up the relatively steep climb from Cressbrook Mill. Our coffee break was taken above Cressbrook Dale before we walked along the valley with the impressive Peter's Stone in view. We then made our way to Foolow for our lunch break, the proximity of "The Bull's Head" providing some welcome refreshment for 5 of us. Then it was across numerous fields before reaching Watersaw Rake and Black Plantation. The big question was then would I get it right this time and not turn what was planned as a 9 mile walk into a 14 mile one. Fortunately I chose the correct path [unlike the one I took on the recce]. It was then down through the woods and onto the road which took us back to our starting point at Monsal Head. I must thank everybody for coming on the walk in what could have been quite a tough one with the heat, but you all coped with it extremely well. It made me wonder how our colleagues were dealing with the heat in Northern Spain where temperatures would seem to be much higher. Thanks to Roy for being backmarker. "The Crispin" proved to be a good place for our welcome and deserved drinks at the end and not too busy unlike the other pub we passed on our way back to Monsal Head.