Yorkshire!!!!!!!

Sorry I didn't make it last night. No signal whatsoever. Also apologies that there will be no photos until the weekend. One of mums bits of gadgetry has bust and she's had to order a new one.

Quick recap - yesterday was Snake Road to Crowden, over Bleaklow. Started off quite misty but ended up beautifully sunny. Windy all day, mum and I kept in dad's slipstream! We had a couple of merlins for company.  We saw 6 mountain hares (sadly 3 were no longer with us).

We got to the camp site and those 2 had an ice cream before pitching the tent and brewing up. We'd just got nicely settled leaning against a very comfortable wall when it started to rain. Never to stop all night. It had been the plan to eat dinner at the YHA. Can you believe they had shut a week before Easter without notifying anybody. Fortunately mum had some emergency rations.

These two don't camp very often but when they do they take to it like pigs to their styes. It was porridge for breakfast and dad, the only man who can make porridge that you can eat with a fork, couldn't find his sport, so he fished a plastic fork from his stew and dumplings out of the bin - ugh!

What can we say about today. Well, up to Laddow Rocks, up Black Hill, Wessenden Moor and on to Standedge. During the course of this 'adventure' we ventured on to the Marsden Moor Estate, which dad said was mine. Frankly dad, I don't want to appear ungrateful, but you can keep it.

The day has been very foggy, with poor visibility, and rain,  and you can imagine how we all jumped when we saw the skeletal head of a sheep coming at us. A D of E candidate thought it a jolly jape to attach one to the top of her rucksack.

As we topped Black Hill, we conquered another county and walked in to God's own, Yorkshire (according to mum). As we walked down the hill, we came across a sign "in very wet weather, the river at Dean Clough may be difficult to cross. Recommended diversion to bridge on Kirklees Way". Dad consulted the map, and estimated a 10 mile diversion. As we all know, dad doesn't do unnecessary miles, so down to Dean Clough we skipped. The assumption being, that this would be typical Yorkshire under- statement. Wrong. The weather had obviously been very, very, very, very wet, and the river was flowing very, very, very, very rapidly. Mum made it first, then dad told her to move downstream a bit so she could catch me if I didn't make it. Well thanks pal. Obviously, I cleared it, in one beautiful and graceful leap! So did dad, without the grace and beauty.

We made it to the B&B in good time and everything is drying out nicely. Although dad is hyperventilating about the tent, which is rolled up in a sodden lump at the bottom of his rucksack.

Never mind, as I write, he is wrapping himself around a well pulled pint of Black Sheep, getting over the day.

Hebden Bridge tomorrow.

Keep spreading the word, remember we may not always have a signal, but please stay with us. The very fact that you are logging in, and contributing to our charities, gives us huge encouragement.

M
xx