Rushup Edge and Cowburn Tunnel Ventilation Tower.

Geoff was back from his Scottish holiday so we were all together and decided to go to Rushup Edge. Left at the usual 06:00 and got there for 07:00 and no one about. It was a gorgeous morning with a clear sky and no wind, perfect for walking. There was a bit of early haze about when looking towards the sun. We set off and it was all uphill until we got up to Lords Seat (1800 feet). The views all around are brilliant. Once on the top we could see our objective which was the air shaft tower which is over the Cowburn railway tunnel. The track was a mixture of beaten heather and bedrock which started to go slightly downhill then leveled off. We saw and heard numerous skylarks at this point, they do make a beautiful sound when on the wing. We got to a fork in the track and the footpath has been recently laid with some brilliant old flagstones and this went on for quite a long way. They would of had to been air lifted in by helicopter. Then this lovely path just stopped and it was quite a way to the tower over rough heather, very heavy on the legs. On the way to the tower we spotted a strange stone structure so Ike and Rob headed off to that while Geoff and myself went on to the tower. We took a load of pics then set off towards the stone structure to meet up with Ike and Rob. It turned out to be a drystone beehive hut looks like its just been built recently. There are no footpaths to it or the air shaft tower. We stopped here for our breakfast and then headed back the way we had came. When we got back to Lords Seat you can see over to Mam Tor and it was teaming with people. There were a few Para gliders about too i supose it was perfect weather for them, very colourful.

The sun over Mam Tor

This weeks route for Rushup Edge

Geoff getting ready

You can just see the Hope Valley Cement works in the haze

Start of the footpath with Rob & Ike

View looking to Mam Tor

Heading up to Lords Seat

Geoff, Ike & Rob

Lords Seat at 1800 feet

Cotton grass by a small pond

Skylark

Skylark

The air shaft tower is the small blob on the horizon left hand side.

Rob found a peg leg

Me, Rob, Ike and Geoff

Ike, Rob Geoff on the yellow brick road

Shaft No2 over the Cowburn Railway tunnel

Geoff

Looks like a small castle from a distance

The drystone beehive hut

The roof of the hut

Rob, Geoff and Ike

Geoff got stuck coming out of the hut.

Its a fantastic structure and you could stand up inside.

This is the brilliant footpath been laid across the moor.

The Yellowbrick Road

Flagstone

Flagstone

Flagstone

Moutin bikers get everywhere

Geoff having a breather

Mam tor and the great ridge in the background

Para Glider

The hillside is covered with Bilberry shrubs

Looking into the Edale Valley

 

The top of Mam Tor shot from Rushup Edge

One of the beautiful residences in the Edale Valley

Heading back down to the car

There's a few Para gliders in the haze

On the way home.

 Another cracking walk and it was good to have my mate Geoff back in the fold. My highlight was hearing the skylarks and actually getting a pic of one on the ground.
See you next week.