Distance 14.4 miles
Hight Gained 1722 ft
Grade Moderate
Weather Fine and sunny with a breeze off the sea.
I was feeling a little out of sorts when I set out but decided do a few miles anyway and see if I could walk the stiffness out of my joints. I set off in the direction of Golden Grove via the old railway viaduct and once in Cock Mill Woods woods I decided to take a different route to my usual and turned off on what appeared to be a well used path which followed the course of Stainsacre Beck. At first it was easy going but after a little while, the beck passed through a rocky gorge and the path climbed up a steep hillside and as I progressed it became more and more overgrown. I knew that I only had a mile or so to go before I reached the opposite end of the wood so I stuck with it but I began to notice that on the patches of soft ground there was a complete absence of boot prints, all I could see was deer tracks. At last the path descended to the beck again and from there I found the easiest way was to actually walk in the bed of the stream which was only very shallow in most parts. Eventually came to a place I recognised and lost no time in getting back onto my more usual route along Long Rigg.
Hight Gained 1722 ft
Grade Moderate
Weather Fine and sunny with a breeze off the sea.
I was feeling a little out of sorts when I set out but decided do a few miles anyway and see if I could walk the stiffness out of my joints. I set off in the direction of Golden Grove via the old railway viaduct and once in Cock Mill Woods woods I decided to take a different route to my usual and turned off on what appeared to be a well used path which followed the course of Stainsacre Beck. At first it was easy going but after a little while, the beck passed through a rocky gorge and the path climbed up a steep hillside and as I progressed it became more and more overgrown. I knew that I only had a mile or so to go before I reached the opposite end of the wood so I stuck with it but I began to notice that on the patches of soft ground there was a complete absence of boot prints, all I could see was deer tracks. At last the path descended to the beck again and from there I found the easiest way was to actually walk in the bed of the stream which was only very shallow in most parts. Eventually came to a place I recognised and lost no time in getting back onto my more usual route along Long Rigg.