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When? Started: 1993 Who? Started with staff and friends from U H S, Chester. Organiser: Martyn Harris We walk every Wednesday and Saturdays, New Years day and May Day. How many walk? Walks take place as long as there are at least 2 wanting to walk on that day. More walk on a Wednesday than on a Saturday. Most ever: 29. Current group size walking: 2-7 in mid-week and 2-4 on Saturday. Where do we walk? Saturday: Anywhere in North and Mid-Wales, Peak District, Shropshire and the Long Mynd and as far North as the Trough of Bowland. Thursday: Anywhere within about 40 miles of Chester. Type of walk: Distance: 6 – 14 miles (but usually under 10 miles). Climb: up to 4000’ (but usually very much less!). People involved on walks in 2024:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage,, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Winston Feather.

Saturday, 29 October 2011

All Around the Great Orme 29th October 2011

Conwy Mountain from Llandudno West Shore.
An obliging Raven, but not the bird of the day.
Inside St. Tudno's Church.
Walk stats: Distance: 9.6 miles. Climb: 1100' (estimated as GPS reading of over 2000' must have been wind assisted!).
Time: 4 hours 44  minutes. On the move walking average: 2.5 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.0 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn and Roger.
On a day when I thought that I was "Billy No Mates", Roger came to the rescue on Thursday and we decided on a walk around the Great Orme. (Margaret was making a wedding cake and wanted Roger well away from the kitchen!).
Despite the dodgy weather forecast, this turned out to be a superb day for walking, a little blustery at times, but otherwise fine. Shorts were definitely the order of the day, but a fleece was too, but thankfully waterproofs remained in the rucksack.
On this occasion we walked along the toll road from West Shore to Happy Valley, and were amazed to to meet so many other people walking along this route. 
However the most memorable part of this walk was to see a Short-eared owl fly within ten feet of us and in view for quite some time.  After that I didn't care whether it rained or not!
As a change we took the path from Happy Valley straight to St. Tudno's Church,a and for the first time went into the church, after being warned to keep the outer door closed to keep out birds, sheep and goats, a literal rather than a Biblical reference!
Throughout the walk the ever changing light made sure that views were constantly changing, particularly towards Puffin Island and Anglesey.
Birds seen or heard today included: Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Raven, Kestrel, Herring gull, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Eurasian curlew, Meadow pipit, Chaffinch, Great black-backed gull, Mallard, House sparrow, Goldfinch and Great cormorant.
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Britannia Inn, Halkyn, where after the football results, it wasn't a surprise that Chelsea wasn't  at his usual spot at the bar!

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