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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: 2-10 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 2020:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage, Wendy Peers, Celia de Mengle, Wendy and Ian Peers, Roger Smith, Paul Collinson, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Celia de Mengle, Sue Pearson.

Saturday 7 April 2012

A Tale of Two Quarries and More 7th April 2012

Looking towards the Dee valley, almost a view.
Looking towards Rhiw Goch Quarry.
The easy bit of the walk.
Still in snow after passing through the old part of the Berwyn quarry.
Our final view of the Dee Valley as we descended from Berwyn Quarry to Rhewl.
Walk stats: Distance: 7.5 miles. Climb: 1859'.
Time:  6 hours 4 minutes. On the move walking average: 1.7 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.2 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn and Dave J.
Drizzle was on the forecast and drizzle was what we got in abundance!  However it wasn't cold and we did get a little sunshine as we had lunch just beyond Rhiw Goch quarry.
As a variation, we decided to take a footpath leading Northward from Elenechtyd to Cefn-y-coed. However when we approached Cefn-y-coed the landowner informed us that the footpath had not been in existence for over 30 years! However he did allow us to go through and onto the access track.
We didn't hit any snow until after lunch and as we started to rise towards bwlch between Moel y Gaer and Moel y Gamelin and then it was as bad, if not worse than anything we had to negotiate on Moel Fenlli earlier in the week.  However worse to come, not in terms of depth, but as the snow was melting it made conditions very slippy underfoot, and manage to slip over several times, but at least it was a soft landing each time!
Only a 7.5 miles walk, but we arrived back at the car with tired legs, realising that this walk had been quite demanding.
Birds seen or heard today included: Mallard, Carrion crow, House sparrow, Blue tit, Great tit, Chaffinch, Mandarin, Common buzzard, Coal tit, Dunnock, European robin, Common blackbird, Meadow pipit, Skylark, Great spotted woodpecker, Green woodpecker, Song thrush, Winter wren, Grey wagtail, Pied wagtail and probably Fieldfare.
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Grouse Inn at Carrog, where the Lees bitter went down well.
A good walk and back home before six!

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