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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.

Thursday 15 May 2014

Around the Horseshoe Passes, Eglwyseg Rocks and Glen 15th May 2014

On the Clwydian Way, heading for the Eglwyseg Valley.
A fine tre in blossom (a cherry tree I think, but you may know better!).
A lamb born a few minutes old, still being cleaned by its mother.
Panorama as we approached the Eglwyseg Valley.
On the Offa's Dyke Path below Eglwyseg Rocks.
Pentre-Dwfr, decision time, but some of us need a rest!
Bluebells in a place that we didn't expect to see them, the Oernant Valley.
Walk stats: Distance: 9.1 miles (Roger did 9.3 miles), Climb: 1592' (Roger did a little less!).
Time: 6 hours 3 minutes. On the more walking average: 2.0 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.5 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Roger, Phil, Celia and David S.
The weather forecast today was superb, in reality its lived up to its name, but we didn't factor in the few spots of rain that we had as we were eating our lunch on the Offa's Dyke Path below the Eglwyseg Escarpments.
 This is superb walk with fantastic views all day, we even encountered a friendly labrador, but its owner was more of a problem!
 The bird of the day was without doubt the Cuckoo, we heard up to five different birds, alas not seeing any of them. Their call is always a joy to hear as is the singing of a Skylark that we heard as we contoured around Moel y Faen. The latter part of the walk was suggested by Phil as a better way than slogging up the Old Horseshoe Pass road from Pentre-Dwfr.
 Our surprise of the day was to see so many Bluebells on valley slopes, both in the Eglwyseg Valley and the Oernant Valley.
 Birds seen or heard today included: Red billed chough, Blue tit, Great tit, Pied wagtail, Willow warbler, Chiffchaff, Common pheasant, Black billed magpie, Wheatear, Stonechat, Common blackbird, Raven, Carrion crow, Jackdaw and Skylark.
 After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Red Lion at Penyffordd, where we were able to sit outside enjoying our drinks in almost perfect temperatures of about 20 Celsius and su hats still needed!

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