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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.

Wednesday, 22 January 2020

A "Mistery" Walk Around Halkyn Mountain 22nd January 2020

The first stile of the day conquered!
That's another stile conquered.
That's it, the best stile of the day.
Even the sheep were reluctant to move.
Lunch time in a small quarry opposite the new entrance to Pant-y-pwll-dwr Quarry.
At the trig point on Halkyn Mountain.
I thought that I had taken a photo of the Catch radio masts!
Walk stats: Distance: 7.9 milers. Climb: 613'.
Time: 4 hours 7 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.4 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.9 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Sue and Michel, Roger, Nigel, Fran, Davis S and Wendy.
This wasn't a day when we were expecting to get any views in any direction, so getting to the top of anywhere wasn't a prime objective! Visibility was never good, but thanks to the fact one or two of the group are good talkers it was easy enough to make sure that everyone was never out of hearing distance!
Although we were walking in low cloud/mist all day, it was never particularly cloud and the only breeze we experienced was around Moel-y-Crio.
Seeing birds today wasn't going to be easy, but we did manage to clock up a few. They included: Common blackbird, European robin, Collared dove, House sparrow, Black-billed magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Meadow pipit, Fieldfare and possibly a Raven.
Weather conditions meant that we didn't stop very often, few birds to look at and little reason to stop and take any photographs.
 Unusually for us we did see a large group of ramblers, but ass far as I know, not one linked to North Wales Ramblers.
 Lunch was taken in a small quarry opposite the new entrance to Pant-y-pwll-dwr Quarry, a good place to remember as there were plenty of stones on which to perch.
 After a slightly longer lunch stop than usual, one or two of the group indicated that they were ready to set off again by standing up and putting their rucksacks on.
 Our route took us between Bryn Mawr Quarry and Pen yr Henblas to the Brynford-Halkyn road. In the past the path was clear as it went through a section of high gorse, but today it was somewhat unclear as the gorse had been cut back.
 Usually our route from the trig point on Halkyn mountain was easy to see as we would just head for the masts at windmill and then those at Catch, but today the masts could only be seen when we were about 50 metres away.
 We arrived back at the cars, having had a good walk, perhaps a little shorter than some of us would have preferred, but still knowing that we had had some worthwhile exercise, despite the lack of appreciation of the wonderful industrial heritage that can be enjoyed in this area.
 After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Britannia Inn at Pentre Halkyn, where the Lees Bitter was in tip top condition, but it usually is!
  Someone must have annoyed the driver as they set off without him. Thankfully the driver noticed the empty seat and stopped before leaving the car park and waited for the last member of the group before heading for home!

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