Calver, Curbar, Owler Bar, and Totley

When I was waiting on the platform at Doncaster Station this morning I noticed that new signage had been put up showing Platform 0, even though this additional platform at Doncaster isn't in operation yet.

Terminating services from Hull and Scunthorpe will be using the platform, which is completely separate to the rest of the station so that these trains won't be interfering with traffic on the busy East Coast Main Line. Unfortunately I can't use my free travel pass beyond Thorne in this direction: I like Hull and would be going there a lot if I could. I would be using the city as a base for exploring the Yorkshire Wolds.

My train to Sheffield ran on schedule and the bus out to the Peak District was on time too. I got off at Calver and walked up the track and then through the woods to Hare Knoll. There are some lovely panoramic views up here.

The path descended to the river at New Bridge, which I crossed over then walked on the other bank for a couple of hundred yards before finding the path which climbs up to the northern part of Curbar. I walked north along the road, then took the footpath which cuts through the woods and comes out quite high up on the climb to Curbar Gap on the road. Before reaching the road I stopped to talk to a fellow walker for about ten minutes about local accents; I didn't mention that he had a large globule of transparent snot precariously dangling from the tip of his nose...it looked quite striking as it glistened when the sunlight caught it.

Whilst still down by the river I spent a few seconds reading this notice and pondering what word has been erased; what activity can I now do which I wasn't allowed to previously?

When I reached the road I still had a bit more height to gain though before joining the path which runs along the top of Baslow Edge. I turned left just past the Eagle Stone and later spent a bit of time photographing the Highland cattle...I love the Highland cattle.

I found a path through the boggy parts of Big Moor which took me to the track leading to the cottage at Barbrook Reservoir. I then walked along the main Sheffield to Bakewell road, first to Owler Bar, and then the bus terminus at Totley.

As I approached the terminus I saw that a bus was waiting and so I started to jog. All this movement caused my pelvic muscles to do something that I don't understand causing my trousers to drop down to my knees; I grabbed them, and held onto them for the rest of the day. I've got a sufficiently long length of string in my ruscksack to hold up my trousers, but I didn't want to draw unwanted attention to myself.

I'm very happy to be losing so much weight, and I still need to lose more, but I'm starting to worry about possibly having problems when my weight has reached its optimum and I'm still needing to be on the maximum dose of metformin to keep my blood sugar levels low.

The mixed game pie which I bought at Matlock yesterday and I'm going to have for my supper should help me replace some calories.

Owler Bar To Baslow

Today's walk started with a stretch of about half a mile along the road from Owler Bar until I reached the access road across the moors to Barbrook Reservoir. Taken out of use and decommissioned about twenty years ago it is already getting difficult to distinguish the area covered by the reservoir basin from the rest of Big Moor, the vegetation is nearly the same.

When I reached the reservoir I walked along the top of the dam wall until I reached the spot where it had been breached and then stepped down into the basin, the area that had until not so long ago been underwater. Walking along this section was quite easy, unlike the remainder of my crossing of Big Moor, a large tract of land consisting of mainly tussock grass and a few small areas of heather. Walking through the tussock grass is difficult; it's hard work and in my opinion is some of the most difficult terrain in the Peak District - it's like walking across a large field where hundreds of trampolines are lashed together, then three foot tall pressurised balloons are attached as closely together as possible...then the whole area is covered  with tons of treacle and hay, straw, and sawdust dropped from helicopters...and there you have it, Big Moor [oh, and of course hundreds, if not thousands of adders, England's only venomous snake live there.]

I arrived at White Edge, at the western edge of Big Moor absolutely exhausted, but elated at my first solo crossing. I found the first comfortable spot and sat down and ate my sandwiches before turning south and walking along the footpath, enjoying the views and taking plenty of photographs.

When I reached the car park at Curbar Gap I bought a 100% real orange juice ice lolly; I thought it was the healthiest option now that I'm having to contend with having both rickets and diabetes.

I walked down the road towards Curbar, but before reaching the village turned right, taking a footpath that was new to me, then joining a more familiar path closer to Baslow. At Baslow Nether End I had twenty minutes to wait for the bus; I wasn't feeling too well by this time and I needed some sustenance and so popped in the shop and bought an ice cream, Bakewell Tart flavour. They didn't have my favourite flavour, lemon curd.