Temporarily Misplaced!!!

Despite my navigation training a few nights ago, I today lived up to my user name and found myself 'temporarily misplaced'.

I set off for my long run and had thought that I'd have an easy one around Anglezarke.

I went along the path to the side of the road to Rivington and then headed down past Go Ape and along to the Prep School.  From there I ran down to the Bowling Green and turned right heading towards Yarrow.  I then decided not to go ahead with my cop out 'hill avoision' route and instead to head off onto the open moors.

I turned right before heading up the path to Yarrow and ran down the hill and then along through Dean Wood, crossing the stile into the farm land and then running over to Dean Head Lane and dropping down into Lead Mines Clough.

Through Lead Mines Clough, I ran up to the Bomber Memorial and then kept going up the path along the top of Limestone Clough, eventually ending up in the open moorland.  I kept going, following the stream but then I suddenly lost the path.  I kept picking up sheep trods here and there so followed them along but then got to a point where I wasn't entirely sure where I was.  I had been hoping to get to Round Loaf but I've only ever done it in the opposite direction and so lost my bearings a little.  Luckily, I had a map with me so I just traced where I had come up along the stream and orientated the map to the mast which I could see in the distance.  Looking at the contours of the land I was able to work out pretty much where I was so I just kept heading in the direction to where I thought I might pick up a path.

Rather a ridiculous thing for a fell runner to admit, but I don't like running through moorland when I'm not on a sheep trod at this time of year because I'm terrified of trampling on a birds nest as there are loads of ground nesting birds round these moors.  I managed to keep finding trods and so followed them, jumping over lots of streams cutting through the ground, and falling into some that I didn't notice were there!

Eventually, I could see the flagged path in the distance, which goes up to Great Hill.  I followed the path and headed down towards Rivington Road.  Once on the road I turned right and then left onto Belmont Road/George's Lane and then climbed up the diagonal to the top of Winter Hill.  By this point I was exhausted and the climb to the top was very slow and mostly walked.  I just couldn't summon up the energy to run up it and even struggled just walking.  Think I was having an off day, not helped by how hot and sunny it was today.

At least once on the top I knew that the next three miles home were all pretty much downhill, save for the slight climb up to Two Lads from the off road route from the mast.

I ran down the water tanks side off Two Lads and, coming in the opposite direction, were a group of middle aged women in very inappropriate walking gear.  They were all wearing floaty chiffon numbers and other such outfits but the most annoying thing about them is that, even though they all saw me running towards them and even smiled and said hello, none of them actually moved out of my way!  I had to run around them through the long vegetation and stumbled in a pothole.  No harm done except for ruining my chances of a Strava PR, although I was so tired I don't think that would have happened today anyway.

From George's Lane I then ran down through Wilderswood then home.

Lovely run and nice to be able to use my map and keep up the navigation training.

Total distance - 11.5 miles

http://www.strava.com/activities/153828557