I've set a new record for terrain 4+ caches of 28. 

Why?

Well I wanted to set a record that stood the test of time. And terrain 4+ caches are my kind of thing. It made for a fantastic days running.

Here's the bookmark http://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.aspx?guid=e4ffdc5a-f58f-4ee9-b145-0e6b9fcf69c4

I did the round on 22 May over Bleaklow & Kinder in the Peak District. I'd been waiting for the right time - several weeks of little rain to dry out the peat, coupled with a day with a good forecast.

So at 5.30am I parked up at Snake Pass summit then strolled to within 161m of the start - the first terrain 4 cache at 6am, picking up 2 other caches on the way.

All I had with me was a small sack with a chocolate bar per hour, a couple of water bottles which I refilled en route & some spare clothes. I'd read up on all the caches & had printed off all spoiler piccies. I'd also produced a route card on memory map & printed this off along with a couple of A3 maps. Tied to my belt was a pen on a string, which I kept knocking off. 

First cache was Doctors Gate. There was early morning mist on the tops, it was cold so I donned hat, gloves, sweatshirt & cag. Lovely time to be out running though. 

Ahead were several caches of under terrain 4. I now wish I'd picked them up as the owner has recently reclassified them as terrain 4! I visited James' Thorn, an aircraft wreck memorial in a lovely place, then headed for Dog Rock. This was an oldtimertoo cache - so no hint, a piccy & a pink cache container.

Martyn's Rest & Stonefield Well were both fairly new caches. Surely M1EYO hadn't put them out & named them after me? Answer - no he hadn't, just my ego getting the better of me. 

I'd drifted over to the far west of Bleaklow, away from the heather & overlooking Glossop on Cock Hill. The terrain was good but the same couldn't be said for my cache finding abilities. I'd spent too long on the last few caches so I reverted to plan B which involved dropping the Grinah Stones multi.  

The mist was clearing now but there was still a cool breeze at 8am. I headed to the north slopes of Bleaklow where I hit heather & slowed to a walk. I also logged my first DNF - Beaver. M1EYO said afterwards "You did realise you were looking for a nano..."

The views from here over Longdendale to my home patch of Chew Valley are wonderful. The going underfoot was less so. Finally the sun burnt off the mist & I stripped off to my top & shorts.

I'd discussed the next cache, Sikorski with M1EYO so knew what I was looking for. Dead easy. But for you aircraft wreck enthusiasts, this is one for you

After descending into a dry Wildboar Clough & running up the rocky riverbed - American style, I then climbed out of the deep valley when faced with a rock climb up a greasy waterfall. Yuk.

Back on the tops, there were hares everywhere. You'd have thought you were in limestone country. They were breeding like, er, rabbits. So it was appropriate that the next M1EYO cache was called Hare Island.

A couple more caches on heather took me finally to John Track Well & a path leading me past the infamous kissing Wain Stones to Bleaklow Head & another pink oldtimertoo cache.

The peat was springy & a joy to run on - so different to the winter when every sludgy footstep saps energy. The landscape was bright, almost moonscape with so much white gravel on the ground from the eroded rocks. I'd done 14 caches & it was 11am so went for Blacksmiths Delight at Bleaklow Stones along a fantastic peaty path following stakes.

The owner must have been on drugs when he placed it with a hint like "A zulu will never be an hour early". I found the cache easily but others haven't been so fortunate....

There were many amusing logs but the best was by Team Hippo who were totally hacked off  by the cache

"..leaving a mile and a half of the most arduous and unpleasant walking I have undertaken for a long time. By the time I reached Bleaklow Stones I was feeling nauseous with exhaustion, and my sense of humour had entirely deserted me. I was in no mood for mumbo jumbo about Zulus and full moons, so it was left to my caching companion to sniff out the cache, which he did in just a couple of minutes.... Thanks for the exercise, but there’s no way I shall be back here in a hurry!" Classic.

I was turning south now & picked up a few caches - Beware Jasper, Grains in the Water and  Not a Castle in Sight before the long haul out of Alport Dale, up over to Cowms Rocks. This is rarely visited but sits high above the Woodlands Valley in a beautiful location.

I now saw the next cache - on the hillside across the other side of the valley. But I was off the rough stuff & onto nice short grass & paths. So straight down to the A57 & up the other side to Crookstone Knoll. My last major climb but I collapsed in a heap when I finally got there. Another rarely visited cache. Hmm, wonder why!

The Kinder plateau now opened up. I'd decided to drop another cache from my schedule, On top of t'Kinder - The Big Cup, so I was back on time. From Crookstone Knoll, I kept correectly guessing where I'd find good paths. Many of the cache placements were amongst the big tor-like rocks and paths led to & from them. The first was Madwomans Grave followed by Blackden Brook, on the airy northern edge.

However a tough north to south crossing of the plateau led me to Help ma boab I've torn ma breeches, surely more at home in Scotland, but the views down to Edale were superb. Kinder is for sure the grandest part of the Peak - such breathtaking scenery.

After going for 9 hours, I finally saw some people. For a grand day, it was amazingly bereft of anyone. Sun was out, lovely cool breeze, nice clear views.

Next up was the 1800th cache - Crow Hole. But 20F & 20DNF meant I was wary of spending too long on it. The clue said it was above the waterfall. No water! It was a pockholed load of rocks with several channels for the water. Wonderful place to explore & the kids would've loved it. So I climbed up & blow me, if I'd not found it within seconds. Excellent cache hide. Well recommended.

Following on from this was the equally excellent Noe Head for Heights, which allowed exploration of perhaps the finest example of weather worn rocks on the pleateau & a wonderful airy view down to Edale.

An hour & three quarters left so I headed into the bleak centre of the plateau looking for 2 caches. I'd turn tail if it was too slow going. Instead I found dry river beds with white gravel underfoot to follow. Even when I'd got the 2 caches & emerged out of the river beds, the peat across the top of Kinder was lovely to run on.

Soon I got to Kinder Gates. Memories flooded back of the first day doing the Pennine Way when I was 18 & getting lost of Kinder on a sunny clear day, only finding where I was when I walked through these gates. They really are impressive. So too is the nearby Kinder Downfall where I collected cache number 27.

Two to go in 40 mins. No problem? Wrong. Next up there was Sandy Heys. No hint, only a piccy. I got to the coords but the piccy didn't fit. S**t. I hate these caches where the owner just gives a spoiler. So I spent 10 mins trying to fit the picture then gave up, chuntering to myself.

A quick run down to The Mermaids Pool which I found quickly. I'd finished, with 7 minutes to spare.

Only 6k to get back to the car! And a table booked in Saddleworth at 8.45pm. No rest for the wicked, ...onwards!

Martyn, stonefielders. 

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