“Little do ye know your own blessedness; for to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour.” This is what Robert Louis Stevenson wrote in Virginibus Puerisque, a collection of essays published in 1881. What I think this morning is that I will be jolly glad to arrive and get dry again.
Planning a walk is rather pleasurable. I enjoy consulting maps and fossicking around on the Internet working out travel and accommodation, invariably with a G&T to hand. This has often led to overly ambitious plans being hatched. I have noticed that, sitting in an armchair at home, I have a complete disregard for contour lines and an innate certainty that I can walk at least fifteen miles daily over any terrain. However, as I want to reach my planned destination and I like to rope in some friends to accompany me and I am aware that age is taking its toll, these days I have become more realistic.
We set off up Cave Dale before the weather broke, our party depleted as the ladies decided to travel by car until the weather improves. The scenery was wonderful and as we reached high ground there was a hailstorm and later rain driven onto our faces by a stiff south-westerly. This prompted discussion about Sou’westers and their merits as headgear.
The landscape today is home to flocks of sheep but we saw many abandoned mines. Mining was mainly for lead and burgeoned in the 17th century but fluorspar, barytes, copper, calcite and other minerals were also extracted. It was hazardous with miners’ health suffering as well as there being accidents, especially when gunpowder started to be used.
After three and a half bracing hours we descended towards Millers Dale and met the ladies walking up to meet us. The weather had cleared up and, although heavy rain is forecast for tonight, it looks as if we have seen the worst of it.