Views of and from Thors Cave in the Peak
District
Pics by Colin Buswell
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Clothing & Footwear
Country Code
Basics
of footpath law
Dogs
Gradings
Guests
Maps & Navigation
Refreshments
Rendezvous
Subscriptions
Toilet Facilities
Travel Arrangements
Weather Conditions
Clothing & Footwear
First time walkers are recommended to wear what is
comfortable
for them before outlaying a considerable sum of money for specialist
clothing.
The most important purchase is likely to be footwear.
Before spending any money, check what other walkers wear. Ask them for
advice.
Boots should have cleated treads and provide firm ankle support
- they are essential for longer walks. Aldi have occasional offers that
represent outstanding value - I am still wearing a pair of boots that
cost just £17.99 - at that price they are a giveaway!
Whatever choice of clothing, avoid denim jeans at
all costs
- they are dreadfully uncomfortable to wear when wet as they take ages
to dry out - if it is cold and wet, they are doubly uncomfortable! By
the way, it is not just the rain that makes wet denims so uncomfortable
- it's the wet undergrowth or field grasses. You have been warned!
Talking of wet weather, make sure you carry a waterproof (a mac or
raincoat will do at a push) as the English climate is so unpredictable.
I am still teased with reminders of my first club walk - in the Black
Mountains of all places - it chucked it down and you-know-who got
soaked!
A backpack is also necessary on longer walks to carry Refreshments
and the 1,001 other things that walkers tend to collect.
To top it all, don't forget to wear a hat - especially those of us who
are follically-challenged!
Top of Page
Country Code
Club members and guests are expected to observe the Country
Code at all time. Briefly, the requirements are as follows:
Basics of footpath law. The following is information that has been derived from a publication developed by the Ramblers Association of which the Stourbridge HF Rambling Club is affiliated. The following is included on their website address http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/britain/footpathlaw.html
This
document gives a
summary of the basic law on public rights of way in
A
right of way is a path
that anyone has the legal right to use on foot, and sometimes using
other modes
of transport.
·
Public footpaths are
open only to walkers.
·
Public bridleways are
open to walkers, horse-riders and pedal cyclists.
·
Restrictive byways are
open to walkers, horse-riders, and drivers/riders of non- mechanically propelled
vehicles (such as
horse-drawn carriages and pedal cycles).
·
Byways Open to all
Traffic ( BOATS ) are open to all classes of traffic including motor
vehicles,
though they may not be maintained to the same standard as ordinary
roads.
Yes,
unless the path is a
footpath or bridleway running across a field as opposed to running
alongside
the field boundary. In this case the land owner can plough or otherwise
disturb
the path surface provided it is not reasonably convenient to avoid
doing so. The
path must be restored within 24 hours of the disturbance, or within two
weeks
if this is the first such disturbance for a particular crop. The
restored path
must be reasonably convenient to use, have a minimum width of 1m for a
footpath
or 2m for a bridleway, or the legal width if known, and its line must
be clearly
apparent on the ground.
Dogs Due top farming and wildlife considerations, we regret we cannot permit dogs or other pets to be brought on walks under any circumstances.
Gradings The club assesses all walks in terms of 'A' ( Challenging ), 'B' ( Moderate ) or 'C' ( Easy ) gradings.
The addition of a '+' sign serves to increase the severity - the use of a '-' symbol somewhat eases the difficulty. In practice, the most common modifications will be B+ and C+.
Unfortunately, no two people can agree as to what constitutes a specific grade. It really is a case of " one person's 'B' is another person's 'C'.
Guests The club welcomes new people on all walks. However, due to the popularity of the Wednesday half-day walks, a waiting list may soon have to be introduced. Guests are permitted three free walks before deciding if they wish to join. Visitors (guests) will be asked to provide their name and address on each of the three walks. Thererafter, guests will be expected to apply for membership.
Maps & Navigation It is not necessary to purchase maps, but you may derive more enjoyment if you do. All members are encouraged and given assistance to lead walks. Please inform your walk leader or any experienced member if you wish to lead a future walk or would like further information.
Refreshments The number and length of refreshment breaks will vary according to the length and severity of the walk plus weather conditions.
All
day walks inclde a lunch stop - on Sundays this will be a packed lunch
usually enjoyed at a scenic location, buy not always a sheltered spot,
despite the best endeavours of the leader!.
All-day walks on
Wednesday may stop for lunch at a pub or have a picnic lunch - details
will be stated on the membership programme.
In addition, walkers
should carry suitable refreshments for a mid-morning break (a flask and
a snack) and perhaps rations for an afternoon stop also.
On shorter routes, walkers should bring a flask or cool drink together
with snacks of your choice.
As if that isn't enough, walkers should also carry a supply of water - it's not just hot weather that causes dehydration. Regular fluid intake is important. Note that tea and coffee are diuretics - they make you pee more! Hot chocolate may be the answer!
Please remember that as responsible walkers, everyone must carry out all excess food and drink plus litter and packaging for disposal in the proper manner.
Rendezvous
The
meeting place in Stourbridge for all walks is the car park at the
entrance leading to the Tip (Council Waste Disposal Site). Except for
the short programme for Thursday evening walks when due to shortage of
time in the evening the meeting place will be the venue for the walk.
From the ring road, take the A458 exit (Birmingham Road); the Tip
entrance is the first turning on the LHS.
On Sundays, we meet at the top car park on the RHS: on all other days
the bottom car park (also on the RHS) is used.
Cars leave promptly at the time shown on the programme.
Subsciptions The membership subsciption amount is £5 yearly - payable by the end of December for the following year. There is no reduction for persons joining in mid-year (at this price,you've got to be joking!) An initial fee of £5 is payable on enrolment and also in the event of a lapse in membership continuity. We defy anyone to find a club offering better value.
Toilet Facilities We walk in the country where toilets are noticeable by their absence.
Travel Arrangements We encourage members to share cars (drivers to be reimbursed milage costs at the rate shown on the programme), but no guarantee of availability is implied.
Weather Conditions We are ahardy lot and tend to walk whatever the weather! Hardy we maybe, but we are not foolhardy.
If the conditions are really atrocious, we may be forced to cancel a walk. However, the prospect of inclement weather should not necessarily imply cancellation. "There is no such thing as bad weather - simply a poor choice of clothing!"
Besides carrying or wearing proper clothing for the actual and / or anticipated conditions, walkers must remember to bring sun protection (creams and hat) - and not in just sunny or hot weather.
Walk Reports
Tuesday
Walk Wombourne, Staffs
B4½ miles
A Change of
Direction
Our
Tuesday walk was to be along an
old railway track from Wombourne Railway Station to Penn and return along the
Staffs-Worcs
canal. For John Mees and I the tow path “walk” was an impressive 4 mph
by canal
boat. John, our leader, had had a bad dizzy turn as we crossed to the
canal.
What should we do? Our dilemma was solved by a passing canal boat which
had
just dropped from the sky and was gliding gently passed. The two on
board
stopped at our request and took John and I along with them.
So we left the group to struggle with compass, map and GPS and find
their
tortuous way back to Bratch locks while the two of us gentlemen of
leisure, sat
on the bows of the boat viewing the passing world with regal serenity.
“This is
a real bonus”, said John. “It certainly is the way to walk canals” I
said.
Except, of course, for the nagging disquiet about his dizziness.
Thank you, thank you gentlemen of Nantwich
for coming so willingly to our rescue.
Words by Richard Aldred
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Views of and from Thors Cave in the Peak
District
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