A day trip to Wharncliff Crags. Who fancies it?

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jamesHarrisonAkers

Guest
im up for it just tell me what date and day/time ill walk through grenoside over to wharncliffe and meet up
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
We're looking at the 10th so far as that is what people have expressed s being the easiest. Not a big church type us lot, are we! :D

Matt, have you checked it out on Google maps? You can go straight from Google without instralling that damned program and see what the area looks like. It isn't a brilliant view, but suffice it to say people run along the path and mountainbike along as well, so it is pretty easy going. The scramble up the northern side would be great fun for kids, the only bit I found a bit taxing was the way back below the crags as it is off the beaten track a bit. It's not too bad but I will take my walking staff this time to ease the pressure of my knee a bit.
 

Aragorn

Settler
Aug 20, 2006
880
2
50
Wrexham, North Wales
whithout planning every little detail spam what sort of finish time you had in mind, just checked the rota and i'm nights on the 10th, what sort of finish time did you have in mind
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
Finish time, not sure. I can tailor it to peoples' needs, the walk itself doesn't take that log, but when ratbag and myself went up last we had a brew stop and peeled some birch bark which adds time on. I'm looking at doing a recce up there before the actual date to see what I can do, but the crags aren't that big anyhow so if needs be I can head on back with you and drop you off at the parking area.

If we were to start at ten, four o'clock would probably be about as late as I'd want to go to. I reckon if you have an early start to get there in the first place and then need to drive back and work nights, you may be a bit hooped by the end of it! I was talking to Ratbag a few minutes back and we were discussing our options. We could walk a ways and then come off the top of the crags and drop down, stick a couple of tarps up and brew up and maybe eat some sarnies or whatever, collect some materials for home projects or whatever and then head back, or there is the Red Deer to go and check out.

And the caves aren't proper caves in themselves Matt, i don't want you r missus getting too excited! They are more like recesses in the rock, although there is a cave marked on the map there somewhere, I'm sure of it.
 

Matt Weir

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 22, 2006
2,880
2
52
Tyldesley, Lancashire.
Finish time, not sure. I can tailor it to peoples' needs, the walk itself doesn't take that log, but when ratbag and myself went up last we had a brew stop and peeled some birch bark which adds time on. I'm looking at doing a recce up there before the actual date to see what I can do, but the crags aren't that big anyhow so if needs be I can head on back with you and drop you off at the parking area.

If we were to start at ten, four o'clock would probably be about as late as I'd want to go to. I reckon if you have an early start to get there in the first place and then need to drive back and work nights, you may be a bit hooped by the end of it! I was talking to Ratbag a few minutes back and we were discussing our options. We could walk a ways and then come off the top of the crags and drop down, stick a couple of tarps up and brew up and maybe eat some sarnies or whatever, collect some materials for home projects or whatever and then head back, or there is the Red Deer to go and check out.

And the caves aren't proper caves in themselves Matt, i don't want you r missus getting too excited! They are more like recesses in the rock, although there is a cave marked on the map there somewhere, I'm sure of it.

No bother bud - the seed is planted ;) It'll be a great day whatever :D
 

Scally

C.E.S.L Notts explorers
Oct 10, 2004
358
0
51
uk but want to emigrate to NZ
Sorry to mislead you about the deer there is roe up there but i was meaning wentworth woodhouse just over the hill from you spamel there is how ever a red deer farm in between the motorway and the crags and when i lived up there their was a few escapees so they could plausible be up on the tops. sorry for the wee mistake
 
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jamesHarrisonAkers

Guest
just thought i metion this there is deer in wharncliffe woods and sometimes they go across to greno woods ive seen a few when walking in there at night they are few and far beetween though ive camped in there a lot and ive definetly seen them but like i said not many times in the 4 odd years ive been going in there ive only seen them twice
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
Just got back from another trip up Wharncliff Crags, I reckon between Ratbag and myself we have got a very good route to take. We have cut out the initial crag hopping to take another route through some pretty fantastic open woodland. This allows us to take a walk through some heathland and then arrive on top of the crags. Along the way, there is scope for gathering good straight staves for staffs and the like, and also the opportunity for some really first rate birch bark, for the UK anyway! There are plenty of downed birches and I aim to only take from downed trees. As for staves, there is a lot of birch in the area that was cropped a while back but it has grown through again.

Along the way, we will cut off of the main path and visit an old elm which is quite nice, take a look at some funghi and then get up onto the crags for the photo opportunities! The heathland is nice too, full of heather. I took my camera to take some pictures but it is bust somehow! Not too happy about that!

There are some nice areas on the way back down, for those who may suffer with bad knees or whatever, I strongly suggest a stout walking staff. I reckon I would have been crippled today without mine. We have one area that is a must to visit, hopefully it will be the jewel in the crown. Kids will love it, and I reckon that most others will too. We are looking at using the jewel as a stopping point for a brew, or maybe drop down onto a path and use another area that is a little away from the crags but quite covered from view and has plenty of large flat rocks to stop the fire hazard.

We were out for four hours today. Saying that, we were doing a lot of exploring so that we can hopefully take you straight to the good areas. I had a look at going to the old Deer Park, but there was a load of shooting going on and there really isn't much to see unless you like looking at open moorland. It is on the way so we can certainly pop through the gate and take a look at the view, which apart from the pylons would be bleak but interesting.

I'm quite looking forward to it, today was sunny but very windy. Kit wise, I had a windproof smock, a Swanni and a thin woolen shirt underneath. At the end, was down to the thin woolen shirt alone! Pleasantkly warm, but very windy. I wore gaiters with my boots, although it seems to be drying out reasonably well up there. My boots were in good state afterwards, not too muddy. My Tilley hat went for a burton at one stage so I had to employ both straps to keep it in place! I swapped to the Lowe Alpine after a while. I had gloves and shemagh in my pocket.

Cutting tools were a pocket axe, a folding pruning saw and my F1. I took my Nova Plus stove, and nearly incinerated Matt when it flared up something rotten! :D We stopped for coffee and sarnies, oat cakes and some very bitter dark chocolate that was OK the first bite, but afterwards got steadily more bitter! It was nice, but couldn't eat too much of it.

I had a poncho and blanket in mt bag too, lip balm and FAK in my possibles and a monocular for the distance. All basic equipment for a day trip, that should do anyone, I of course had navigation equipment as well to check where things are for the route in a few weeks time!
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
I was going to try and join you for your reccy this morning Spam but one too many beers last night at a wedding meant I didn`t even hear my alarm.

Good to here you`ve got some routes sorted out for us.

Looking forward to it.


Rich
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
Seriously, i defy anyone to go "Yeah, it's alright!" when they see the jewel in the crown! Both ratbag and myself were like big kids! I don't want to spoil it though and want it to be a complete surprise so that everybodys' reaction is spontaneous and I see who the big kids are! :D
 

Ratbag

Subscriber
Aug 10, 2005
1,017
12
50
Barnsley
Seriously, i defy anyone to go "Yeah, it's alright!" when they see the jewel in the crown! Both ratbag and myself were like big kids! I don't want to spoil it though and want it to be a complete surprise so that everybodys' reaction is spontaneous and I see who the big kids are! :D

I know what it is, I know what it is!

It's a.........

....Nah, turn up on the day to find out. See you there!

Rat
 

Aragorn

Settler
Aug 20, 2006
880
2
50
Wrexham, North Wales
really gutted reading that now, i've got to pull out this time, somethings come up, but am sure it will be a great day and huge success and hopefully there will be more days i can tag along, was looking forward to it seeing some old faces too :( , have a good day and don't forget the pics, that way with i can al least see what the big surprise is :)

roll on the next meet :)
 

stevec

Full Member
Oct 30, 2003
548
144
Sheffield
hi, i'd be up for this, have a provisional pass, depending on how the misses arm is at the time. not far from me, though i expect i'll have to do a bit of driving as i seem to recall that the 6102 is still shut.

steve
 
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jamesHarrisonAkers

Guest
how long will we be out just wonderd as what food to bring just some snaks or something like dinner and tea lol CANT WAIT gonna be awsome ill bring a hexi burner for me cuppa and soup maybe
 

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