Peak District and the Monsal Trail

We hiked around several areas this week and took the car onto a LOT of really narrow roads.  Not much fun for Glen when another car comes around the corner - usually it’s a matter of inches between the cars when we pass, and often someone has to pull right off into the bushes to make room for the other car.  But the hiking is fantastic here and the scenery is as beautiful as east Yorkshire - lots of hills, valleys, rock walls and little ancient villages. 

While here, we also rented bicycles and rode an old railway line that has been turned into a cycling/hiking route.  It’s about 8.5 miles end to end, so a 17 mile round trip  -  we took our time, explored a few side trails along the way and had a picnic lunch.  The scenery is stunning.  The hills rise up at what seems like an 85 degree angle in many places, there is a lot of forest, views of rivers 200 feet below us, the ever-present sheep and cows, and many groups of school children on a days hike.  

The Monsal Trail - an old railway line converted to a cycling &
hiking trail.  These hills are insanely steep.

There were a few of these along the Monsal Trail.
You wind the little rotor thing until you hear a voice,
and then there are 8 stories about the old days of
the rail line you can listen to.  Green tourism.

Glen cycling on the Monsal trail

A view across the chasm - I zoomed in as close as
I could to this beautiful old stone house.  Fantastic
scenery all along the trail.

We also saw a group of kids learning to abseil off one of the beautiful railway bridges.  It made my heart almost stop to watch them climb over the railing of the bridge and work their way down to the river by rope.  I just can’t shake my fear of heights.  Glen and I hiked up one trail that was quite steep . . . the views were stunning, and he wanted to have our picnic there.  But I was pretty sure that I was going to fall right off that cliffside down to the valley below if we stayed there, so we settled for a picnic bench alongside the cycle route.

A group of school kids learning to abseil

It was a loooooooong way down!

3/4 of the way down

Wish I had the nerve . . .

Same bridge with a little stream below.  It's only about
6" deep - you can walk across it.

The Peak District is a fantastic area of England.  I highly recommend it if you enjoy the outdoor lifestyle at all.  We could have happily spent more time here, but we are on our way to Lincolnshire to look after Becca the black labrador for 8 days while her owner hikes in the Lake District.  We will be staying in her home in exchange for caring for the dog.  Check out www.trustedhousesitters.com if this interests you!

Off the bikes for awhile, and hiking along the "river"
We call it a stream - too shallow to be a river.

I dared Glen to walk across, but he didn't want to get
his feet wet.

This rock cliff really is this red.  It looks like brick gone bad.