Seven Cheshire Summits

[Mr T]

I wonder if anyone can help me with this one... Back in (January?) 2011 quite a merry thong gathered to do a long Sunday run around 7 Cheshire tops. It was instigated by our erstwhile Ben Dic Craig (i think). I've done the route 3 times now myself and wondered if anyone knew who originally devised it? I think it may have sprung from a trig point run by Alan Ireland judging by an old post on the forum but need some clarification for something I'm working on. Thanks in advance! Hope to see you all soon on the hill when my body's finally mended and when it is, perhaps we could celebrate by doing the route again sometime soon. Oh and the route was Shuts, Teggs, Kerridge, White Nancy, Nab, Sponds, Shining Tor.

Jon T

[Colin Ardron]

As far as I know it was Alan I (he will correct me if I'm wrong) who devised this particular route - I recall doing it with him a few years ago before it became more widely known. At the time we did a trespass off the Nab but obviously I can't condone or support such irresponsible behaviour Since then I've done it a few times both with others and on me tod (what is a tod anyway?)

[Colin Ardron]

This is what I like about this forum - it's so educational! So re. my question "what is a tod" in relation to the saying "on my tod". Well I knew that it meant "on my own" but didn't know the origin of the term, so here goes:
‘On my Todd’ is an expression taken from East London cockney rhyming slang. Tod Sloan was an American jockey well-known in England at the end of the 19th century. ‘Tod Sloan’ rhymes with ‘on my own’, the full name got shortened to just the first name and the expression ‘on my Tod(d)’ emerged.

And while we're at it, why is Larry always happy and why are parrots always sick, and brushes always daft?

(Just in case the moderators fingers are twitching (oops I am one!), contemplation on such topics as the above are a proven training aid designed to take the mind off the pain when on a particularly arduous run. I think they call it sports psychology or some such baloney).

[BrianMac]

Dress it up how ever you like Colin but any form of aid is cheating, although not quite a-la-Armstrong. On your Todd or on your bike it's all the same except I guess you have to feed your Todd?

[Mr T]

Thanks for that Colin. I thought maybe it was a Macc Harriers route but your comment suggests it may be an old or known route outside of the club. Or am I just getting confused with all this talk of some cock-er-nay geezer called Tod?

[Simon]

This is what I like about this forum - it's so educational! So re. my question "what is a tod" in relation to the saying "on my tod". Well I knew that it meant "on my own" but didn't know the origin of the term, so here goes:
‘On my Todd’ is an expression taken from East London cockney rhyming slang. Tod Sloan was an American jockey well-known in England at the end of the 19th century. ‘Tod Sloan’ rhymes with ‘on my own’, the full name got shortened to just the first name and the expression ‘on my Tod(d)’ emerged.

And while we're at it, why is Larry always happy and why are parrots always sick, and brushes always daft?

(Just in case the moderators fingers are twitching (oops I am one!), contemplation on such topics as the above are a proven training aid designed to take the mind off the pain when on a particularly arduous run. I think they call it sports psychology or some such baloney).

Ahhh, baloney...now there's a word.

By the way, route sounds like a nice way to spend a few hours.

[geofpet1]

I wonder if anyone can help me with this one... Back in (January?) 2011 quite a merry thong gathered to do a long Sunday run around 7 Cheshire tops. It was instigated by our erstwhile Ben Dic Craig (i think). I've done the route 3 times now myself and wondered if anyone knew who originally devised it? I think it may have sprung from a trig point run by Alan Ireland judging by an old post on the forum but need some clarification for something I'm working on. Thanks in advance! Hope to see you all soon on the hill when my body's finally mended and when it is, perhaps we could celebrate by doing the route again sometime soon. Oh and the route was Shuts, Teggs, Kerridge, White Nancy, Nab, Sponds, Shining Tor.

Jon T

A merry thong? Sounds interesting.......

[Mr T]

Thanks GP. I meant 'throng' obviously. Blimey, imagine that otherwise!

[Donworkin]

It's nice to read about people discussing a route I devised a few years ago. The basic's came to me in a flash as I had just climbed Shuttlingslow on a beautiful day with superb views across the valley over towards Shining Tor. Sometime before, on another day I'd been on Sponds Hill so the connection was probably seeded there. The rest was easy. In bed that night when all was quiet I plotted the route roughly in my head. For some reason or another I wanted 6 Trigs which would include The Nab in Bollington . I recced the route on my tod several times and over many months, including The Nab 3 times but I dropped that one because I thought the route from White Nancy via the old Cheshire Hunt and path up to the top of the Bakestonedale rd was a better option than the way through Pot Shrigley, which also included a small trespass. This meant the route would have 5 Trigs rather than the 6 I intended but I was happy about this. They all would be situated in East Cheshire so I thought the title, 5 ECT's, would be an appropriate name. This route's approx 20miles and quite demanding. I prefer to start from Standing Stone and knock -off Shutter's first. By my way of thinking this helps later when ascending Thursbitch with the knowledge that Shining Tor is the last Top to climb before the finish. Although once I did start from Teg’s Bottom cp and found I was quicker by some 15 minutes. But one can start wherever they wish as long as they visit the five Trigs.

You'll find the definitive route here on this link.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/63744459

I’m hoping to give it another go soon, as it’s a year since my last attempt, though I fear this time, I may succumb to the sirens of Thursbitch. At such moments I'm usually strong but now my flesh is weak and these days I'm easily led, so it’s best least said.

PS.
Over the last couple of years Ray Eagle had it in mind to give it a blast but he never managed to find the time. He knew stamina was needed and I think that's what deterred him a little. He was a proud man who set himself high standards.

[phil cheek]

Just back from Arran(close up views of basking shark & otter from Annette`s cottage)to this educational thread.
My only comment is that Hissing Sid was innocent & he hadn`t had to pass 700 random & in competition tests & hadn`t been shopped by a bunch of crooks in return for reduced sentences.
He`s still my hero(Hissing Sid that is)
phil

[Beneficial Dictator]

I did instigate the Seven cheshire summits back in Jan 2011 but I of course nicked the idea from Dunroamin et al. If I remember correctly he had a six summits run that didn't go up the Nab for the trespass reasons. I just added the Nab in.
I am back trying some running again ( but it is pretty pathetic ) but will be much lower profile in the future than in my glorious Dictatorship days.
As my personal motto says Enjoy your running ( insert other suitable sport / pastime - climbing, cycling ) wherever it takes you!.

[Mr T]

Thanks for the clarification guys and great to hear from you again Craig. I'm actually working on another graphic art piece based on this route, which if I get to exhibit or produce prints, I would like to acknowledge the rightful instigators and history of the said route. It's a great training route and something I was just interested in generally and wondered if I might tempt our erstwhile Ben Dic back onto the forum!

Mr T

[Colin Ardron]

Welcome back to the fold Bendic!

[colallott]

Excellent!
I devised this route myself back in May. I did wonder if it was an established route, so glad to find it recorded here...
My route starting from Bollington: Nab - Sponds - Shining Tor - Shutlingsloe - Teggs Nose - Kerridge Ridge - White Nancy.

I added a loop on at the end through Kerridge and Pott Shrigley (just to make it a marathon distance). The longest distance I'd done before this was a half marathon, so I took it very easy! The most daunting bit was standing on Shining Tor (already knackered) and sizing up shutlingsloe, which looks a loooong way off. All good fun. The total ascent of this route is higher than Snowdon, so not a bad workout overall! - a highly recommended day out.

Col

[Colin Ardron]

Just to keep this particular pot burbling along, I did this route again last week starting from Standing Stone at 06.30 hrs. There is something strangely cathartic about getting out on the hill whilst others are still abed - and I'm not talking about the purgation of the bowels here but more the purgation of the soul.
The first person I came across was a farmer near Hedgerow who was about to tag a recently born calf - we exchanged some talk centred around different ear tagging methods in sheep and cattle and the meaning of life before I carried on my way up to Sponds Hill. On the summit the wind was a foot and the bones were a rattling but nothing could stop me now - I was on a cheese roll.
The haunted Charles Head loomed before me and here an old man approached - he could have come straight out of a gothic novel - his clothing, his wild staring eyes and the way he waved his bludgeon dangerously close to my head uttering as he did so the fear inducing imprecation, "growt gorrie oit uggerah oompah loompah" or something that sounded very much like that. I slithered down the cobbles out of the farm yard as fast as my trembling knees would take me. On, on, ever on. Summer Close was next and was full of blarting sheep and shifty eyed yokles who gave me curious glances from underneath furrowed brows. Better keep moving as I didn't want to become mixed up with the sheep - or worse.
Thursbitch lived up to expectations - rain sweeping down from the Tor bringing with it the unearthly spirit noises of unutterable things. On the summit of the Tor I was dreaming - a couple were flying a kite. As pain stabbed through my dodgy knee I realised that it wasn't a dream - they really were flying a kite. We exchanged polite greetings (like you do). I pressed on down and over the road to descend the path to Chambers Farm. Only the last bit of road between me and another cheese roll and a coffee.

Is this not the very spice of life?

For the statistically minded my route was 20.15 miles, 3308ft and I took a leisurely 4hrs 52min. Carried: light wt. cag. cheese roll, ribena drink, camera, hat, phone, approx 7lbs body fat surplus to requirements.