Macclesfield Harriers

9.30 Macclesfield Forest, Standing Stone Car Park, SJ977 715.

Here's a chance to have a nice Sunday ~2 hour off-road run with the chance to visit the sweetie tree on the Club Handicap race route then follow the race route as far as Lamaload Reservoir before heading back to the car park.



View of Shutingsloe from Shining Tor - not Windgather!

Directions to Standing Stones car park:-
Through Langley , bear right past Leathers Smithy pub, then left past the Heronry CP, and steeply uphill. At the top, turn left then left again into the CP. Tea & Cakes at Bullocks lane Garden Centre afterwards.





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WINDGATHER?????...I THINK NOT

THAT LOOKS LIKE THE VIEW FROM SOUTH WEST OF SHINING TOR, LOOKING DOWN ON THE CAT AND FIDDLE ROAD....

DAVE

Dave I think your picture is of Shutlingsloe from Shining Tor.
You can't see Shutlingsloe from Windgather Rocks.
Do you know a secret 'Narnia wardrobe' shortcut that's enabled you to do so well in the handicap over the years ??

I have to agree you are right!.....does look a bit like Windgather though don't you think? Sure it's not the road to Pym Chair!

Not being around to join you tomorrow (delivering a ram to some love lorn ewes) I ventured out on a grand circuit of the Goyt Valley this morning and was variously (as seems to be the norm these days) attacked by dogs and abused by their owners for me having the temerity to utter a complaint (in the vein of "what is it about the word CONTROL that you don't understand" . Anyway I digress, and I did a lot of that today as I was bowling along quite merrily in the first half and then as tiredness seeped through the core of my very being the pace slowed and then slowed even more until having put my foot in the wrong kind of hole I ended up sitting in a peaty pool. The ascent up Stakes Clough from the direction of Errwood was never going to be the speediest of choices and there are hazards a plenty similar to the one just described. On reaching where the infamous SWEETIE tree should have been I was taken aback (and again found myself A over T stumbling down a declivity) to find the SWEETIE tree had been moved!! What! I thought to myself - "WHAT CAN this mean?!" @*% It was only when I realised the stumble in the jungle had resulted in a temporary loss of orientational aptitude that I discerned the tree I was looking at was an imposter. I rapidly shook the fronds of heather off my head and wiped the mud out of my eyes and to my utter and unending delight ( I am easily pleased) saw that the aforesaid tree was indeed in its rightful place. I gave the tree a hug and proceeded on my increasingly weary way. It's on occasions like this when you are bone knackered (this was my longest run this year) that the sight of your car still parked where you left it, is guaranteed to prompt animal like wheeps and moanings from a part of the brain that is reserved for such moments.

Phil can my handicap start be brought forward to 8 00 am please?

Nothing will save you Colin. Remember the start list position has more kudos than the results list.

Aaarrhh....I'd love to join you folk tomorrow, but other responsibilities cramp my choices.... Shall be there next weekend though to return and make a slow steady fool of myself...stumbling around in the the ice / fog / mud / glorious sunshine (delete as appropriate ) and enjoy the hills. I'll do the noble thing Phil, and carry Colin's bumbag should you grace him with said 08:00 start time...see you then.

david tucker wrote:Nothing will save you Colin. Remember the start list position has more kudos than the results list.

Always been my motto, Tucks.... Tis nobler to take part than to obsess over the results.... or something like that....!