Langsett Walk

A tough day yesterday. My third pre visit training day for the rangers and what a difference from the other two. Yesterday I visited Lansett Ranger station. I had been watching the weather all week and for once the weather men seemed to have got it right. As I arrived it was torrential rain and the ranger station closed as I was early. So it was across the road to the cafe for a bacon butty and a cup of tea. Back to the station to meet the rangers. Gordon the head ranger is in the mold of all other rangers I have met. Horizontal in aspect, nice manner and with a sense of humour. It seems this particular ranger station is more akin to a Will hay comedy than the others, all though they are pretty close behind. Don't get me wrong, they are nothing but dedicated. They just have this slightly anarchic air about them when it comes to authority, yet they are supremely professional and helpful.

The ranger I spent the day with was great fun, full of chat and stories, tested me on my navigation and questioned me on my reasons for becoming a ranger. We got on great.

We left the station and walked down by Langsett dam following the path up onto Thurlstone Moor, then dropped down on to the Trans Pennine Trail.. The first time I have ever been on this trail, even though it virtually passes my house. The rain was hammering it down, so we lunched in the bus shelter at Dunford Bridge and lo and behold the rain stopped. Unfortunately the wind then picked up to 60 mph + gust down the road we were walking up. It was back breaking work to reach the summit. We turned left then and crossed the moor to reach South Nab Trig Point.
Across the busy A628 and Langsett and Harden Moor. Take care whenever you are up here. In the war this was a favourite target practice area and there is loads of ordnance around. Only this year a ranger found 300 cartridges, some live just lying by a path. They have a black museum in the ranger centre of large mortar and rocket shells, although they are not too sure which ones are live !!!

Anyway, if you have survived follow the grouse butts to Barmings and pick up the 4x4 lane that takes you through two fords, well swollen with all the heavy rain, and follow the Little River Don back to the Langsett car park. The rivers were so swollen on Sunday that they looked like a raging torrent. The Moors for the future project has started with a view to allowing the moors to soak up more of the rain and protect the likes of Sheffield and Oldham. Hopefully this will work, without destroying the country side. You can find out more about the project here..http://www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/mftf/main/Home.htm

All told a good walk on a very very windy day. A good soak in the tub put the world to rights and my back as I lay there wondering if any of those shells I had my head against were live !!