Squeezed between clinic appointments, this is another short two-day route centred around the Warland group of reservoirs: Blackstone, White Holme, Light Hazzles and Warland.
The outward line from Smithy Bridge station follows the southern shore of Hollingworth Lake and ascends to join the Pennine Bridleway (PBW) around the flanks of Stormer Hill, leaving it to climb via a new approach up the slopes of Cowberry Hill to Blackstone Reservoir and the Pennine Way (PW) track around the reservoirs.
The return line continues the PW as far as Stoodley Pike and follows the Dick’s Lane route to cross Erringden Moor for the final descent to Mytholmroyd station.
This route was designed to use the same excellent Stony Edge camp as on our Warland and Ramsden trip to this area last year, a most unlikely pitch spot amid the large gritstone boulders and rough heather. Once again we carried all our water from the start.
Hi, a bit late commenting, “as usual”. Good to see you out and about in my locale. Great weather we are having but it all leads to low reservoirs. Just a question that had me wondering, why did you carry your water from the start when there are so many re-supply points up top? Not something I would have done.
Thanks Alan, fantastic weather.
Hmmm, maybe you know something we don’t!. On our Warland and Ramsden trip last year, we anticipated a lack of drinkable water and we were right. There was a stream source very early on the first day (therefore of little value) but no trace thereafter. We don’t carry any filter, perhaps more possibilities are open to you if you carry one?.
On this route there was maybe a possible source at the inlet to Warland reservoir at its easternmost tip, it was flowing albeit very slowly.
Hi Geoff. I always carry a filter and I just use the reservoir water. Never had any problems and I’ve been doing it for donkeys years.
Ah, I thought so. Maybe we should get one just for areas like this, it could well be worth it – I’ll think about it.
Hi Geoff. In my opinion for what its worth, I wouldn’t be without one. I use it from all water sources because it is better to filter than get bad guts. Sometimes when on a long walk you have to filter because you can’t carry so much. The max I will carry at any time is one litre. I have 2 filters, one is a lightweight straw type which I use just for filtering a mouth full when that is all that’s needed on the go and then I have a filter which is capable of filtering as much as I need at camp.