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I was amazed that last years Cleveland Way ultrarun winner posted a time of just over 24 hours for the full 110 miles. Now I’m stunned, as Neil Ridsdale smashes 3 hours off that time to win in 21 hours and 3 minutes! Makes me tired just thinking about it. Anyone up for the challenge next year?
Malcolm Hodgson
Have you ever been to Black Hill? you really should have a walk up there, it’s quite amazing. As a youth I spent a lot of time on Black Hill – much of it lost in the mist and wandering knee deep through peat bogs in the hope of coming across the Trig Point. You see Black Hill was once very appropriately named – pollution, fire and overgrazing had removed the vegetation leaving behind a black peat moonscape. The combination on bare peat, pennine rain and lost walkers made progress tricky and knee-length gators the must have fashion item. I once came across a walker genuinely stuck in the bog up to his waist – to this day I still wonder whether I should have helped him out. On my walk last Monday I hardly recognised the place – the Pennine Way has been flagged giving a sustainable path across the peat and even more striking the vegetation has been restored through the good works of the ‘Moors for the Future’ project. It’s not like in the good old days!
Steve Westwood
You can see plenty of digging just north of Sutton Bank on the Cleveland Way National Trail, as a month long archaeological dig of the Boltby Scar Iron Age Hillfort takes place this September. If you’ve got time on your hands you can even volunteer to get mucky. Go to the blog on http://boltbyscar.wordpress.com/ for more details. Meanwhile – here’s an inspiring photo of the start of the work!
