Tuesday 5 January 2010

Festive Walk and Meal to end the 2009 Season UPDATE

DUE TO THE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS CAUSED BY THE FROZEN AND SOLIDIFIED SNOW IN THE CHIPPING AREA, THIS WALK HAS HAD TO BE CANCELED, BUT THE MEAL WILL GO AHEAD.

The Coach will leave the car park at the back of Iceland at 11.30am to take us to the 'Dog and Partridge' for our Festive Fun.

George Mann was leading the B walk and writes;

          "I did a recce with my Son and the dog at Chipping for next Saturdays walk knowing from experience the problems of mud and frozen ground in that area. The underfoot conditions were trerrible with frozen snow and ice, even the car park was just a sheet of ice and it was extremely difficult to stand up. After passing the Chair Factory we headed up across the fields towards Burnslack but found it very dangerous and hard going as you had to stamp your heel into the snowiest surface to break through the ice crust. On getting to High Barn we found the road surface like a sheet of ice so followed the track around Ginney Hey before turning off to cross the fields to pick up the farm track to Chipping Lawn and back to the Town. It wasn't possible to walk on the track as the vehicles had just turned it into sheet ice and we made our way on the edges smashing our way though the crust to get a grip. I was the only one that fell but both of us and the dog had a few narrow misses. The main roads were alright but the side roads were the same as the farm tracks with the snow compressed into ice and any slope just an icy slide. 
        With the forecast for the rest of the week not indicating any improvement I spoke to Joan and it has now been decided to cancel the walks, and the coach not leaving from behind Iceland till eleven thirty going staight to the Dog and Partridge. "

Photographs taken by George on the recci