Autumn Storms Over Cakes Of Bread (Part 4)

We set off along the edge, the wind was now coming from our right with such force that staggered along the narrow stone path like a drunk after a heavy drinking session. Each step was a labour the rain hitting me in the face like ball bearings. Many times I was blown from the path in to the long heather and boggy peat. I noticed that even though the rain was really lashing down there were places where the stones were still bone dry because the wind was whipping up and over the edge so fast that the rain didn’t even have time to touch the ground. The good thing about all this was that I was so wrapped up in doing battle with the elements I forgot all about the little guy sawing the heels off my feet.

Dove Stone Tor

Looking west to the plateau of Kinder Scout.

Colourful trees.

Wheel Stones from White Tor.

On White Tor Tommy found a lovely big pool of water to go of a paddle in.
From here we needed to turn right to descend from White Tor, this meant we were headed straight in to the wind. No sooner had we turned and I was blown a good ten feet back off the path. After trying again to descend by the path I gave it up as a bad job and skirted around to the left of White Tor which sheltered us from the worst of the wind.

We were now on the flat once again with the wind rushing in from the right and were headed for Wheel Stones which we reached without further problems. Here we took refuge in a small cave. The wind was roaring around the great rocks like some howling banshee, it was really quite awesome.
We didn’t stay there long as someone else was coming and as the cave is only big enough for two I thought I’d had my turn so now it was theirs also I wanted to get going as I didn’t want to be on the hill when the dark came on. Soon after leaving Wheel Stones we came to a fork in the path, here we had to turn right and head back down in to the valley.
As before when descending over the ridge in to the wind it was all we could do to keep from being blown away, I didn’t know walking down hill could be such hard work. Once over the brow of the hill the wind eased a little and it became much easier and the more we dropped down the side of the valley the less the wind blew.
On reaching an old barn that has been converted in to a shelter for walkers we were ready for a break and another coffee. We weren’t far from the lane that would take us back to the car so I was happy enough to take a minute here.
To be continued...