#long mynd

[mooneyedandglowing]

Climbed Caer Caradoc today hard mode (up the steep side) + then descended via an equally insane decision of taking sheep paths down as a "shortcut" (I thanked them at the bottom for all their great work maintaining these routes for the local ovine community ofc ofc) before I was subsequently beaten half-dead with bracken - on the human carved paths no less - as if I were in an enthusiastically aggressive Russian banya.

[deweydecimalchickens]

Yesterday I had a go at the Rab/Outdoor Depot Stretton Summits Round, a 18.3 mile route around the Shropshire Hills taking in Hope Bowdler Hill, Caer Caradoc, the Lawley, Pole Bank and Ragleth Hill.

It took me 8.5 hours and my watch measured 22.8 miles, which wasn't what I wanted, but generally explained by:

Going on a side quest to find Caractacus's Cave (and actually finding it this time due to finding and following the right contour line instead of trying to drop in from above and falling in a spring)

Taking an hour to help an injured hiker down off the Lawley (I had trekking poles and ibuprofen; they had an ankle that was swollen and non-weight-bearing but not noticeably deformed)

Drinking a lot of my water in the process out of sheer social anxiety and having to go on another side quest to find a stream for a refill (drought conditions meaning most of the water sources on the map were dry)

Getting mugged by a couple of horses who really didn't want to let me out of their field until they'd checked all my pockets, twice

Being absolutely delighted by a slow worm

Generally though the bits that went to plan were fine, and I had a good time. My bad knee mostly behaved. And I should get an iron-on patch out of it, and we all know I'll do anything for a nifty patch.

Other challenges in that area I want to tackle are the Gill Harris Round and the Longmynd Hike.

Photos (including slow worm - it's not a snake but it does look like one) under the cut.

Gaer Stone in the foreground, Church Stretton in the middle and the Long Mynd in the background, from Hope Bowdler Hill

Cave on the side of Caer Caradoc. Supposedly (almost certainly not) where ancient British leader Caractacus (aka Caradoc) hid from the Romans

Slow worm! Never seen one before.

Trig point and toposcope on Pole Bank, the highest top (517m)

Ragleth Hill in the distance. Gotta get over that absolute bastard before I can go home. Popular finale hill on various routes. Nobody gets out with good knees.

Yessssss

[maureen2musings]

...

foxglove_and_ivy

[euralmanac-blog]

A wild pony at dawn on the Long Mynd, Shropshire. The herd that roams the National Trust nature reserve are descended from the last Welsh pit ponies Credit: Andrew Fusek Peters/SWNS

[shadowsonata]

Path leading to Church Stretton, Shropshire

[allthingseurope]

Long Mynd, England (by Baz Richardson)

[alexmurison]

Autumn in the Shropshire hills

[viewpoint-views]

Grid Reference SO 41519 94426

Pole Bank, The Long Mynd, Shropshire looking SE.

Trig point, toposphere on stone plinth and an ‘all access path’.