I don't remember the last time I've lived somewhere with snow on the ground for so long, not including short stays in the Alps and elsewhere that is.
It started falling properly last Monday 2nd February, I left Manchester with continuous snow falling but not settling. As I travelled up the Hope Valley the snow increased in intensity until I arrived at home in Grindleford.
The snow was falling heavily back in Grindleford and I gratefully accepted a lift into the village that night. Once in the village, all sorts of mayhem was afoot! Traffic Police controlling the flow on the Hathersage road, with a large oil lorry stuck at the top of the Sir William Hill, and one car that had already been unable to halt itself in the snow and had hit the wall on the other side of the junction.
After all this drama, the following day was one of peace and quiet after the village received none of the usual traffic through it, and most didn't make it to work due to the treacherous roads. Children were out playing, sledging was in full flow on the perfect sledge field out of Froggatt woods.
For me, preceding this fall and after the fall, it led to some fantastic runs in the snow almost in solitude, passing only a few other runners. I got out for some great runs across the top of Froggatt and Curbar Edges.
A run on the Thursday in particular was spectacular, with fresh snow falling as I made my way up through the snow laden branches of the silver birch woods, with no one around except our springer spaniel, Dylan.
Once I'd made the push up the hill onto the top, via the road over Curbar gap, I set out across the top as the weather closed in. Stormy snow clouds drifted in and soon obliterated the usual fantastic views across the Hope Valley. The isolation I found in these clouds reminded me of winter climbing trips in Scotland, were often you have no more than 5 meters visibility, but the muffled sounds become eerie companions.
Jumping down the stone slabs that take you from the Curbar area of the edge to the Froggatt plateau, I have to take care to place my feet carefully. Drifts of snow cover rocks and possible ankle twisting scenarios. As I approach these rocks I pass two other runners coming up from Froggart, they too seem to be enjoying the relative isolation as much as I am.
I open up once on the Froggatt plateau and suck in the cold air, feeling my legs warm up in the falling snow as my pace quickens. My Innovate shoes are sticking to the snow as the applied pressure of the shoes melts the snow and then refreezes as I lift my shoes, letting in the cold air. This provides a strange sensation and noise as I make my way through the already surreal environment.
I cross the road and into the Longshaw Estate woods, dash across the stream and sprint up the last small hill before the descent into Grindleford. Again, taking care to place my feet onto solid ground, I pace down the hill and back to the sounds of sledging and children's laughter in the village. I love where we live.
The snows are going now, after being on the ground for almost two weeks. I don't remember the last time we had snow around for so long. They've provided some fun for children and adults alike over the last few weeks, but as they recede you start to think of Spring again.
I am sure there more cold snaps to come, well I hope so as I have a winter climbing trip planned to Scotland in March. But, this visit of snow will be remembered by me and many others for years, the snows that brought London to a standstill for several days.
