Present: Iain McCallum, Trudie Young, Bob Kelly, Alan Liverpool Jones, Peter Walker, Peter Scholefield, Sandy Gregson, Jim Gregson, Dave Wylie.

Guest: Ernie the dog.

Nine members presented themselves well before the scheduled departure time and with still ten minutes to kick-off were on their way. Hanging in deferentially for a possible late-comer, the meet leader was rewarded for his patience at 9.55 by Dave W carefully positioning his motor with a handbreak turn which would have brought tears to the eyes of Jeremy Clarkson.

"I'm travelling light", quoth he as he slipped into a holey pair of trainers.

"So you'll catch us up", the meet leader threw over his shoulder as he departed west like the proverbial Young Man.

Within six minutes thirty-three seconds all ten members (plus Ernie) were assembled at the bottom of Torside Clough. This is where the story really began, for although it was the only uphill of the day, it was a bit steep in places and soon the merely geriatric had out-stripped the zimmermatics while the meet leader attempted to retain a presence in both camps by rushing up and down in a manner which brought a derisive curl to the lip of Ernie the dog, who knew about these things.

An hour or so later, everyone was more or less on the top but with the really fast men cooling their heels on Wainstones which they remembered, unlike the meet leader, was on the published route. Meanwhile, the rest of the meet was having an early lunch at Bleaklow Head. Everyone marvelled about the magnificent weather and amazing views, which allowed us to note that the wind turbines on Scout Moor were (just about) turning, thus ensuring toast in Rochdale.

Having regrouped briefly, another breakaway was affected, this time by Pete Walker and ALJ who thought that they too would like to see Wainstones before descending back to Torside. They muttered something about they "might be gone some time" so the rest of the party fanned out on a range of bearings from east to south all looking for the vestiges of a footpath along the watershed. I McC and Dave Holey Trainers - separated by a mere 15 degrees - both managed to affect an air of total confidence that they alone were on the right line while the rest of us stumbled, slithered and slurrrrped through the peat as best we could somewhere between them. This triumph of navigational pragmatism ensured that everyone arrived more-or-less at the same time at Bleaklow Stones where a second breather was affected to the sound of cracking flags.

From here there is a slim apology for a track north west then north which meant that increasingly good time was made to the point where we broke back west to pick up an even better track down Far Black Clough. By this time most people were beginning to feel the exhilaration of a fell run and before you could say "Original Mountain Marathon" we were savouring the homely sound of HGVs grinding up the Woodhead Pass. Another rest break 'mang the heether - as they say in Dunford Bridge - proved very seductive for some members who were a mite reluctant to re-don their sacks. However, they caught up the pelaton and apart from Trudie having a girlie moment as she tried not to cross the stream at the bottom, it remained only to put the brain into neutral for the boring tramp along the Trans-Pennine Trail back to Torside. A great day, haunted only by the ghosts of Bowden Black and Len Stubbs. But no toast in Stockport. . . .

Start: Public Car Park, SE side of the B6105 on the S side of Torside reservoir. Grid Ref SK067983. I suggest that we park, if possible, in the bay at the rear LHS.

Time: 09.45 for a prompt departure at 10.00hrs.

Route: Clough Edge above Torside Clough, Wain Stones, Bleaklow Stones, SK 125 980. From here, down Far Black Clough to the Trans-Pennine Trail and back to the Car Park. Anyone looking for a longer trip could extend this over Swain's Head then either Far Small Clough or Round Hill before dropping down to the T-P Trail and C.P.

Length: Short route - 6hrs/10.5 miles + 1600 feet ascent.

Map: The Dark Peak 1:25K".