T-1 day

Our earliest start of the year....we managed to get away by 7am, mainly because we did not know what problems we might encounter on this final trip to the top.    We are not really used to starting our days wondering what problems are in store for us but since coming onto the Huddersfield narrow that is the name of the game.

Blue Sky led us to believe we were in for a good run...

Add captionIn the distance hills can be seen the huge Obelisk which is a monument to the fallen of Saddleworth in 2 world wars.   Nearby to the right you can see the Pots & Pans Stone, so called because it has a number of circular cavities which some people say look like cooking utensils....

An interesting approach to lock 23W under a huge viaduct

and unusual paddles

Looking back once we had risen in the lock

The obelisk can still be seen in the distance as we climbed through wonderful countryside.
Two of the pounds were very low and I had to proceed at snails pace & dead in the middle.    Geoff had to let water down for one of them for me to get anywhere.

By now, sadly, it had clouded over and the higher we got, the colder it became.
I started the day with long shorts but now had to add an extra layer..........
This is wonderful walking country and there were lots of them around.   We stopped and chatted to several

and when we reached lock 32W at the summit one of them kindly took our picture!

So we have completed the western side and tomorrow the tunnel awaits.   Well it awaits for Geoff and Petroc.   Barney and I will be on the 184 bus.

There is plenty of mooring at the top and it is deep and we are sorry we did not come this far earlier.   Still it was not a bad days cruising all things considered.

Total distance:1.52 miles (gosh what a distance!)

Elapsed time:4h14m20s

 Locks:11

Bridges:8 
Average speed:0.36 mph (2.95 lock/mph)