Soggy feet?

It rained quite a lot on Saturday. It rained quite a lot today too (though only after I had filled my line with nice, clean washing - grrrr!). Sandwiched in the middle, we had Sunday. What a good job that Sunday was the day of the Bradford HF Walking Club 'Don Roaming' walk rather than either of the wet two. Even the best walk can be a bit of a damp squib if it is done in persistent rain!

I'm not a member of the club (though, having walked with them twice now, perhaps it's time I paid up!), but the walk leader is a friend, and I helped him to scout this Don Valley route back in October. So, I made sure my innoculations were up to date (hehe), pointed the car towards Yorkshire and, by 9:30a.m., there I was, in the car park of the Wortley Arms in the village of (you've guessed it) Wortley, as a guest walker.

It was a select but cheerful bunch who set off at around 10:15am, hoping to enjoy a good day of rambling and complete the eight and a half mile circuit in comfortable time to order food from the pub before they stopped serving meals at 5pm.

We ambled through a couple of fields and then, about half a mile into the walk, turned off a quiet country lane into a wood and immediately came up against a river. At this point we had a choice; big, chunky but probably slippery (and with a rather testing gap at the end) stepping stones or nice solid (if slightly rusty) bridge?

Now be honest! Admit it! You are sort of anticipating that I'm about to write that I risked the stepping stones, slipped and ended up sprawling in a foot of freezing cold water, aren't you?!

Well, guess what...

You're wrong! :)

I'm afraid I chickened out; both times (yesterday and October).  The kid in me loves stepping stones and these did look very inviting! If it had been towards the end of the walk, I wouldn't have hesitated - but the thought of 8 miles with soggy feet..!

And, just for interest, here's the comparison photo from back in October.

Surprisingly green for mid-Autumn!