#RunningInSquares 5th Jan – 11km, 9⊞, 1⛰️ & 2📍

I love running in snow. It’s a hell of a workout. Didn’t go far today, ran the length of the hill behind our house, but I was the first idiot covering most of it so was running in 1-3 ft of undisturbed snow for much of it.

Distance: 11km. New squares: 9. New peaks: 1. New trig points: 2.

SE0005 sees one of my favourite routes out of the village on this lovely little footpath.

SE0004 has one of my most pictured spots, this little rise opens up and gives a lovely view down the valley towards Dovestones, I have pictures here in every season.

The view from the top of Alphin Pike looking over Dovestone Reservoir is the best spot in all of SE0104. I’m often up here looking down on the hoards at Dovies wondering why everyone swarms down there when the surrounding hills are usually so empty.

SE0105 is known locally as Pots and Pans due to the natural bowl like formations on the rocks near the war memorial. Dick Hill Monument is also a trig point.

The view back to the memorial from further up the hill, normally you’d see Manchester in the distance.

SE0106 was cold and icy today, almost not cold and icy enough though – I kept breaking through the ice and getting cold wet feet.

Really pleased with this picture of grouse on top of some gritstone in SE0206. The moors up here should be covered in scrub, but it’s all kept down by the landowners so they can grow grouse and pheasants for shooting. I’m no fan. The poisoned birds of prey that I regularly see and the increased run off and flooding are also side effects of this antiquated past time.

Broadstone Hill and its trig point are in SE0206. This is the high point of the whole hill that runs from Alphin to here.

The far end of the hill has a number of mines dating back several centuries. These ones in SE0207 look brutally cold today – it must have been incredibly hard work up here back then.

I love this old hut at the end of the hill in SE01017. It’s another of my most photographed local spots, the views down to West Yorkshire are lovely (you’ll have to take my word for it though today!)).

SE0007 includes this view over the new Saddleworth School. I worked at the school for 4 years, and helped design the new build but left 2 month before they moved in.

Almost home, a picturesque and very Saddleworth scene in SE0006 on the way back down to Dobcross/Uppermill from one of the many tiny hamlets that little the valley.

All in all a lovely morning out, nearly 2 hours for 10km, but at times I was wading through almost waste deep drifts so all good fun!