After collecting Breakfast and lunch, petrol, Pete and Warren from Bradford we eventually turned up at the car park in Wilsden, 10 minutes after 08:00.

Aaron began (after sorting the £1 car park charge out and leaving his phone in the car) thanking all for joining (12 in total + Toff the dog) and how the day was planned.

Elevenses were to be took at the Leeds and Liverpool canal and lunch was on Rombolds Moor at the last-named stones, late afternoon stop was to be the Shoulder of Mutton public house Keithley.

First up we followed the Millennium way and looped round to scale Norr Hill, skirting under Sandy Lane and through Cottingley via Nabb Wood Cemetery, crossing the aqueduct to have Elevenses at the side of the Leeds Liverpool canal.

The day was beginning to warm up as promised, just after the Bradford Amateur Rowing club we began the climb up Shipley Glen, after ‘crossing’ the beck nobody enjoyed the ladder climb out of the Glen just as the Tram passed…

Here a bit of a faff began, the route over Baildon Moor had a golf course and a million paths (I know now we should have just followed the white dog walker).

Once we negotiated the Otley Road the weather had turned blistering, and the climb began in earnest. The 2 mile climb to the 12 Apostles had us strung out a bit and pre-lunch was taken as a few were beginning to show the signs of fatigue. Once we regrouped the route took us another mile to Whetstone Gate car park were the first three there made the executive decision to have lunch here.

Once all were refreshed, we made the last ½ mile to the East then West Buck Stones (original lunch stop) and began the route off the Moor though a felled then woodland wood. Another hick up here as we took the path to West Morten when we needed East.

Back on track we made our way through Riddlesden, crossed the Leeds Liverpool canal again then the River Aire on the B6265. Crossing the very busy A650 to arrive at The Shoulder of Mutton where we all enjoyed a drink in the sun.

We lost Toff the dog here and Adrian carried on with us. We ‘climbed’ away from the Pub up Thwaites Brow.

Once we crossed the Harden Road, we had a re-group just before the fields to Hainworth and John told us we had lost Pete (he had the 2 mile road walk back to the village).

Now a 7-mile loop took us through (Adrian assisted here tremendously) Hainworth where we took the Worth Way and Senior Way all the way to the A629. Found Cuckoo Park lane and took the route over Black Moor.

By the time we crossed Halifax Road we found the gate to the Rezzie and it was decided it was time to don the headtorches (less said here Kirsty….).

We found the route ‘looking’ over Hewenden Reservoir and all got to the B6144. (Here we had a conflab as the official route had us off this road once over the ravine into the woods and did a triangle to then cross again across from Bents Lane) we all vetoed this plan and took the road very carefully in Single file over the viaduct and uphill to Bents Lane.

The last 4 fields back were 2 uphill to descend 2 to a party in progress.

We found Pete waiting in the car park as we had completed 34.5 miles around Bingley

Many thanks from me to Pam for the shouts of “Aaron!” Ana for the route trough Shipley Glen and Adrian for “Ade were looking for a gate” “no problem, Aaron” kind of conversations.

Aaron