After a week of labouring in the public interest I decided that this afternoon I would go for a walk, simply for my own pleasure. Not having a great deal of time available I settled on Ogden Clough as my destination. This is a popular walking area within a few minutes’ drive of the house. A large reservoir surrounded by woodland is a well-used dog-walking location, but higher up the valley, on the open moorland, the landscape is quite different. A steep-sided groove in the landscape is fringed on one side by a series of rock outcrops. As these face southwards, although they have no special grandeur, they make an ideal place to climb.
I had no intention of climbing this afternoon, but I guess I wanted to make a sentimental journey to a place in which I have spent a great deal of time over the years, both solo climbing and in the company of a variety of climbing partners. It holds a great number of associations and memories. The fact that it was looking its best this afternoon, in the winter sunshine, ensured that I was inundated by reminiscence, and I became quite emotional as I named the climbing routes to myself in succession …. those I had done many times and those with remain beyond me, and perhaps always will.
For some reason, although I hadn’t taken any drawing materials with me I had stuffed a camera into my pocket as I left the house, and so I took several photographs. It is possible that something might emerge as an idea for a picture, although I have been too busy with domestic tasks since getting back to the house to give that any proper attention.