High Vinnals

 

Tuesday 13 January 2015

I should have left Titterstone Clee Hill for this morning, or even gone up it again first thing, as today dawned calm and clear. Instead, we got a reasonably early start and headed over to Ludlow and beyond, for an outing over High Vinnals.

The approach was pleasant enough through forest (variously native and pine), but was only really remarkable in the respect of the number of dog-walkers. We must have hit dog-walking rush-hour!

Having opted, once again, not to park in the nearest car park, a decent leg-stretch was had over one lump, down into a valley, along a bit and then up High Vinnals, where the first glimpses of what appeared to be the top didn’t look like it promised a view.

The first glimpses were deceptive and for the time being there are good views. Give it a few years, though, and the young pines to the east side will start to cause an obstruction. As it was, we could clearly see the Clee Hills, although to the west the views were curtailed not only by trees but also by what appeared to be approaching rain.

The weather held off long enough for us to enjoy tea and butteries on a bench near the summit (the summit bench boasted a moat and a view of some nearby trees), but we’d not got very far into our descent when the first flakes of snow were seen.

A change to rain occurred as we descended, but we were back to snow by the time we were climbing over the second lump. Our initial assumptions that the snow was only at height were wrong; back at Colin it was fair coming down and, even though it showed no signs of settling, we wasted no time in heading down to Ludlow, which was going to provide our entertainment for the afternoon.

Never have I seen such a huge slab of brownie as I was served in the ‘Afternoon Tea shop’ (that’s not what it’s called, but it’s the place we know for serving us a good afternoon tea a few years back). Delicious it was too. I fear that it was greatly more calorific than this morning’s 6.5 miles, with 1100’ of ascent, warranted.

(No photo again today. I opted to bring Mick’s new laptop on this trip, as it boasts a far greater battery life than mine. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to load my usual photo-size-reducing and blogging software onto it before we came, which combined with a dodgy mobile signal, is causing text-only.)