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In the last post you saw the Stiperstones in brooding monochrome. Those photos were taken on a dull and windy summer’s day. It was our first attempt to reach the Devil’s Chair. I had never seen it at close quarters. But in the end, the lack of light and the high wind across the tops put an end to the expedition.
The big problem on this particular trail is the surface. The higher you climb, the worse the path becomes, forming a devilish spread of upended pointy cobbles, designed to turn ankles and gouge soles, even when the walker is shod with sturdy footwear. The wind only made navigation harder: hard to focus with watering eyes. At one point I tried deviating through the heather, but it was a struggle to stride over; and it meant walking twice as far, and the rocks still ambushed me. A retreat was called.
We then made another attempt on a windless sunny day, when these photos were taken, but again were defeated by the terrain; nobbled by the cobbles. Still, despite hazy skies, there were some good views of the South Shropshire Hills as we headed down. And there is no doubting: this is one dramatic landscape, the quartzite rock of the the tors and outcrops laid down 480 million years ago, then fractured and shattered during recurrent freeze and thaw phases of the last Ice Age, 15,000 years ago. Back then, the ice sheet that covered much of Britain lapped against these hills.
It’s quite a thought: the repeated cycles of warming and cooling, cooling and warming that planet earth has gone through over many million years. And here we are in a warmish interglacial (it was apparently warmer in Britain in the Bronze Age, during Roman times and in the Middle Ages), and we’re probably due another cooling, since the geological timetable appears remarkably consistent, or at least it does when one’s dealing in millennia. I’m not sure we’ll like it though, the cooling.
It does look like a harder trail. 😀 😀 Thanks for joining us this week. 😀
You’re a doughty woman, Tish. Thanks for letting your photos take us along. I’ll choose a day to come along for real extremely judiciously.
Wise woman. Though it is hard to plan ahead. Like most hills, the Stiperstones seems to have its own weather.
And woe betide anyone up there when the devil sits on his chair…
Exactly. He’s quite bad-tempered I think.
Yes. indeed. All sorts of scariness runs rampant up there.
I’m not sure the view, though grand, is worth a twisted ankle or worse. At my age I have to be thinking safety even in the house.
Yes, you’re right, Beverly. One does need to keep on the alert.
What beauty but I can see that it would be difficult walking. Hard to take your eyes off the path to see the views unless you stop!
Exactly! Walking AND view looking definitely not advisable.
Hard to please, aren’t we? There are days when I’d welcome that cooling and others when I throw up my hands in horror. Impressed with your tenacity, Tish.
Ah, tenacity. It can be so trying to one’s other half, who then valiantly adopts the grin and bear it approach to get him through 🙂
Mother Nature does have some natural ways of protecting her beauty. Thanks for taking us along so we can view your adventure through your beautiful images.
Many thanks, Anne.
😊
Looks like a real ankle-breaking path. My knees and ankles hurt just looking at it. I hope you get the right weather — and the right footwear — to go all the way to the top. How high is that hill or is it a small mountain? It can be hard to tell the difference.
It’s just over 1,700 feet, so not so high. More a long ridge. More recently we found a much kinder route along the other side. So I have actually now seen the Devil’s Chair, though not up close.
Glad you found a less punishing path!
Wonderful landscapes even if the path did eventually defeat you! I would get nowhere on it I suspect 😮
Thanks, Sarah.
I think the Devil’s Chair is the iPhone, isn’t it? Or is that the chair of forgetfulness, from Greek lore? Ha ha. Lovely shots Tish. Love the old look and feel of things. You have that scabrous quality to the earth that seems unique to that region! I can find semblances of it here but rarely and only when I get out and far away. Happy Saturday! There’s also something about the devil and the Tarot and the chains are loose enough we could free ourselves in theory anyways 🤪
“nobbled by the cobbles” ha-ha! – it looks like a huge mantrap but worth the views Tish. And the geological time frame in which these rocks were formed, thrown up, eroded etc certainly puts the whole global warming debate into a timeframe of proportions beyond our ken
Yes, exactly, Laura. Much to debate on warming and cooling. Ice Ages came and went. And in between, 200,000 years ago Britain was positively tropical with busy Neanderthal folks making flint tools like crazy and hunting huge elephants, hippos and the like along the Thames basin.
such exciting times compared to London and its upper reached now 😉
🙂
Oh, gosh yes, that pathway is treacherous. “It is best to wear good walking boots with ankle support and use a pole to help you wend your way between and over the hundreds of rocks randomly thrown around the tussocks of heather.” was my description of our last hike up there. Apparently there is an easier route from the Bog. It is a fascinating place.
Yes, to all that sensible equipment, Jude. And yes, as we discovered more recently, the path from the Bog is a much kinder route through sheep pasture.