Icy Peak District

Today I was in the Gallery in Buxton Pavilion Gardens. It was a cold clear day, about -6C, and I walked there and back (about 12 miles). It started with good views of the lunar eclipse which covered 3/4 of the moon as I left at 7.15am. Just a dusting of snow across the hills but at the green lane that runs around Ladder Hill (opposite our house) there was so much ice, 2 or 3 inches thick across the entire track making it difficult to walk down the lane. Looked like it had been rain water running off the hill which then froze. I came across more ice on the route to Buxton than I have ever seen before. Slowed me down a bit picking my way around it. Came back the same way this evening so that I could remember where the ice was rather than try a different route. It was dark all the way so it was good to have a bright headlamp picking out the track and the ice ahead. It took about 20 minutes longer than normal, including a detour over a snowy hill rather than along part of the track where I know it would be seriously icy. Had to tread carefully on the way home as I had bought a couple of bottles of Buxton Brewery Kinder Stout – didn’t want to break them!