I too had an early start on Sunday, but I was not chasing ice.
Saturday had been so cold, still and sunny it was obvious that Sunday morning should be 2010's first early morning boulder session.
I awoke at 6am to find a light covering of snow outside. Hmmm. "Well, I'm up now so may as well go and have a look".
I left the house at 6.30 with no glimmer of dawn under the starless sky. I got as far as the other side of Buxton on my way to the Newstones before it started snowing. As the road climbed higher I slowly realised that it wasn't going to be good clean bracing fun. With the wind and snow it was going to be grim and horrible. And it was still dark.
So I turned tail and headed for the softer landscape of the Limestone. I parked in Cressbrook village and walked in the now daylight to Water Cum Jolly, for a first visit to Rubicon in some 12 years, or something...
Its not that I don't like Peak Limestone (and I have been living abroad for a few years) but I always enjoyed Grit so much.
Anyway, there was enough climbing around the massive pool at the bottom of most problems to make the drive worthwhile. Note to self: Must get better at precise foot placements on polished rock.
