YOU CAN STILL TAKE TO HILLS

THE first Sunday of September is traditionally the day to put your boots on, pack your sandwiches and set off to enjoy the Rossendale Round the Hills Walk, eighteen miles of glorious Rossendale Valley scenery, organised by the Rotary Club of Rossendale.

Sadly, due to the on-going Government restrictions, including social distancing, associated with the COVID19 pandemic, it is not possible to hold the event this year in its usual format.

However, the Government are encouraging us to “Eat Well and Move More” in an effort to make us all fitter and improve mobility.

This walk could not be more appropriate and so, we want to give walkers the opportunity to salvage something from the 53rd Walk and we’re hoping you will still do the walk by downloading the route and map and make a voluntary donation, if you so wish.

Please use the following link to access the RRtHW Facebook page and download the map and route instructions. (Visit gofundme.com and search for ‘Round the Hills Walk Donations’.) You can then do the walk, either the full 18 miles in one go, or in stages, before the end of September, either on your own, as a family or with a Government approved number of friends, socially distancing, of course.

That way, you can plan the walk to suit all abilities in your group and plan to do it in decent weather!

If you’re doing it in stages, you may wish to consider the following:

● Marl Pits to the Halo

● Halo to Limey Lane

● Limey Lane to Marl Pits, via Compston’s Cross and Liver Hill (the new short route finish introduced a few years ago).

● Limey Lane to Waterfoot, via Compston’s

Cross, Water and Dean.

Waterfoot to Marl Pits, via Cowpe Lowe.

The logistics are down to you.

Plan it using the downloaded map and route guide (OS Landranger 103, or OS Explorer Map, OL21 will also be useful) and then follow the way markers!

There will not be any check in/check out, nor route marshalling. Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team offer a 24/7 emergency service, if required. It is good practice to leave details of your intended route and timeline with someone and check in with them on your return.

Please take plenty of photographs and upload them to the Walk’s Facebook page, so that others can see how much you enjoyed it. Once you’ve completed the 53rd Walk (or done as much as you’d like to do) let us know and we’ll send an email certificate during October confirming your walk.

RRtHW is a free walk but walkers have always contributed generously to the charity collection buckets at the start and finish. Your voluntary donations this year, in exchange for the route and map download, will be split, equally, as follows: Rossendale Connected – organising COVID-19 relief aid in the Valley, Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team – a self-funded, voluntary emergency service, Rotary Club of Rossendale – to support local charities.

Walkers are generous folk and we know you’ll give what you can!

Please enjoy the walk, at your leisure and tell us about your experiences.

It may be different but it will still be good and we look forward to resuming normal service for the 54th Walk and to seeing you on Sunday, 5 September 2021. John H Lowe

President, Rotary Club of Rossendale