On Friday morning, when I woke up, I saw snow flakes falling down! The last time here in Leeds I had seen those in the early days of December, when I was at the Christkindl Market on the Millenium Square. I had missed the snowfall that occured after Christmas - since I was out on travel in the US.
Saturday morning, the weather looked bright and sunny, and I decided to drive up to the Pennines, the mountain range which separates the East of Northern England from the West, to catch the last snow for this season. Driving through Huddersfield, signs indicated that the road which I intended, would be closed. However, I decided to continue anyway, just in case the sign was not correct. A second sign with the same warning - I prepared for a detour. But after I drove through Holmfirth up the slope of A6024, no road barrier blocked access. Cars came down this road, with snow on them.
On the highest point of the road, Holm Moss, I stopped to get out and take a few pictures. An icy wind from North-East almost blew me away. On the Pennines high mountains (well, high is quite relative - the peaks are about 600 m), it is always very windy. I had been here already several times during autumn, and it always seemed like the "end of the world", a moon landscape without trees, very thinly populated, large moors covered in heather. The fast moving clouds always seem to touch the peak - so when being on top, it gets quite foggy.
I continued towards south, to visit a Model Railroad Exhibition in Chapel-en-le-Frith. Coming from north, the most impressive structure is a combination of two large railroad viaducts, merging into a Y. From there I headed further East on small country roads. Narrow path, only wide enough for one vehicle; I kept driving uphill, hoping that nobody would come driving down towards me - there was no room for passing a car.
On my map I saw a marking of Mam Tor, and I was wondering what that could be. When I arrived at the parking lot, several people - all very warmly dressed, almost with mountain climbing gear - walked uphill towards the close peak. I joined them, walking through the slippery slope of wet snow. This hill turned out to be an ancient fortress, at least 3000 years old. A gorgeous view from the top - but the wind was so strong, I could lean against it and not fall. The cloud level had become denser, removing the blue sky sunny spells from the morning.
I continued to Bamford and made a turn back north to the Snake Pass. When climbing up with the car on the road, the sun came out and shined onto the white snowy plain on top. Several cars parked there, people took a stroll in the blindingly white environment - a gorgeous feeling, if it would not have been sooo cold! Again the wind made the difference - and after taking a few pictures I returned into the car to drive back to Leeds.
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