On Saturday 31st August a group from Marsden WAW, accompanied by members of local Mountain Rescue teams and other local walkers set off from Hebden Bridge to undertake a sponsored walk, covering the 18 miles over moorland back to the Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team’s HQ in Marsden. At 9am in perfect walking weather and feeling well rested after a night at the wonderful IOU Hostel in Hebden Bridge, the team set out with some extra supporters walking them to the town boundary.
It was a clear, breezy day with blue skies and just a hint of the Autumn to come and the team were soon at the summit of Stoodley Pike; a well-loved climb to the “peace monument” originally marking the defeat of Napoleon, then re-built commemorating the end of the Crimean War.

By lunchtime, with views of the spectacular skyscrapers of Manchester’s skyline in the distance, the team were very grateful to be met by the support team with a lunch including the delicious Walkers’ Cake (a top-secret Marsden recipe!). Additionally at the halfway point, a further two walkers met the team, having walked the route from Marsden that morning and joining the team to return with them to Marsden.
Along the way, the team passed the ‘Rain Stone’; one of the Simon Armitage poems carved into the rockface as part of the ‘Stanza Stones’ trail and companion stone to Marsden’s own ‘Snow Stone’. 

After crossing the dizzying heights of the bridge across the M62, the group were on the home stretch, happy to see the landmark of Green Withins sailing club in the distance making full use of the breezy conditions, and finally a first glimpse of Pule Hill and the long descent down to the historic landmark of Easter Gate and the picturesque Packhorse bridge (although to some of the team, it appeared that these had been moved further away and the route down had grown longer!)

At 5pm, the team arrived back at Holme Valley Mountain Rescue HQ, then on to celebrate in one of the village pubs; celebrating not only the walk itself, but the £1,000 raised which will be split between Marsden WAW and the Holme Valley and Oldham Mountain Rescue Teams!

To donate visit https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/marsdenwalkersarewelcome