Down into Hebden Wood.
The right-of-way (Heptonstall 048) goes down from the dwellings at Mid-Slack to enters Hebden Wood (see map).
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| 1. The blue pin marks the worksite |
This was the area where Ian S, Guy and Frank H worked in sweltering conditions (high humidity and temperatures nudging 30oC) on the following tasks:
i) Cutting-back a heavily overgrown path.
ii) Adding a further length of handrail to help the descent over a rocky section (no photo for this).
iii) Clearing a significant amount of mud and mulch from a flight of stone steps.
iv) Removing a tree that had collapsed over the path.
v) Shoring the banking (where two rights-of-way cross one another) in preparation for the construction of several steps.
Here's how it went:
In the jungle.
Ian and Guy cut-back nettles, brambles and other invasive growth that had engulfed the path:
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| 2. Before picture: Wild, wild growth! |
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| 3. After picture: Neat job but . . . watch out for the barbed wire! |
A clean sweep.
Meanwhile Frank used spade and brush to reveal a flight of stone-surfaced steps.
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| 4. Before picture: Not a clear stone-surface in sight! |
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| 5. After picture: Clean as a whistle! |
Bowsaw surgery.
The path just below the above steps was blocked by a collapsed tree. Major branches were 'hung-up' on an adjacent tree and were potentially under considerable tension/compression forces. Skilled 'de-stressing' bowsaw work by Guy soon resolved the problem.
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| 6. Before picture: The branch to the left rises steeply to be wedged against an adjacent tree. |
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| 7. After picture: "And there it is - gone!" |
Holding up the bank.
Where the right-of-way starts to drop down towards the stone steps, part of the banking was unstable. The plan was to install a length of shoring and grade the path above it so walkers would have a level 'take-off' to descend the bank. A flight of steps will be installed at a later date.
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| 8. Before picture: Crumbling bank edge which is not as horizontal as it looks! |
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| 9. After picture: The edge now takes a load! |
This was a useful finishing point for the day. The construction and landscaping of a flight of steps down from the shoring board will be a full day's work . . . preferably in slightly cooler conditions. More detail in a week or so.
