I woke up this morning, again it was freezing and I didn’t want to crawl out of my pit. But I had to go and drop a photograph off for a friend so I forced myself up, on hearing the rain and sleet hitting my bedroom window I wanted to fall backwards into bed but soon snapped out of it, I didn’t want to let my friend down. I packed my pack and camera and everything else I needed and set off.
Waiting for the bus, I suddenly felt the old depression feeling shooting up from where ever it comes from and it was a strong one and knocked me sideways. I’ve been having pretty bad up and down episodes recently but this was the old pure depression feeling I used to get and for a minute or two I contemplated turning around, going home, locking myself in and diving under the duvet.
Then I thought about Folly Dolly Falls, until Sunday afternoon I had never ever heard of this little gem. Whilst researching for new walks in the Huddersfield area, I came across an article about this waterfall, I then saw the photos and I knew straight away I wanted to get there as soon as possible. I knew I had to drop the photo off in Netherton and I saw the waterfall was only a few bus stops after that so I thought go for it. I looked at the pics on the internet on my mobile when I was feeling depressed and that’s when I decided no, I wasn’t going to turn around, if I did then this illness is starting to win again and I cannot let that happen, I owe it to my mum and myself to keep fighting, so I jumped onto the bus when it arrived and started my journey. I was literary shaking in Huddersfield bus station whilst waiting for the bus to Netherton but I slipped my headphones in, sat back and listened to one of my favourite bands ‘The Chevin’ and waited for my next bus.
Waiting for the bus, I suddenly felt the old depression feeling shooting up from where ever it comes from and it was a strong one and knocked me sideways. I’ve been having pretty bad up and down episodes recently but this was the old pure depression feeling I used to get and for a minute or two I contemplated turning around, going home, locking myself in and diving under the duvet.
Then I thought about Folly Dolly Falls, until Sunday afternoon I had never ever heard of this little gem. Whilst researching for new walks in the Huddersfield area, I came across an article about this waterfall, I then saw the photos and I knew straight away I wanted to get there as soon as possible. I knew I had to drop the photo off in Netherton and I saw the waterfall was only a few bus stops after that so I thought go for it. I looked at the pics on the internet on my mobile when I was feeling depressed and that’s when I decided no, I wasn’t going to turn around, if I did then this illness is starting to win again and I cannot let that happen, I owe it to my mum and myself to keep fighting, so I jumped onto the bus when it arrived and started my journey. I was literary shaking in Huddersfield bus station whilst waiting for the bus to Netherton but I slipped my headphones in, sat back and listened to one of my favourite bands ‘The Chevin’ and waited for my next bus.
After the brief stop in Netherton I was again on another bus, the third of the day, but not for long. I knew exactly where to get off for Folly Dolly Falls and it was only another couple of stops away. I got off the bus, it was on the main road from Meltham to Huddersfield but it felt deserted, only one or two cars and only one other bloke with his dog. I smiled to myself as I put my pack on my back and took a very long deep breath of the fresh air. After 5 minutes I was on the Meltham Greenway and I could hear the noise of fast flowing water, the excitement inside me began to rise as I knew I was close and a few short yards later it caught my eye, the absolutely stunning Folly Dolly Falls and my breath was stolen away from me, something that happens on every walk. I slowly but steadily made my way down the muddy steps, to the observation platform that was built just a few years back and I could not stop smiling. I excitedly retrieved my camera and tripod from my backpack and within minutes I was snapping away, I must have taken almost 100 shots from various angles, I just could not stop myself and if anyone observed me I’m sure they would have taken me for a complete looney, running around with my camera with a grin on my face so big, I think I actually scared myself for a moment!
It felt like I had been at Folly Dolly Falls for hours when I packed up and made my way back along the Meltham Greenway, still grinning like a Cheshire Cat. I got into Meltham about half an hour later and I just wanted to get out of there and to the peace of Meltham and Marsden Moors, I quickly got onto Wessenden Head Road and the pain in my legs hit me like I’d been whacked with a baseball bat, so I stopped and sat down for 10 on a little park bench and looked through the photos I’d taken so far whilst I had lunch (Kendal Mint Cake… Yum). After the break, I got half way up this long road it started to sleet, looking behind where I had come from the sun was shining over Huddersfield as if it was a warm day in July, but looking up to where my next destination was, it looked like Antarctica, for a few moments it was total whiteout and I again was finding myself contemplating turning around. I was just about to turn around when the sun hit my face and I opened my eyes to see the weather had cleared, I took this as a sign and carried on forward past the infamous ‘cock growing stone’ and then took the path from the road onto Meltham Moor and started the climb up to the summit of West Nab and it’s trig point. Here, my legs really started to suffer with the steap climb up, but by now I had stopped caring, I was in my happy place, my paradise.
I did keep stopping to turn around to take in the pure fresh air and the views, half way up I could see Castle Hill and Emley Moor mast, the trig point at Wolfstones Heights where I had been the previous Monday and Tinkers Monument where I was less than 48 hours before this walk. By the time I reached the summit and turned around, for the second time today, my breath was stolen by the beautiful views before me. I could see over Huddersfield all the way to Leeds with Bridgewater Place viewable with the naked eye and I could again see the Drax and Ferrybridge power stations, not the most beautiful things to look at but from where I was, they were. After I touched the trig point, I had a walk around the summit and almost felt embarrassed when a runner suddenly appeared, he looked like he had just ran up here without breaking a sweat. I checked my watch and saw it was getting late, and knew there was still an hour and a half until I reached Marsden and didn’t fancy walking down the snowy Pennine Way in the dark so after a few more shots with my camera I again set off.
I’ve now walked down the Pennine Way towards Marsden quite a few times but I still took my time, taking photos, taking in the air and the pure beauty, I really do love this place and I can’t wait to get up there again!