Hail Storm Hill, G/SP-009 - 477m ASL - SD 835 193 - OS Explorer OL21 - 1 SOTA point       

From Sharneyford (the parking place for Freeholds Top G/SP-011), returned to Waterfoot in the Rossendale Valley and looked out for the easy-to-miss lane to Cowpe.  We found it first time courtesy of a new red sign displaying "Cowpe Road".  As we climbed the narrow cul-de-sac lane through the tiny village (hamlet?) we noticed a pub called "The Buck", one we hadn't noticed before.  To be honest, I was quite amazed that a pub was stuck up here in a tiny village that isn't even signposted from the main road and few people would ever have reason to visit.  It was closed, but we had more pressing business to which to attend anyway.

After the usual struggle to find an appropriate parking position by the mills, we set off on our trek up Hail Storm Hill.  Of course, the highest point of the area, and the bit known as Hail Storm Hill (477m ASL) was not even in our sights, as we headed for the much more convenient position of Top of Leach.  The activation zone up here is huge, occupying an area about 2km long and 500m wide.  The true summit involves an extra mile of walking through bog, so Top of Leach (474m ASL), which is kind of the East summit of the "ridge", with its trig point and shelter gets the vote of most activators. 

We weaved a route up through the old mine and quarry workings above Cowpe Tank reservoir, and across the peat bogs to the trig point. The sun was really out in force now, and we could feel the tans from our week in Fuerteventura being topped up.  Again, Jimmy and myself completed our activations on our handheld transceivers.  Sprawled across some large boulders, we relaxed and basked in the late afternoon sun for a while, sipping water from our bladders and soup from the flask, enjoying the views of Lancashire. 

We descended via Rooley Moor Road and another track across to the scrapyard at the top of Cowpe village to complete a circular walk. This time as we passed, "The Buck" was open, so in we went.  A very pleasant pub, with very friendly new tenants, although they hadn't got round to putting any hand-pull real ales on yet.  G1INK look away now.  I had a pint of John Smith's Smooth while the lads had water.  55 minutes laster, we were back in Macc eating our teas.  

Thanks to the following stations, worked on 2m FM with 2.5 watts: