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Day 8, Wima Rally 2019
It’s a quiet day. Many have to arrive first, the official opening ceremony is not until the evening.
This of course raises the question, what to do with the day? The weather doesn’t look too bad, it would be a pity to just stroll around the grounds.
In the goodie pack were already the tasks for the Treasure Hunt, and these don’t look like they are easy to find at first sight. I believe that an interested Wima UK history and geography professor has worked here. So I want to use this day and at least start the first stations today.
Since such puzzle rallies alone are boring, I ask the group and Hanna – whom I, as also Austrian, only got to know via telegram so far! – would like to join.
Great, a good opportunity to get to know each other better.
We decide to work through the questions from back to front, so not to hinder other Wima groups in their search 😉
It was a good decision, because we meet only a few motorcycle groups and therefore we don’t have a parking problem at any station.
The round leads from Castleton in a spiral counterclockwise direction, around many thick rain clouds, through the beautiful Peak District.The questionnaire is 5 pages long and asks for scenic, cultural, historical, road related and sightseeing locations.
This is what directs us to Derwent Dam over the Snake Pass to Glossop, thus already to the foothills of Manchester, it goes further south, via Hayfield to Chapel en le Frith, which can only be reached with a big detour due to street closures. Then it goes further on via Whaley Bridge (yes, the place with the almost bursting dam) to Buxton.
As we are very fast together, we turn on Goyts Valley Lane to Erwood Reservoir. Passing a small Marien cross  we reach the reservoir, which houses a sailing school. I don’t quite understand why especially here, because in contrast to the rest of the area, which has strong winds all the time, there is actually no wind in this valley and the reservoir is as smooth as glass 😉
We continued our trip over the beautiful Goyt River Valley to Cat and Fiddle.
Hanna ist unermüdlich,
Hanna isn’t tired, so we drive on via Bakewell (and the bakeries along the road showed the well 😉 ) to Haddon Hall which offered a very impressive picture.
Via Wirksworth and the Stoney Wood, we went on to the Cromford Mills and the ruins at the bridge over the Derwent River (Piscatoribus Sacrum)
The day is now well under way, so we start with the direct return journey, not without seeing on the way back nor the heights of Abraham, Monsal Head back to Castleton. In total we have put back approx. 205 km and have come around quite a lot. Hanna has turned out to be a nice and quick companion. Surely a girl with , you can steal horses with.
We are not finished with the questions of the riddle rally yet, but the opening evening of the rally starts immediately and we still have to change our clothes. In the course of the day more Wima’s have arrived. In total we are now 238 participants.
The opening celebration, the food and the music are top!
So the week has started.
Damit ist die Woche gestartet.
Weather : 8°-15°, less rain, sun!
Tour : 205 km
