Eccles Pike summit, at about 1200 feet, was one of the highlights on a recent East Cheshire Ramblers’ walk. As Leader Sandra Edwards remarked “It’s a steady climb across fields and along a little lane towards its flat grassy summit, but the climb is rewarded with splendid panoramic views”. A summit orientation plaque shows the names of surrounding hills, which stretch to the ridge of Kinder Scout on the horizon in one direction, and in the other, to Combs Reservoir and the long smooth stretch of Combs Edge beyond. Warm, sunny weather greeted the twelve walkers, as they set off from Taxal Edge with Eccles Pike as the destination for their coffee stop. Soon they were stripping off their fleeces and stuffing them into rucksasks! After admiring the vista, they made their way downhill to Whaley Bridge, crossed the town and walked uphill on the other side of the valley. Having gained some height, they stopped for lunch, enjoying a view back towards their earlier destination of Eccles Pike and surrounding hills.   After a climb to the long damp grass of walled fields with herds of curious, staring cows and flocks of sheep, their way lay on a farm track linking the small stone hillside farms that lie between Whaley Bridge and the pretty little village of Kettleshulme below. Then, on the other side of the valley, the path took them up to their final high level destination, the heathery ridge of Taxal Moor. There, well satisfied with the efforts of their nine mile walk and enjoying the unexpected warmth of the autumn day, they gazed across at the clear outlines of surrounding hills, before descending to the tiny hamlet of Taxal, with its well kept church, where they passed through the large graveyard and across the river back to the start point. Sandra Edwards [caption id="attachment_382" align="alignleft" width="500"] Ramblers enjoying the warm sunshine on the way towards Eccles Pike[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_383" align="alignright" width="500"] View towards Combs Reservoir and Combs Edge[/caption]