I am often asked where “that” aircraft wreck is. Although there are sadly a lot of such wrecks in the Peak District, the one they are usually referring to is the RB-29A Superfortress “Over Exposed” on Bleaklow, which crashed on the 3rd of November 1948 on a short flight from Scampton near Lincoln to Burtonwood near Warrington. Tragically 13 American airmen lost their lives when they started their descent too early in the low cloud that is often present in this area. The tragedy is remembered every year when poppies are placed at the site on Remembrance Sunday, where they usually remain for the next year. It doesn’t seem appropriate to place a physical cache at such a spot, so when the opportunity arose for a virtual cache this had to be the place for me.
The easiest route to the cache is from the Snake Pass summit along the Pennine Way to the top of Hern Clough at SK 09690 94797 and then via the easily-missed track to the cache (about 2 hours return). For a great day out, park in Old Glossop at the end of Shepley Street and walk up Doctors Gate to the Pennine Way, continue to the cache, then descend via Dowstone Clough or Shelf Moor (about 4 hours).
To claim the cache, please post a photo of the memorial showing something that confirms the date, such as a newspaper. You can even include yourself in the photo if you wish!
NB: Bleaklow can be dangerous in bad weather, and it is easy to get lost on the featureless terrain, so make sure you are properly equipped. The terrain from Hern Clough to the cache can be tricky, especially if you lose the track.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.