Summer hill route

During the summer months we get the opportunity to get out and have some fun on the hill behind Helsby. This is a fine training run and even those of us noted for disliking hills seem to enjoy the workout. Don’t be alarmed if this route sounds complex, you’ll soon get the hang of it, just hook yourself up with one of the regulars and you’ll have no problems. (We often do this as a muster run, with lots of rests!)

The route

1. Out of the club gates, turn left. Over the road, heading off to the right. 
2. Up Robin Hood Lane and the Old Chester Road until we meet the skewed tee junction with Alvanley Lane. 
3. Over the road and we hit the footpath heading uphill until we hit Middle Walk around Helsby Hill. Left onto this and we follow it around the front of the hill, right over the stile at the end, and along the track.
4. Where we hit tarmac (Hill Lane North) we turn left and then left again at the T-junction with Bates Lane. 
5. After about 400 yards there is a footpath through a gate on the right hand side between houses, through the gate we go, over a stile, across a field and down to a few houses and a continuation of the path between gardens. Over a small wooden bridge and a ditch there is another field which leads us onto a track (with a small ford). 
6. The track takes us up to the Tarvin Road, where we turn left followed quickly by a right turn up another track. When we reach the woods we go through the little wooden gate and head off left, along the level in the edge of the woods with fields on the left. 
7. After a bit less than a mile we come across a stone flight of stairs up which we ascend, turning right at the top to stagger along Middle Walk of Frodsham Hill.
8. We pass beneath Jacob’s Ladder and keep on going, picking up the Sandstone Trail and clamber up a sandstone outcrop to run through the top of the woods with Frodsham golf course on our left hand side and occasional views over the Mersey on the right. Following the yellow Sandstone Trail signs we go up and over Woodhouse Hill past the iron age hill fort, in the dip beyond where the Trail goes right we carry straight on along the path towards Shepherd’s Houses. 
9. At the top of the climb at the end of the woods we go right through woodland and clearings at the top of Snidley Moor. Near the end of the woods a path joins from the right, we double back along it and shortly take a sharp left which leads directly downhill. 
10. Following the force of gravity takes us down to a sandy track and the Sandstone Trail again. 
11. Then Left along this until we reach tarmac – Ridgeway.
12. Left again up the road then right following the Trail up steps into woods. The Sandstone Trail takes us across fields to Commonside (more tarmac) where we leave it and turn right back towards Helsby.
13. At the crossroads with the Tarvin Road we go right and downhill a few hundred yards to a footpath on the left. 
14. Through woods and across fields brings us back out onto Hill Lane North. Left up this past houses and at its end through a metal tractor gate until the end of the track. 
15. Here a right turn takes us up onto the summit of Helsby Hill. Soaking up the views over the Mersey to Liverpool and beyond from the trig point and off right (do NOT attempt to go straight on here!) 
16. Down through the woods and back onto Middle Walk. Heading left back the way we came leads us back onto Alvanley Road and left uphill (the last bit of climb!) brings us to a car park and a gateway on the right into the disused quarry. 
17. Down through the quarry, out onto Sandy Lane, right at the end onto The Rock road then shortly we rejoin Robin Hood Lane and it’s a short sprint back to the club house and a well earned beer.