Dimmingsdale: Paws-On Review by Mahlow

Getting there

My Paws Touch Down in Dimmingsdale! The rumbling metal box had been going for a thousand lifetimes. My nose was getting bored of the same old sleepy air inside, even with my Human making happy-talk sounds at me. My tail had tried to wag, but it’s hard work when you’re just waiting. But then, something changed. The Human slowed the box right down, and a crack opened in the window. A tidal wave of new smells crashed into my face! WOOF! It was the best thing I’d smelled all day. It was the smell of damp earth, of pine needles, of a hundred other happy dogs who had been here before me. It was the powerful perfume of a proper SNIFFARI! My whole body went into full wiggle-mode. The rumbling box crept along, and my Human made a soft, worried noise. The air was thick with the hot smell of other metal boxes. So many of them, all sleeping in neat rows. It smelled like every dog in the world had decided to come here today. I held my breath, my paws doing a little dance on the seat. Would we have to go back to the boring smells of home? But my Humans are the cleverest. They saw a little gap, right at the very end, and steered the box in so slowly and carefully, like he was trying not to wake our sleeping cat at home (he gets so grumpy when he wakes!). We tucked in perfectly, with lots of room so we wouldn't bump anyone else's box when my door opened. Phew. And then I heard it. The most beautiful sound in the world. *Click.* The sound of my lead being picked up. The door swung open and I was out! My paws on the crunchy, leafy ground! The excitement was almost too much. It was better than finding a forgotten chewy under the sofa. I took a deep, deep sniff. Ahhh. I could smell muddy paws, happy barks on the breeze, and the faint, sweet ghost of a biscuit someone had dropped near a tree. Our Dimmingsdale adventure was about to begin, and my nose was leading the way.

On the walk

After a bit of walking, the air got quiet. All the familiar pee-mail from the usual pups disappeared, and soon it was just the scent of my human, the damp earth, and me. It felt like we had the whole world to our noses. Then, my nose told me a secret. It smelled… cool. And wet. And earthy. It was the smell of wiggly water, and it was getting closer! I started pulling a little because my paws just *knew* they needed to investigate. And there it was! A little stream. My Human gets nervous sometimes about water, but this one was perfect. The ground sloped down nice and easy, not scary-steep, so my paws could walk right in without any trouble. Ooooh, the feeling of the cool water on my hot toe-beans was better than a belly rub. I stood there for a long, long time, just letting the wiggly water tickle my legs. I was a bit thirsty from all the important sniffing, so I dipped my head and had a big drink. It was even better than bowl-water! It tasted like stones and sky. My Human just smiled and didn't pull on the lead at all. They knew this was a special moment. We walked on, into the place of many tall sticks. Wow. The smells in here were better than the cheese tax. So many stories in the air! The ghost of a squirrel from yesterday, the secret path of a fox from last night, and a hundred years of crunchy leaves. The air was so thick with interesting things that I couldn’t always see where the smells were coming from. The trodden-down bit got very skinny here, so I had to walk right by my human’s leg, which was fine by me. Then, a new smell hit my nose. FAST. It was *dog*. A dog I didn’t know, and it was coming closer. My ears went a bit flat and my tail did a little worried tuck. It was a feeling worse than when the noisy vacuum monster wakes up unexpectedly. Because the path was so skinny, I knew they would have to come very close. But my human’s hand came down and stroked my back, all slow and calm. Their voice was soft, and that helped my thumpy heart. The other dog appeared between the tall sticks. But its human made a sharp, happy sound, and the new dog stopped right away! They were off their rope, but they were listening. My human and the new human made happy mouth-noises at each other. We just stepped to the side, into the crunchy leaves where it was soft, and let them pass. There was plenty of room to do that, and the new dog didn't even try to sniff me. The new dog smell faded away, and it was just us again. My tail came back up and gave a little ‘phew!’ wag. It was a little bit scary, but my human knew just what to do. It’s good to know that even when a surprise happens, we’re a team. The rest of the sniffari was full of happy sniffs and the lovely, lovely smell of being safe.

The Human's Verdict

This is a fantastic walk that we can thoroughly recommend, especially for those who enjoy a route with a bit of a challenge. It’s a proper leg-stretcher that will certainly get the heart pumping in a few places, but the sense of achievement makes the effort entirely worthwhile. Be prepared for some steep sections on this route. A reasonable level of fitness is advisable to get the most out of the climbs without feeling too puffed out. The ascents are manageable, but they definitely remind you that you’re on a good hike rather than a gentle stroll around the park. A quick but important note on the path conditions. We noticed that some parts of the trail show clear signs of water erosion, creating uneven ground and a few gullies. Because of this, sturdy, waterproof walking boots with good grip are an absolute must. If you’re tackling this walk after a recent downpour, or during wet weather, please take extra care on the descents as the ground can become muddy and slippery. Overall, providing you come prepared with the right footwear and are ready for a couple of climbs, this is a brilliantly rewarding walk. We loved it and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Mahlow's Final Verdict & Rating

All I can say about this walk is WOW. It was a whole library of smells! My nose was glued to the ground, pulling my Human along on my grand tour of scents. The best secret my nose told me about was the wiggly water. The only dog we saw that was off his rope ignored me so it wasn't too scary! This sniffari gets two paws up and a full-body happy shake. It was almost as good as finding a whole, forgotten sausage on the floor. Happy sniffing, Mahlow.

Mahlow gives this walk 4 out of 5 Paws! 🐾🐾🐾🐾

For full walk details including how to get there visit:

https://www.dogwalksnearme.co.uk/walks/staffordshire/dimmingsdale