Total miles 17.6
Elevation gain: 2,167 ft
Time walking: 10am – 7pm
Miles to date: 660.1
Windy! Definitely the theme of the day. As soon as Jane dropped me off at Brun Clough Reservoir the wind was there and it stayed with me all day. It certainly blew the cobwebs away!
The route today stayed high for most of the day, following the edge of the moor along rough paths of sand and gritstone, the wind ever whistling in my right ear. I was feeling tired today (it was a pre-workout powder and fizz stick combo today in my water!) and I was glad that after an initial short climb the path stayed high and relatively flat for several miles, even if the terrain was rough and required picking through.
Just before midday I dropped down to the little parking area on the A672 just off the M62, thrilled to see the snack van there. I had two rolls that Jane had made me for lunch in my bag but I had a feeling today was going to be a hungry day so I stopped for a coffee and a bacon and egg roll! I was lucky, he was just packing up, but he made me my roll and ohhh it tasted so good! I ate it sat on a welcome flat rock (there aren’t many places to stop and sit up on the moors – it’s all heather and bog or too windy (with the risk of getting chilly) up on the gritstone edge) and had a bit of a rest. Jay, who is also walking the Pennine Way and appears to be following a similar route, passed through while I was stopped, and for a while I could see the little blue rucksack about half a mile ahead of me, heading up the hill. There’s something quite nice about knowing there’s someone else out there. I really enjoy walking on my own but there is a sense of camaraderie about knowing there are others out there on the same trail.
The path headed across the M62 – over a rather vertigo-inducing bridge – and up along Blackstone Edge. The views and sense of space were great, but I have to admit that after the sensational views the past few days, it probably didn’t wow me as much as it should have! At points I could see Manchester – now to the south west, having over the past week seen it to the north east, the north, the north west and the west – only now will I finally start leaving it behind me!
The wind was still a constant companion and it made it hard to control my temperature – I wore my insulated jacket at times but it would get too warm after a while (think I need to get myself a light shell) – cue me deciding to see whether I could take it off whilst walking without taking my backpack off. The first attempt ended up with me doing all sorts of contortions and very nearly getting stuck…but me being me, once deciding on a challenge I tend to stick at it (you know, crazy things like walking the full length of Great Britain…) and eventually I pulled my jacket off and triumphantly waved it in the wind, with nobody to witness my incredible achievement but a few bemused sheep. Still, with this new found skill I headed down the hill towards a rare pub, satisfied and ready for a celebratory coke.
The next section of the route follows gravel tracks around some reservoirs, not everybody’s cup of tea but it was a welcome respite from the rough terrain which makes for tiring walking (far more tiring than the mileage or elevation suggests). One section of the path was closed due to works on the reservoir and a diversion headed around the prettier northern edge. It was slightly longer and a rougher, more boggy, path but it was pretty, winding through the heather and under gritstone outcrops. Far nicer than trudging along a gravel track! Once the reservoirs were cleared, eventually the awaited Stoodley Pike came into view. I’d been previously warned that this massive monument looks nearer than it is, due to its size, and sure enough looking at the map it was a good 2-3 miles away. Still, it gave me something to aim for and it did gradually get closer.
By the time I arrived at Stoodley Pike I was ready for another rest and to eat my final roll. A muscle or ligament in my left knee/hamstring is feeling a bit strained, and I’m hoping it will last the day – another 5 miles and a big downhill and big uphill – and rest up overnight. I definitely don’t want any knee trouble over the Pennine Way!!! Just off the hill I have the option of detouring into Hebden Bridge where I was originally planning to stay, however a lack of camping options in the town and the desire to knock a few more miles and another hill off tomorrow’s route means I continue along the path. (For future reference I think the detour would be worth making, apparently Hebden Bridge is a lovely place and has lots of amenities!)
Thankfully as I drop down off the hill I finally lose the wind and there is some variety in the path as it passes through farmland and then pretty woodland down into the Calder Valley. In the narrow valley there is a bustle of activity – in the space of about 50m there is a river, a canal, a road and a railway line! Route finding up the other side of the valley is tricky – there are countless zigzagging paths. I thought I was on the main one until it practically went through someone’s back garden, but I managed to join up with the main path fairly easily so it seems that as long as you’re headed roughly up, you’ll come out at the right place. The guidebooks call this a “tortuous” climb. I think that’s a bit extreme, but it was tough at the end of the day and it was nice to know I didn’t have to do it in the morning. Once up on the top I could see Stoodley Pike standing proudly atop the hill on the other side of the valley. It really does stand out for miles!
A sneaky steep little valley and a narrow, deep path down the side of it marked the last bit of my day as I turned off just before the bottom to detour to the New Delights Inn at Jack’s Bridge where I’m camping for the night. The pub offers the camping at £5 for Pennine Way hikers! Thankfully I was planning on cooking my own dinner as it turned out there was no chef on at the pub tonight, but first things first – get the tent up and make a cup of tea! The midges were back again but nowhere near as bad as the other night, and I’ve beaten them to it tonight by covering up as much as I can and spraying any exposed bits with deet! The smell takes me back to Asia, where deet was a multiple-applications-a-day routine. I’m determined not to get bitten tonight, my bites from the other day have been itching like crazy!
My tea, biscuits, and pasta-and-sauce packet, followed by Jane’s fruit salad and a hot chocolate, taste amazing! Heavy rain is predicted for overnight, and it is starting to drizzle now, but cosy in my tent I’m not bothered…I just hope it dries out by morning!