Total miles: 17.2
Elevation gain: 1,594 ft
Time walking: 9:15am – 6:30pm
Miles to date: 757.6
I can’t quite make up my mind about today. It was a fairly tough, remote day, probably one of the remotest so far, and lots of bog-squelching. I did have company though, and I reached County Durham, the penultimate county on my route through England!
The day started very promisingly, waking early to a windy but mostly-dry tent and the calls of the grouse all around. (As a slight aside, I’m sure the grouse up here have a slightly different accent to those I heard in the Peak District – rather than sounding like they are saying “go back go back go back”, the Dales grouse seem to say “alert alert alert”!) I’m getting rather fond of their calls, I’ll miss them when I’m back down south!
As it was dry I managed to pack the tent up quickly and was in the pub by 8am for breakfast. It looked like I’d be able to join Dan and Gareth today after all – they had an even longer day than me and wanted to get an early start. Sean the kiwi guy joined us for breakfast too – his first Full English! Just as we were about to leave it started to drizzle outside so we donned the waterproofs (except Sean, who wore shorts, a light mac and worn leather boots that were loose around the ankle and didn’t even have laces…talk about old-skool hardcore – he must think we are completely soft!) and headed out onto the moor.
The first few miles took us across mostly featureless, boggy moor with a fairly faint path that split and zigzagged about as previous walkers had chosen different routes over the boggiest sections. Thankfully there was an occasional post to mark the route, but I imagine in thick fog you’d have to rely entirely on a compass – both an exhilarating and terrifying thought! Sean took the lead and set a fair pace, probably a good thing as it meant we just got on with it and splashed our way through rather than trying to pick the driest route (nigh on impossible as it was wet everywhere). Sean’s pack was an ancient canvas and metal frame contraption with leather straps – even the shoulder straps were unpadded leather. His pack was barely heavier than the boys’ packs though, and he was camping the whole time. This is a guy who knows how to survive in the wild! Mind you, he lives in the middle of nowhere in New Zealand and his business is as a guide taking people out into the wild, so I guess it makes sense. He was a fascinating guy, able to live more or less completely cut off from the world but also able to integrate into it – he ran a tourism business in Tibet, travels the world and made a lot of money buying and selling land in New Zealand, now running a horse trekking business when he isn’t travelling. He must be in his late 60s too! I have his details for the next time I go to New Zealand, definitely going to look him up!
The drizzle eased up fairly shortly but was replaced by midges. Urrgggh I hate midges! I dread to imagine what the Scottish midges must be like. Praying I miss the worst of them… We got warm very quickly once the drizzle stopped but kept our waterproofs on to provide a bit of protection from the nasty little critters. They kept flying all around my face and I feel itchy now just remembering them. They did ease off slightly at one point and I was so warm I decided to risk taking the waterproofs off. Soon after this we reached a tiny bit of civilisation in the form of a bridge and a gravel track which we followed for about half a mile to a farm in the middle of nowhere. At this point the midges got really bad again and we were all constantly swiping our arms, faces and necks (except Sean, cool as a cucumber and seemingly oblivious to the biting *insert unsavoury word of choice here* creatures), but couldn’t keep up. In the end I resorted to digging out my deet and we sprayed ourselves copiously. It did seem to help a little, thankfully, but I could already feel a few of their successful bites beginning to itch.
A short respite from the moor for a mile took us through farmland and across a pretty beck (stream) and up to another shorter stretch of moorland cut through by the busy A66 – the busiest road I’ve crossed since the M62 a week ago! Just before the road there was an interesting rock formation/bridge over a nearly-dry beck called God’s Bridge, where we met a big group of ramblers out for the day, the first people we’d come across out walking since yesterday morning. They told us of a hunters’ hut about a mile and a half further on, one end of which was left open for hikers to use as shelter. Another mile and a half of uphill then downhill moorland walking, marginally less boggy and easier navigationally, and we spotted the hut at the bottom of a shallow grassy valley, with a few hikers sitting outside on chairs in the sun. This looked like a very promising spot for some lunch! The hut was empty except for lots of plastic chairs and a wall where people could write messages. We left a group message (wishing I’d also written my own now!) and joined the other hikers out in the sun. As we sat down we realised there was also a portaloo – what civilisation!
Our feet got a good air in the sun but it was a struggle to get going again. My feet had stiffened up as we sat and whilst my body was glad of the break I was in a bit of discomfort for the next mile as my feet and ankles warmed up again. Not a great sign, and I have a niggly spot on my big toe which feels like a small but deep blister, but thankfully everything started to feel better after a while. The rest of the day felt tough though, yesterday’s elevation gain and the morning’s squelchy bogs had taken their toll and the afternoon was constant ups and downs as we crossed a series of ridges and reservoirs, the undulation almost reminiscent of the coast path, just slightly more gentle. It was beautiful though, with the heather and grass shining in the golden afternoon sun, and there were intriguing limestone(?) outcrops in the distance to add interest. On top of the highest ridges we could see right the way back to Tan Hill and it looked a long way away! As the day progressed we could even see Great Shunner Fell rising up on the skyline behind Tan Hill, and it was satisfying to know we’d walked all that way.
My least favourite part of the afternoon, other than feeling generally tired and all the ups and downs, was tackling the tall stone stiles between the fields in this section. We’re talking 5-6ft walls with stones jutting out as steps. Going up is hard enough with a big rucksack – getting down the other side verges on terrifying! Thankfully the guys were very helpful and held my poles for me and watched my back as I climbed over – and if there was an option of using the gate they’d open and close it for me! I’m proud of my independence but I’m not daft – at this stage I’m more than happy to accept help in whatever form it comes!
One of the highlights of the early evening, about 2 miles from Middleton-in-Teesdale (and just before the final climb), was finding a little tuck shop by a farmhouse, selling flapjack, sweets, chocolate and cans of drink with an honesty box. I was already carrying a ridiculous amount of food so I resisted (although Dan kindly gave me a swig of his Pepsi) but the boys, who had another 8 miles to go, were delighted. Dan gulped down his Pepsi, glad of the extra energy boost to get up the hill, before realising he’d chosen a Pepsi max which is both sugar free and caffeine free. We all wet ourselves laughing (Dan included) as he realised his rookie error – he was now full of fizz but little else!
Still, we all made it up the hill and over countless more stiles before finally seeing the little (but possibly second-biggest town on the route (don’t quote me on that!)) Middleton-in-Teesdale down below. Whoop! I’m feeling pretty tired by this point and very glad I’d decided to walk a little further today so I could squeeze in a rest day tomorrow. The one sad thing about getting Middleton-in-Teesdale (gee these names are so long to write!) was that it was time to say goodbye to Sean (who was camping here (and excited to try out English fish and chips for the first time)) and the boys, who were continuing on. If I’d been walking tomorrow I would have caught them up in Dufton after their last full day, but as it is I’ll miss them! But who knows, maybe if they haven’t been put off long distance walking for life (they are talking of coming back next year to finish the PW so it can’t have been all bad, despite the blisters) I’ll bump into them again one day!
Today marked the halfway point of the Pennine Way and I have a treat in the form of a bed for two nights after four nights in a row camping (although I will miss my tent and sleeping out in nature!), a hot shower, a washing machine and a home cooked meal. Sean and his family have been incredibly welcoming and have made me feel at home. Sean is a keen walker and has been fascinated about my journey – he is thinking of doing something similar himself one day. I can highly recommend it!
Tomorrow is my ‘extra’ rest day, which I’ve gained by re-merging three days into two. On Friday I have a long day but one that most people claim to be the best on the Way, so I am really excited about it. Even better, I have a rest day so I can do a bit of planning and make sure I have a good packed lunch to enjoy, and I will be nicely rested 🙂
