Click picures to enlarge.
Sunday: Garrigill to Dufton
Distance: 15.8 milesTime: 5 hours
The 1st day was the furthest of the 2 days and over the harder terrain. We set off (me & my dad) at about 7:15am as the sun was coming up. I wasn't feeling exactly awake as I'd only had 2 1/2 hours sleep the night before. About half a mile in I started seeing flashing lights and suddenly went dizzy for a few seonds. After that I was fine, wasn't a good start though.
After about 4 miles we fancied a cup of tea but decided to wait until Greg's hut, my dad said it was fairly close, well it turned out to be another 2 miles. The hut ended up being a proper stone building almost a house (a bovee). We sat in there and had a cup of tea. Just before we got there a Transit van had pulled up just behind us, we couldn't believe it had managed to drive up the track. It wouldn't of been easy in a 4x4. Anyway while we were drinking our tea (very English) 4 men arrived and they had been in the Transit. They were all Fell Rescue and were taking part in some exercise. They mentioned how it was a good advert for a transit van (you're telling me). They told us a couple of stories and we left one of them telling us to turn left at some stones on the hill.
We left Gregs hut and within about 2oo yards or so found ourselves surrounded by fog. We decided to carry on and we continually looked at our GPS to make sure we were on the right track. If we hadn't had them there is no way in hell we would of carried on, we would of turned around and gone back. We could only see about 10 feet in front of us, but the GPS guided us perfectly along the path we had plotted. The fog was like this for 3 miles, we passed 2 groups of people, the 1st I think were part of the fell rescue. The second was near the end of the fog (or their start) they were American. Hope they didn't carry on as they had no GPS!!
The end of the fog was just after Great Dunn Fell where the RAF have one of those golf ball things, see pictures to the left. You can see the fog behind!There were a few Fell Rescue jeeps around here as well as about a dozen people on quad bikes. we continued on to Knock Old Man which was hard going over lots of little rocks. We stopped at a large cairn before descending the last few miles to Dufton. On the descent we stopped while I cut my toe nails. My toe nails weren't long but they kept catching the front of my boot when coming down hill and were being pulled up (hurt, to be polite). The last mile I ended up pulling a muscle on the inside of my thigh as well. Guess that's what I get for being unfit and having not walked over about 8 mile for a long time!!
We eventually made it to Dufton and headed straight for the pub. I about collapsed on the bench outside (while trying to look fine of course). All the people we had seen on the quads earlier were now at the pub.
That was it for the 1st day, we stayed at a friends caravan and went back to the pub on the night for a meal, steak and onion pie which was gorgous.
I didn't take may picture because a lot of it was just too foggy, wish I had taken some of the fog but was too bust watching the GPS.
2 miles from Garragill
View from Knock old man (sitting down)Monday: Dufton to Langdon Beck
Distance: 14.1 miles
Time: 6:50
I was worried after Sunday I might not be able to move but I got up and appeared to be not too bad. We decided to set off later as it was an easier walk and we weren't being picked up until about 6pm. We set off at 11:20am and we were tired but weren't making bad progress. We got to High Cup Gill after about 1 hour 50. We sat and had the 1st cup of tea, I took a few pictures in this area, see one to the right.
I will add a few more pictures from the top of the Gill they are more impressive they might not relate to what I am writing about, but look impressive.
We passed a few people going the opposite direction to us around High Cup Gill and High Cup Nick.
From this point on it was just walking over moorland (grass initally) but there are now stones put down over any points that would of been really boggy, which is most of it.
At this point the original Pennine way goes left but you are directed to the right (the new route) this is much easier and is sign posted and with stones and isn't as boggy.
Both routes join back up at Maize Beck and we followed this for 2.5 miles crossing over it at the bridge, we passed a bloke going the opposite direction on his mountain bike on the bridge.
From this point it becomes bleak and there's not much too look at for a few miles. About 8.3 miles in my feet were killing from blisters, I stopped to have a look and ended up taking a knife to my feet (sure you're not supposed to do this but since when do I listen?). I stopped short of sawing them off ;-)
I was pleased when we made it to Cauldron Snout where Cow Green Reservoir is as it meant we were nearing civilisation, although Cow Green is probably the most remote reservoir in England. Can remember fishing their ears ago and the waves were bigger than being at the sea side!
Anyway we stopped for some more tea, I was damn pleased to stop as I was struggling with my feet killing me.
The picture to the right is the damn at Cow Green with my dads bag in the way (was too tired to get up for a better shot).
We were sat there for about 25 minutes and didn't want to move as people were wandering about up Cauldron Snout.
While I was sat there a caterpiller ended up walking over my leg, so I decided to take a picture, it didn't come out all that brilliant but better than I expected.
After it had kept me amused for a minute I'd had enough and flicked it off my leg but I must of had plenty of energy left in my finger as it went about 6 foot in the air and blew past my dads leg. Don't worry creature lovers I'm sure it was fine it landed in long grass (I think).
Eventually we had to set off again and we had a nasty climb down Cauldron Snout over very large steep boulders down to Falcon Clints. We could of taken the road but thought it would be shorter the way we went (how wrong we were).
The picture to the right is of the water coming down the River Tees at Cauldron Snout while we were clambering down.
Just after this I pulled the muscle in my right leg again (damn being unfit) and it got worse and worse. We still had over 3.5 miles to go, I pushed on and tried to forget about it for a mile and half. We then had to go up a very small bank and from there on it felt like I had leg brace on and was struggling to walk probably looked like it as well. Checking though I still managed to walk at about 3 miles an hour some how. The last 3 miles were very long miles!!
My mother rang me when we were a mile from the end to ask where we were as she was picking us up. She had already rang the pub to see if we were there because it was hard to get a signal up there.
The last half a mile joined onto the road from Cow Green and a car went past, I was very tempted to flag the bloke down and pay him to take me the last few hundred yards.
Eventually we got there (which was the pub) and the bloke knew who we were from my mother having already rang him. I decided to have a pint of lemonade rather than lager as I wanted something to refresh me!!
It took us nearly 2 hours more to walk a shorter easier walk than the day before, we thought the second day was gonna be easier and quicker. Probably would of been if it weren't for my feet and legs, a quad would of been nice :-)
About 20 minutes after we got there my mother arrived. My mam and dad then laughed at me hobbling to the car and struggling to get in (pleased someone was amused)
So the outcome of all this is I am unfit and walking 2 fairly long walks 2 days in a row was hard, I guess I need to get fitter or give up ;-)
Distance: 14.1 milesTime: 6:50
I was worried after Sunday I might not be able to move but I got up and appeared to be not too bad. We decided to set off later as it was an easier walk and we weren't being picked up until about 6pm. We set off at 11:20am and we were tired but weren't making bad progress. We got to High Cup Gill after about 1 hour 50. We sat and had the 1st cup of tea, I took a few pictures in this area, see one to the right.I will add a few more pictures from the top of the Gill they are more impressive they might not relate to what I am writing about, but look impressive.
We passed a few people going the opposite direction to us around High Cup Gill and High Cup Nick.From this point on it was just walking over moorland (grass initally) but there are now stones put down over any points that would of been really boggy, which is most of it.
At this point the original Pennine way goes left but you are directed to the right (the new route) this is much easier and is sign posted and with stones and isn't as boggy.
Both routes join back up at Maize Beck and we followed this for 2.5 miles crossing over it at the bridge, we passed a bloke going the opposite direction on his mountain bike on the bridge.
From this point it becomes bleak and there's not much too look at for a few miles. About 8.3 miles in my feet were killing from blisters, I stopped to have a look and ended up taking a knife to my feet (sure you're not supposed to do this but since when do I listen?). I stopped short of sawing them off ;-)
I was pleased when we made it to Cauldron Snout where Cow Green Reservoir is as it meant we were nearing civilisation, although Cow Green is probably the most remote reservoir in England. Can remember fishing their ears ago and the waves were bigger than being at the sea side!
Anyway we stopped for some more tea, I was damn pleased to stop as I was struggling with my feet killing me.The picture to the right is the damn at Cow Green with my dads bag in the way (was too tired to get up for a better shot).
We were sat there for about 25 minutes and didn't want to move as people were wandering about up Cauldron Snout.
While I was sat there a caterpiller ended up walking over my leg, so I decided to take a picture, it didn't come out all that brilliant but better than I expected.After it had kept me amused for a minute I'd had enough and flicked it off my leg but I must of had plenty of energy left in my finger as it went about 6 foot in the air and blew past my dads leg. Don't worry creature lovers I'm sure it was fine it landed in long grass (I think).
Eventually we had to set off again and we had a nasty climb down Cauldron Snout over very large steep boulders down to Falcon Clints. We could of taken the road but thought it would be shorter the way we went (how wrong we were).The picture to the right is of the water coming down the River Tees at Cauldron Snout while we were clambering down.
Just after this I pulled the muscle in my right leg again (damn being unfit) and it got worse and worse. We still had over 3.5 miles to go, I pushed on and tried to forget about it for a mile and half. We then had to go up a very small bank and from there on it felt like I had leg brace on and was struggling to walk probably looked like it as well. Checking though I still managed to walk at about 3 miles an hour some how. The last 3 miles were very long miles!!
My mother rang me when we were a mile from the end to ask where we were as she was picking us up. She had already rang the pub to see if we were there because it was hard to get a signal up there.
The last half a mile joined onto the road from Cow Green and a car went past, I was very tempted to flag the bloke down and pay him to take me the last few hundred yards.
Eventually we got there (which was the pub) and the bloke knew who we were from my mother having already rang him. I decided to have a pint of lemonade rather than lager as I wanted something to refresh me!!
It took us nearly 2 hours more to walk a shorter easier walk than the day before, we thought the second day was gonna be easier and quicker. Probably would of been if it weren't for my feet and legs, a quad would of been nice :-)
About 20 minutes after we got there my mother arrived. My mam and dad then laughed at me hobbling to the car and struggling to get in (pleased someone was amused)
So the outcome of all this is I am unfit and walking 2 fairly long walks 2 days in a row was hard, I guess I need to get fitter or give up ;-)
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