Weardale Way Plan

Distance: 77 miles
Time: 5/6 days

I was reading Country Walking magazine tonight in bed, one of the articles was about walking the South Downs Way in January split over 4 weekends. It got me thinking. I have wanted to do the Weardale Way or at least thinking about it for a couple of months but I was more looking at doing it as a continuous walk over a week but there are a few problems with doing that. It would be quite hard to find somewhere to wild camp or in a camp site on most sections because its quite close to buildings and farms. I also don't really have the holiday to take this early in the year with planning the West Highland Way in May and Canada in July.

My dad had mentioned about splitting it up into day walks a few weeks ago but I wasn't too sure but after reading the article in the magazine, I think it sounds like a good idea. The best thing about it, is it's on my doorstep and can sleep in my own bed every night. This maybe loses some of the fun but at the moment the way just isn't designed very well for a continuous walk.

The website for it is also quite poor and quite misleading with buttons that don't work. you need to look at the centre pane of the website and use the links at the bottom not the side (they don't work).

I have emailed for the route directions, the route has been changed since the marked ordnance survey map route. There is a book available and it's supposed to be available in Crook Library. If its open tomorrow night, I may go and see if I can find it. I'm not sure if this show's the latest route changes though!

Hopefully tomorrow night I will have some time to look at it in a bit more detail and plan how I can get to and from each section (bus and lifts). I'm sure on some sections my parents would join me. Although if I intend to walk Saturdays and Sundays my dad goes out walking with a friend on Sundays so would miss the walks on those days.