Knarsdale to Burnhead (on the Wall)

The wind has been the dominant factor for the last two days of this walk. The cold has been as a result of the wind for the most part, but today was the sort of winter day I look forward to. So few of them coincide with a day that I can walk too. But […]

Garrigill to Knarsdale

If I’d started this walk today, I would almost certainly either have had to cancel it, or I’d be dead on the summit of Cross Fell, having been blown away by the reported 112 mph winds that were recorded by the weather station located at the radar station on Great Dunn Fell. I consider myself […]

Appleby to Garrigill

If I had to use just one word to describe today’s walk from Dufton to Garrigill along the Pennine Way it would have to be “gruelling”. There was a point when I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it all the way to the end. I stood gasping in the lee […]

Langdon Beck to Appleby

Well, if I’d thought I was knackered ta the end of yesterday, then today I was double knackered with knobs on! The wind was relentless and biting cold too and by the time I stumbled into Appleby it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other. I arrived on […]

Baldersdale to Langdon Beck

Wow, what a day! I’m absolutely knackered. I struggled up the gentle incline of East Underhurth Farm’s drive and felt sure I couldn’t have walked another 100 yards. My boots felt like blocks of lead (wet and muddy lead) and every step was hard work. I think it was the wind that did me in. […]

Tan Hill Inn to Baldersdale

I dithered and dallied all morning in Tan Hill, I had a late breakfast at 09:15 and then lazed in my room until 10:30 when I moved to the lounge and sat drinking Coke in the comfy chairs. By 11:15 I figured I’d killed enough time, so I set out into a dank and soggy […]

Hardraw to Tan Hill Inn

I had a great evening in the Green Dragon, the only thing that could have improved it would have been some comfy chairs. The ones they have are all wooden chairs with the odd scatter cushion to ease the pain. But I found an empty seat beside the fire, so I propped my boots up […]

Ribblehead to Hardraw

An easy day to start with, though it started at 5:30 in order to drive the 120 miles to Appleby to catch the early train to Ribblehead. I only had about 12 miles to do and with almost no height gain in comparison to my usual day walks I felt this should be a bit […]

Summertime

I finally realised someone was having a laugh at my expense when I heard a brass band playing ‘Summertime’ as I stepped off my fourth train of the morning, at Marsden station, in the pouring rain, with a ferocious wind whipping the leaves from the trees and causing me to shiver in my waterproofs. The […]

Filling in the Gaps

I should have been walking along the Pennine Way with @PilgrimChris this weekend, but family commitments forced a change in plan from him and so I was left to my own devices. I’m working against the clock somewhat with this Pennine Way guide book update and I was reluctant to lose a weekend I’d booked […]