LEJOG
Distance walked – 23.0km (14.4miles)
Total Distance – 1021.2km (638.3miles)
Livin’ easy
Lovin’ free
Season ticket on a one way ride
AC/DC – Highway to Hell
Ice!
We went to sleep last night while some young lads played a game of football near our tent in which I think our tent may have been acting as one of the goalposts. Luckily they seemed to pack it in quite quickly and despite our worries about the campsite being very noisy, everyone seemed to go to bed early – maybe they were all exhausted after completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.
It was very cold this morning when we got up. We were fine in our three seasons sleeping bags overnight but had to put on all the clothes we have while we were packing up. There was ice on the tent and just the slightest touch of frost over the fields. I managed to avoid frozen fingers as I stowed the tent thanks to my new waterproof gloves, and we were soon ready to go.
Rugged up and ready to go
On paper, today looked to be fairly straight forward at only 22km, with the first half mainly up over the moors, and the second half down into Hawes. We hoped to be in Hawes for a late lunch. However, this is the Pennine Way and nothing is easy and there are no free lunches.
Out of Horton
We left Horton on a stony track that headed slowly uphill flanked by drystone walls. It was another clear, blue-sky day, although it remained quite cold. The track undulated over green fields before eventually becoming grassy.
1000km down
As our watches ticked over 2km, we stopped to celebrate completing 1000kms walked, which should be roughly the halfway point of our LEJOG journey. We felt elated at this achievement but also apprehensive that we still have a long way to go despite walking for 6 weeks.
It was as we readied to set off again, that the miracle on the road to Hawes occurred. There was no visitation of a heavenly being urging us to carry on/turn back, nor did we suddenly attain enlightenment or see the errors of our ways; instead we spied something shiny on the drystone wall beside where we had stopped. It was a small camping saucepan. Someone had obviously stopped in this exact same spot to eat or wild camp and had left their saucepan behind.
We have been debating over the past few days about buying some cooking gear, mainly to make tea and coffee in the morning when we are camping. Now the Pennine Way had provided. (We decided to buy a portable stove and gas in the outdoor shop in Hawes that I had already researched).
Caving anyone?
We set off with renewed step, soon passing the entrances to Sell Gill holes. These are entrances to an underground cave system. We stopped to peer in. Louisa has been caving before, but I can think of nothing worse than being in a dark, wet, claustrophobic cave. There was nothing there that changed my mind.
Ling Gill
The path continued along the edge of a moor with great views of the other two of the three Yorkshire Peaks, Ingleborough and Whernside. We passed a farm at Old Ing before climbing back up onto moorland to eventually pass the National Nature Reserve of Ling Gill, a rock-walled gorge full of woodland. We crossed the bridge at Ling Gill and spent some time peering down into the Nature Reserve (we could see no obvious path in).
Cam High Road
Gentle farmland was soon left behind as we climbed up onto the high moors. At Cam End we turned right to join the Cam High Road, which is a remnant of one of the highest Roman roads in Britain, now a fairly substantial gravel track.
Ribblehead Viaduct (just visible to right)
The views were big and panoramic rather than being necessarily spectacular. The wildness and openness of the high moors contains its own particular grandeur. We stopped often to turn and enjoy the view that surrounded us.
Civilisation, however, is never far, and in the distance we could see the substantial structure of the Ribblehead Viaduct, built in 1846 to carry the Settle – Carlisle railway.
Slogging across Dodd Fell
The traverse of the moors slowly turned into a slog-fest, the gravel road giving way to a section of bitumen road. We eventually turned off the Cam High Road onto another stony track, which rose and fell across Dodd Fell.
Any Hawes in the House?
The walking on the stony path was quite hard on the feet, and so it was with some relief that the town of Hawes at the head of Wensleydale, came into view below us. Things are often further away then they seem, and so it was in this case. Much convoluted walking occurred before we found ourselves on the High Street in Hawes.
The Holy Dessert Menu
We had arrived in time for a late lunch, despite the 23km. We recalled eating at an excellent country cafe on a prior visit to Hawes several years ago, and we were easily able to locate the cafe (The Wensleydale Pantry). Our reward was a great and substantial lunch. Most excitement, however, was reserved for the extensive dessert list which we both agreed was the second miracle of the day. All were freshly made and available for inspection at the counter. No prizes for guessing what we had. (Bannoffi Pie – Nigel, Jam Roly Poly – Louisa).
We located the outdoor store where we were able to buy a portable camping stove and small gas cylinder along with a few other bits, before heading off to the YHA where we were camping for the night. Another great but hard day on the Pennine Way, made special by the small miracles on the way.
