LEJOG
Distance walked – 27.9km (17.4miles)
Total Distance – 1074.8km (671.7miles)
Don’t give up
You’re not beaten yet
Don’t give up
I know you can make it good
Kate Bush/Peter Gabriel – Don’t Give Up
Today we completed our ninth day on the Pennine Way, crossing the halfway point of the trail during the day. The Pennine Way has been tough, much tougher than we expected, and tougher than it looks on paper. It is a strange beast, being a walk of epic landscapes, with scenery that is constantly changing and surprising, yet each day has also contained sections which have been joyless slog fests. We have decided that it is a walk that gives and takes. For each amazing pleasure there is a corresponding (and usually longer) purgatory to be endured. Today was a good example of Pennine Way Purgatory.
Setting off from Tan Hill Inn
We awoke this morning in a different place to last night. The infinity paddock was gone, replaced by a cold, windy, low, grey misty world. We showered and then ate breakfast in the tent wrapped up in our sleeping bags to keep warm before putting all our layers on and braving the freezing wind. A series of mishaps ensued as we tried to pack up. Louisa’s hydration blader leaked, soaking her backpack and the floor of the tent. I misplaced several items requiring a double repack of my backpack. Everything was made more difficult by the freezing gale that buffeted our every move. As the pub wasn’t open yet, Louisa tried, unsuccessfully, to keep warm around the front of the building, out of the worst of the wind while I packed up the soaking wet tent.
All the layers
We were both very cold as we set off across the featureless moor, the wind tearing at our waterproofs, the mist rolling and swirling and obscuring the way ahead. After some time, I realised that Louisa was quietly sobbing beside me. Concerned that she was getting hypothermia, I suggested to her several times that putting on a woolly hat might improve her situation. She eventually stopped and sternly said ” I don’t need a woolly hat, I’m JUST NOT VERY HAPPY!”
We continued in silence for what turned out to be a long moorland descent over quite boggy ground. Eventually as we lost height, the wind slowly eased and we gradually started to warm up both physically and emotionally. Luckily Louisa’s default setting is happy (I often refer to her as ‘pathologically happy’) and we were soon laughing over the phrase “I don’t need a woolly hat, I’m just not very happy”. (She refers to me as having an ’empathy deficit’).
To be fair, this was only the second time in 44 days that we have been in a situation where we have questioned why we are doing this crazy walk. Every day has contained hardships and our sore feet have been a constant, but this morning was definitely the emotional low-point so far. As low points go however, it wasn’t that bad, and we were soon enjoying the journey again. No matter how tough the journey is, it still beats the morning commute to work!
Sleightholme Beck
Our spirits brightened further as we left the moor via a farm and followed the pretty valley of Sleightholme Beck. We crossed the stream, climbed out of the valley before descending down to God’s Bridge over the River Gretna.
God’s (disappointing) Bridge
God’s Bridge is a natural limestone slab bridge over the river Gretna. To be honest, it was a bit of a letdown. The name would suggest that this should be one of the marvels of the natural world. I would describe it as a mildly interesting geological oddity. I imagine it might be more dramatic after rain, with the river flowing swiftly under the limestone bedrock, but today the river was almost dry. We shuffled across, disappointment hanging in the air.
Suckers?
The disappointment continued as we climbed up a grassy slope to cross the busy A66 via a grim underpass. Luckily, our spirits were lifted by an amusing Pennine Way marker that reminded us that we were passing the halfway point, having already walked about 210kms on the PW. Only another 210kms to go!
From the A66, the Pennine Way then traverses Cotherstone Moor, climbing to a high point of 427m at Race Yate Rigg. Our guidebook describes it as ‘desolate moorland that stretches in all directions’. We can confirm that this is the case. Surrounded by heavy grey mist, we felt we were on the moor of despair. Luckily the path was well worn and easy to follow, eventually bringing us out on a minor road.
Trail Magic
We were both quite hungry by now as we hadn’t had much for breakfast and had not been able to stop on the boggy moor, so not seeing any better options, we sat on the side of the road to eat our lunch. The disappointment of the day continued, as we both agreed this was our worst lunch spot yet, the view consisting of a gravel parking area and three wheelie bins.
Our day, however, was soon to take a turn for the better. As we sat in the sad layby, ahead the grey clouds slowly cleared, and the sun came out, illuminating green hills and valleys dotted with sparkling blue reservoirs. We set off renewed, and almost straight away came across a table laden with goodies for walkers at the nearby farm. We had tea/coffee and some snacks and left a healthy donation. It was heartening to see a farm that actually encouraged walkers.
Grassholme Reservoir
It was an easy 10.5 kms from here and the afternoon passed in a blaze of sunshine as we crossed rolling green countryside. We were soon in T-shirts, the memory of the cold morning clothed in every layer we possessed, like a barely remembered dream. We crossed a reservoir and walked through several traditional hay meadows filled with colourful flowers.
Middleton-in-Teesdale
In barely any time, we crested another hill to see our destination, Middleton-in-Teesdale laid out below us. We stopped for another mini-break and to assess our accommodation options. We had planned to camp at Middleton, but after this morning’s events we decided to treat ourselves to staying in a pub. We found a room at The Teesdale, which seemed pretty reasonable and booked it online. We were doubly glad as the caravan park didn’t look very appealing when we passed it on the way into town. We were soon ensconced in our warm dry room which we only left to buy some dinner provisions from the local Co-op. After our last few nights camping and a day of Pennine Way purgatory, it was nice to drift off to sleep in a comfortable bed, contemplating what pleasure/punishment the path had in store for us tomorrow . . . . . .
