## https://rstudio.github.io/leaflet/
## https://www.r-bloggers.com/2022/10/r-and-gpx-how-to-read-and-visualize-gpx-files-in-r/
## https://mastodon.social/@yabellini@fosstodon.org/113181640784237866
library(htmlwidgets)
library(leaflet)
library(gpx)
## List GPX files
gpx_files <- list.files(pattern = "\\.gpx$", recursive = TRUE)
## Remove the 'pennine_way' gpx as we will concatenate the others
gpx_files <- head(gpx_files, -1)
## Strip the common path and extract the date
dates <- stringr::str_split(gpx_files, "/", simplify = TRUE)[,2]
dates <- stringr::str_split(dates, "_", simplify = TRUE)[,1]
gps <- lapply(gpx_files, gpx::read_gpx)
names(gps) <- dates
#gps <- lapply(gps, function(df) df[[1]]$tracks)
#' Convert GPS points to data frame
#'
#' @params
#'
#' gps list GPS track read by gpx::read_gpx().
#' columns list Column names.
#'
#' @returns Data Frame of GPS points.
gps_to_df <- function(gps, columns = c("elevation", "time", "lat", "lng", "speed", "accuracy", "segment_id")) {
df <- as.data.frame(gps$tracks[[1]])
colnames(df) <- columns
df <- df |>
dplyr::mutate(speed = as.numeric(speed),
elevation = as.numeric(elevation),
accuracy = as.numeric(accuracy),
lat = as.numeric(lat),
lng = as.numeric(lng),
accuracy = as.numeric(accuracy),
time = lubridate::as_datetime(time),
)
df
}
gps_df <- lapply(gps, gps_to_df)
names(gps_df) <- dates
#' Plot a gps dataframe
#'
#' @params
#'
#' gps_df list List of GPS Dataframes.
#' date str Date of track to plot
#' color str Variable to colour points as, default 'speed' but 'elevation' also possible
#'
#' @returns Leaflet map
plot_day <- function(gps_df, date, color = "speed") {
## Palette not working...yet!
## pal <- leaflet::colorNumeric(palette = c("green", "red"),
## domain = gps_df[date][[color]])
leaflet::leaflet() |>
leaflet::addTiles() |>
leaflet::addPolylines(data = gps_df[date][[1]],
lat = ~lat,
lng = ~lng,
## color = ~pal(color)
)
}This summer I decided to hike the iconic Pennine Way a 431 kilometre (261 miles) national trail stretching between Kirk Yetholm in the North and Edale in the South. Traditionally the route is hiked from South to North but as I live in Sheffield and have hiked around Kinder, Bleaklow and Blackhill I decided to hike from North to South as even if I didn’t complete the route I would get to see places I wasn’t familiar with and it was also cheaper to buy an advance rail ticket than have to purchase one on the day of return as I had no idea how long it would take.
NB - In order to provide some relevance to the computing theme of this blog I include examples of how to plot GPX points in both R using the leaflet R package and python using the folium package make using the leaflet JavaScript framework very simple.
Planning
A number of years ago I attempted to hike the Pennine Way from Edale and having set off from Edale and reached Crowden in good time decided I could combine the first two days and continued to Standedge. This was a mistake as I wasn’t used to hiking with such weight and its a rough section up over Laddow Rocks. Half way there my knee didn’t like this and I hobbled the rest of the way and called my wife to come and collect me, heading home with my tail between my legs.
I didn’t want to repeat this but I had no idea how long this would take me so booked two and a half weeks off of work allowing me 18 days to complete. I use OpenStreetMap and the excellent BRouter WebUI to plan days of upto 35km hiking although one day came in at 44km which I was wary of as I typically don’t enjoy hiking more than 30km without carrying significant weight so didn’t want to push myself too hard. But I figured I could be flexible and go slower if needed, and it wouldn’t be a problem if I was faster I could just drink more beer!
A kit list of what I took is at the end along with details of what I used and didn’t, but I took everything I needed for camping along with clothes, a stove for boiling water, six dehydrated meals, maps, battery pack and a guide which I would have to read backwards as it covered the route from South to North over 20 days.
Tracking
I use OpenTracks to privately record GPX tracks of my hiking, running and cycling as it stores them only on the device on which they are recorded, although you can of course copy them elsewhere and use them as you like. I did this each day I hiked recording almost complete traces for the whole trip. I had one short drop out and missed restarting after having a meal but after that often left it running whilst stopped for lunch or dinner sto avoid forgetting to restart.
I uploaded each track to an instance of FitTrackee that I host myself which provided a neat way of reviewing the statistics for each days hiking which I have exported and saved to CSV and used in the tables and figures of this write-up.
Details and more information about these and other Open Source tools for self-research that protect the users privacy from the pernicious intrusions made by Big Tech can be found on the Personal Science Wiki.
Pictures
I carried my phone, a Motorola GT100 and a Sony RX100 Mk IV with me along the route. I take a lot of pictures, most are crap but some are half decent and I’ve included in this post the better ones or those that accompany the story well. You can find the full set of pictures on my Pennine Way Flickr album.
Using GPX Tracks
I’ve opted to provide solutions to plotting GPX tracks in both R and Python since I use both in my day to day work. Each code chunk outputs a map and the code can be viewed if you want to learn how to create maps using either language.
This requires…
- Finding files with the
.gpxextension. - Loading each file GPX file.
- Extracting the GPS points (latitude and longitude), speed, elevation and date/time.
- Plotting the points on a Leaflet map.
To simplify this process I define functions to carry out the task (rather than copying and pasting the code for each day). Both R and Python have libraries for working with the Leaflet library. Currently I’ve got slightly further with the Python library than the R but I intend to update that and will write a separate blog post on mapping with each of the libraries. Things to do on the maps…
- Consistent zoom level on both.
- Correctly colouring points by
speedorelevationin R. - Start and End markers.
- Add pop-ups on hovering over any point to show the metrics (lat/lon, date/time, speed, elevation, accuracy).
- Plot the whole journey as one.
The R library is named after the Javascript library, i.e. leaflet
The gpxplotter package provides wrappers around folium for plotting GPX traces, but I opted to do this manually so I could learn more about Folium (I used to use it in a previous job, just need to remember what I used to do!).
# https://towardsdatascience.com/build-interactive-gps-activity-maps-from-gpx-files-using-folium-cf9eebba1fe7
from pathlib import Path
import pandas as pd
import folium
import gpxpy
gpx_files = sorted(Path(".").glob("**/*.gpx"))
def gpx_to_df(filename: Path | str) -> pd.DataFrame:
"""
Load a GPX track and extract data.
Parameters
----------
filename: Path | str
Path to a .gpx file.
Returns
-------
pd.DataFrame
"""
gpx = gpxpy.parse(filename.open())
gpx_segments = list(gpx.tracks[0].segments)
data = []
for segment in gpx_segments:
for point_id, point in enumerate(segment.points):
data.append([point.latitude,
point.longitude,
point.elevation,
point.time,
segment.get_speed(point_id)
])
columns = ["latitude", "longitude", "elevation", "time", "speed"]
return pd.DataFrame(data, columns = columns)
def tidy_speed(df: pd.DataFrame, speed: str = "speed", threshold: float = 3.5) -> pd.DataFrame:
"""
Remove extreme speed values from a GPS dataframe.
Parameters
----------
df: pd.DataFrame
Pandas DataFrame of GPS points.
speed: str
Variable holding speed, default is 'speed' and shouldn't need changing.
threshold: float
Threshold for defining extreme speed
Returns
-------
pd.DataFrame
Pandas Dataframe with values of 'speed' > 'threshold' set to 'threshold'.
"""
df.loc[df[speed] > threshold, speed] = threshold
return df
def extract_lat_lon(gps_df: pd.DataFrame, lat: str = "latitude", lon: str = "longitude") -> list[tuple]:
"""
Extract latitude and longitude from GPX data frame.
Parameters
----------
gps_df: pd.DataFrame
Pandas Dataframe with latitude and longitude columns.
lat: str
Name of latitude column.
lon: str
Name of longitude column.
Returns
-------
list[tuple]
Returns a list of tuples each of which is the latitude and longitude.
"""
_array = gps_df[[lat, lon]].to_numpy()
return [tuple(point) for point in _array]
def plot_gpx_df(gps_df: list[tuple],
lat: str = "latitude",
lon: str = "longitude",
colors: str = "speed",
colormap: str = "viridis",
speed_threshold: float = 3.5,
default_tile: str = "openstreetmap") -> folium.Map:
"""
Plot gps points on a map.
Parameters
----------
gps_df: list[tuple]
A list of tuples of GPS points
lat: str
Name of latitude column.
lon: str
Name of longitude column.
colors: str
What to plot the colour of the line as, options are 'elevation' and 'speed' (default).
colormap: str
Colormap to use when plotting points.
speed_threshold: float
Speed threshold for defining and resetting extreme values, default is '3.5'.
default_tile: str
Default map tile to use
"""
if speed_threshold > 0.0:
gps_df = tidy_speed(gps_df, threshold=speed_threshold)
map = folium.Map(location=[gps_df[lat].mean(),
gps_df[lon].mean()],
tiles = None)
folium.TileLayer("openstreetmap", name = "OpenStreetMap").add_to(map)
folium.TileLayer("http://tile.stamen.com/terrain/{z}/{x}/{y}.jpg",
attr="terrain-bcg",
name="Terrain Map").add_to(map)
# Add layer control (not working)
# folium.LayerControl(collapsed = True).add_to(map)
points = extract_lat_lon(gps_df, lat, lon)
folium.ColorLine(points, weight=4, colors=gps_df[colors]).add_to(map)
# Calculate bounding box (not working)
# south_west = gps_df[[lat, lon]].min().values.tolist()
# north_east = gps_df[[lat, lon]].min().values.tolist()
# map.fit_bounds([south_west, north_east])
return map
## Get a list of all GPX points
gpx = {Path(_file.stem).stem.split("_")[0]: gpx_to_df(_file) for _file in gpx_files }Day by Day
Day 1 - Sheffield to Kirk Yetholm
Having packed over the previous few days I weighed the rucksack with 2 litres of water attached, 17.4kg.
This was a walking holiday so I waved goodbye to my wife and daughter around 07:30 feeling fresh and walked to the train station to catch the 08:22 train to Berwick-Upon-Tweed. Being Sheffield this involved a hill but it wasn’t too bad carrying the extra weight of the rucksack. I had poles but hadn’t put them to good use just yet.
The train journey was uneventful, but gave me time to sit and read a book on the Kobo I bought with me. I had bought the Kobo for hiking in the Julian Alps of Slovenia the previous year as I didn’t want to carry multiple books. Having recently started reading Johann Harri’s Stolen Focus : Why You Can’t Pay Attention I expected to get through it and had some fiction to read as well (Haruki Murakami’s IQ84). The countryside passed by as did the first couple of chapters and before long I was getting off at Berwick-Upon-Tweed.
I’d checked the schedule and had a short wait before the bus to Kelso arrived. There was a gentleman trying to straighten one of two buckled wheels on his bike outside the station. Its quite hard to buckle wheels and I figured he’d therefore been in an accident recently so went and asked if he was ok. He said he was but that he’d been knocked off by a car turning across him. He was lucky and only had a few bruises but his bike was not ride-able and he was supposed to be cycling to Wales. He asked me to stand on one side of the wheel whilst he stood on the other to try and straighten it. Unsurprisingly this didn’t work. He then noticed some fence railings and tried levering it straight…unsuccessfully. Not only were both his wheels buckled but the built-in pannier rack that was part of the frame had sheered off so he would have trouble carrying his bags. He wasn’t hurt so I left him to his own devices and explored Castle Vale Park which led down to the River Tweed by the Royal Border Bridge and the remains of Berwick Castle.
A nice way to kill some time but I didn’t want to miss my bus so headed back through Castle Vale Park to wait at the bus stop. It arrived and set-off on time and I bounced through some nice farmland towards Kelso, spying The Cheviot hills in the distance which I would be hiking up in a few hours.
Didn’t have masses of time to explore Kelso but grabbed a baguette and had a pint around the town square and purchased a bottle of Traquair Jacobite Ale (8% ABV) to drink before bed (with limited weight I wanted something strong!).
Another bus journey and I arrived in Kirk Yetholm. I’d clocked someone who looked like they were hiking and as we got of asked where he was heading. He said he was supposed to have been doing an Ultrar-marathon through the area but had injured himself a few days before the start so was taking active recovery by walking and bussing his way along the route. He kindly offered to snap a picture of me next to the Pennine Way map on the bus-stop, bid me farewell and headed off whilst I went for another pint in The Border, the pub that marks the “end” (or start) of the Pennine Way.
Had a nice chat with a local who had lived in Sheffield in the past and was joined by what seemed the proprietor of the pub who said me I should sign the log-book behind the bar even though I was leaving. I duly did so to log the start date somewhere and considered purchasing a t-shirt but a) it was in the wrong direction and b) I hadn’t even started, let alone finished hiking at that point. One of them kindly offered to snap a picture of me in front of the pub’s display of the end of The Way.
Day 1 - 2024-08-14 Kirk Yetholm to Clennell Street
Beer drunk I said farewell, shouldered my pack and started the GPS tracker, setting off up the lane in the heat of the afternoon. Not ideal conditions for hiking but I had a schedule to follow.
There are two options to this section of The Way, a high option going over various hills and low option for when weather is foul. I didn’t have that excuse and had been planning on stopping for the night at the Auchope Refuge Hut which was on the high route so up the hills I went. These undulated but the path was good and I made good time arriving at the hut in around three hours.
With a few more hours of daylight left I decided to push on and find somewhere else to wild camp as my legs weren’t tired and I had plenty of time, even though this involved a steep climb from Auchope Rigg up most of Cairn Hill. I decided in doing so not to do the dog-leg extension of The Way across the flat-ish moor to the summit of The Cheviot, the hill after which the area is named as it added an extra 4km to the journey and would have taken about an hour and I was now on the lookout for somewhere to stop.
Heading downhill there weren’t many options forthcoming, lots of heather with a path through it but as things levelled out I came to a cross-roads with a path marked Clennell Street with a sign indicating that motor vehicles were not allowed between 1st April and 1st May. Quite how anything but motorbikes could get up there I’ve no idea, but there was a flat patch of grass so I donned a long-sleeve top to keep the midges away and setup the tent and bed for the night. That done I had my dinner of some ciabatta and pate along with the bottle of Traquair Jacobite I’d carried along and as the sunset I snuggled down for the first night under canvas feeling pleased to have gone a little further than planned and had no problems hiking up the hills with the weight of my pack.
Code
plot_day(gps_df, "2024-08-14")Code
plot_gpx_df(gps_df=gpx["2024-08-14"], colors="speed")Make this Notebook Trusted to load map: File -> Trust Notebook
Day 2 - Clennell Street to Bryness
Woke early around 05:00 as the tent was flapping in the wind and it was raining earlier than forecast. After listening to the rain for a while I got up at 05:30 and after eating some more pate and bread donned my waterproof jacket, shorts and sandals, packed the tent up and set off in the clouds for Windy Gyle which lived up to its name.
There is a large pile of stones on the summit which is an ancient monument which should not be distubed, not much to look at because of the low cloud so I continued the descent, which roughly follows the bordere between Scotland and England, glad of my choice of sandals and shorts because it was very boggy in places.
I came across Yearning Saddle Refuge Hut and took the opportunity to get out of the wind and rain and eat one of the blueberry snack bars I’d carried. A few pieces of food had been left for people who might need them along with lots of reminders to take your rubbish with you, which I had already done bringing my empty beer bottle with me.
Navigation was straight-forward as the trail was well marked with regular way markers and sign-posts although there was a split with an “alternative” route sign-posted. I opted to stick with the original which followed a “permissive by-way”.
Passed a couple of herds of feral goats and met a guy heading north who was on day 46 of hiking from Lands End to John O’Groats which was pretty impressive. He said that he’d broken a walking pole yesterday and would have to make a detour to replace it which reminded me that in The Border the previous day I had seen a rack for “Free walking poles” with a single pair hanging so I suggested he could grab try grabbing them from there since the Scotish National Trail, Scotlands equivalent of the Pennine Way, starts at The Border and I figured he’d be passing through. Unfortunately his planned route didn’t follow The Way to Kirk Yetholm but he was hopeful he’d be able to pick another pole up somewhere else.
As I got nearer Bryness I started to see more people, there was one guy off to have a meal in one of the mountain refuges. He had a long beard which made me wonder whether this was a good insulator against the rain or whether it helped water ingress into the jacket, not something I’d ever consider with regards to water-proofing. A family group of four heading north were next and then a couple who were finishing off their journey along The Way having left Edale 16 days previously. They were very friendly and reeled off many of the highlights I would pass, warning that it would likely be windy on Cross Fell.
I arrived at the Forest View Inn where I had booked to camp for the night around 13:00 having covered the ~25 km in around six hours but they didn’t open for check-in until 16:00. Fortuantely the conservatory was accsessible and South facing so I was able to warm up and start drying my soaked clothes. My pack had remained dry thanks to the Deuter rain cover my wife had got me as a birthday present. I was both surprised and pleased with this as previous rain covers I have had were not very effective at all.
Just before 16:00 a cat appeared at the back door to the conservatory and shortly after Oli appeared and checked me in (i.e. took my food order for the evening, I opted for Tortellini Pasta bake). Oli and Laura were a lovely welcoming couple who took over the Forest View Inn bed and breakfast, formerly a Youth Hostel, around four years ago having got fed up with desk jobs in Manchester. Oli had previously lived in Sheffield on Eccellsal Road and done some climbing in his time, but was more of a runner these days. He’d attempted both the North and Southern Spine Race Challenger twice and completed each once.
I took the first of several beers that evening and pitched my tent in the back garden, spreading my wet things out over a picnic bench to dry in the sun, ignoring the fact there was a drying room which is great but fresh air is much more preferable.
Other guests started to arrive, first was a couple of ladies who were reconnaissancing The Way from Alston to Kirk Yetholm as one of them, Nicola, would be attempting the Winter Spine Race for the second time in January 2025 having had to drop out (literally) when she collapsed outside of Alston due to infections in her feet where the skin had all detached due to a poor choice of overly tight waterproof socks. Her friend Rachel was no slouch on the racing front either as they had got to know each other whilst running the Dragons Back race which traverses the length of Wales taking in all the 3000 ft peaks. Rachel had not only completed the race, most drop out at some stage, but had done so after falling on the first day and fracturing her wrist and a rib. Tough and crazy women!
Oli had popped out to retrieve some guests who had stayed the previous night and were doing the remaining section of The Way over two days, returning to Forest View Inn in-between and returning to finish off the trek to Kirk Yetholm the following day. This included the family I’d met and a couple I’d passed and a guy from Sheffield who was on his own and finishing off the trail having started in Edale.
Dinner was communal and very sociable and revolved heavily around the ludicrious experiences Nicola and Rachel had running ultra-marathons. I had another beer after dinner but headed to bed early around 21:00 shortly after the sun had set but not before picking up a vegetable pasty and paying for my beer and food.
Code
plot_day(gps_df, "2024-08-15")Code
plot_gpx_df(gps_df=gpx["2024-08-15"], colors="speed")Make this Notebook Trusted to load map: File -> Trust Notebook
Day 3 - Bryness to Hadrians Wall
Slept well but woke early again around 05:00 despite there not being any wind or rain. I didn’t hang about too long, took another shower and was packed and off by 06:50. Ducked into St Francis’ Church and chatted to a guy who had spent the night in there. He was hiking around Kielder Forest stopping wherever he fancied.
Wishing him a good time I got back on track and The Way then followed good solid forestry trails through pine forests for about 15-16km before breaking out onto moorland which I reached in about three hours.
The moorland wasn’t too bad, mainly as it was mostly paved so the few boggy bits weren’t a problem. I stepped over what I thought were some carnivorous plants but was in too much of a hurry to go back and photograph them to check which I regret now as I didn’t see any more.
Didn’t pass many people until I was near Bellingham, this was to become something of a theme due to my early starts, but met a few people heading North along The Way. One guy complemented me on how fast I had been coming down the hill (the angle helped!) and a very jolly Welsh lady wanted to snap a picture with me to add to her collection she was posting to Farcebook. There was another solo hiker who had come all the way from Edale who looked fit and happy.
I reached Bellingham around 13:30 having covered 26km in just over five hours and opted for pizza and beer at The Cheviot Hotel which was delicious and grabbed some beers for later in the day before setting off on The Way again.
I felt good and noticed I’d had a voice in my head telling me to “engage the core powerhouse”, “activate the glutes when stepping forward” and “keep the shoulders back and stomach in” which was Sam Webster, my pilates instructor common mantra during the classes I attend. This seemed like good advice as slouching and lolloping forward would only end in injury so I resolved to make sure I was walking up-right and fully engaging my body whilst walking for the rest of the hike. Listening to music for the first time since starting hiking I realised this also helped with the rhythm of walking as did focusing on my breathing (related to actively engaging core and body).
The hiking from Bellingham was fairly mundane, crossing agricultural land before entering another managed forest and following good tracks through these. Around 17:00 I started keeping an eye out for somewhere to camp, knowing that I wouldn’t make it to the next town I’d planned to stop at, Greenhead, as it was too far away. After leaving the forest The Way crossed some moorland and in a shallow valley and in the middle was a walled off area with a few trees. This looked ideal as the walls provided good shelter from the wind which was still hitting me head on from the South, but on reflection I decided not to stop here because if the wind dropped it would have been midge hell.
I continued until I reached Cragend by Greenlee Moss which gave a brilliant view across the lake as the sun was setting. There was a convenient stone wall which provided shelter from the wind and after clearing some cow and sheep shit out of the way I set myself up for the night and set about rehydrating one of the meals I had with me.
I’d not really given it much thought as they were small/far away but the fact I’d had to clear the area of cow shit to pitch my tent should have rung a bell in my head. It hadn’t, but the loud snort of an approaching bell did so I grabbed my pouch of rehydrating food and put the wall between the bull and myself. It had wandered up with a couple of calves who started sniffing around my stove which I’d left out and I gently shooed them away from the safety of the wall. Fortunately the bull was taking more of an interest in a female the other side of the fence. After a stand-off of about five minutes they all lost interest in me (or perhaps the lack of food which I’d eaten) and wandered off which was my opportunity to quickly take the tent down and move onto a safer spot, recalling the devestation cows had wrecked on some neighbours tents whilst I was in Peru 2012.
It was starting to get dark as I headed over to Rapishaw Gap on Hadrians Wall and heading towards Milking gap I started scoping for a flat place to pitch my tent, regretting not going up the other side of Rapishaw Gap where there looked like a nice sheltered spot, but I didn’t have to go far until I found a spot and re-pitched my tent. As I was finishing off I was startled by a guy passing by who said it looked like a nice spot to camp. He’d been out running but had lost track of time watching the sunset but didn’t have too far to go to get back.
I was tired after around 50 km of hiking so crawled into the tent and fell asleep quickly.
Code
plot_day(gps_df, "2024-08-16")Code
plot_gpx_df(gps_df=gpx["2024-08-16"], colors="speed")Make this Notebook Trusted to load map: File -> Trust Notebook
Day 4 - Hadrians Wall to Garigill
Woke early and stuck my head out of the tent to a beautiful sunrise along the line of the wall.
Didn’t hang around too long, collapsed the tent and packed everything away fairly quickly to avoid getting in trouble for camping on (next to) an ancient monument. I don’t eat breakfast so off we went on the undulations of Hadrians Wall.
Quickly reached the famous Sycamore Gap passing a couple of climbers who were also camping/bivvying on the wall to make the walk-in to the crag extremely short.
Being up and walking early is lovely, its quiet and there aren’t many people about so it was nice avoiding whatever crowds were to arrive later in the day. There were a few like minded people about, one lady commenting the exact same thing, another walking from Cawfields to Sycamore Gap who had waved from across a gap. The countryside is really quite a friendly place, especially for those out on their own.
Toilets at Cawfields Lake were very welcome and there was also fresh water available which was useful for the coming day. Hadrians Wall petters out here and crosses some farmland where I met a couple of guys heading North on The Way and encouraged them onwards as they didn’t have too far to go compared to how far they had already come, which served to remind me how much further I still had to go!
Passing through Walltown Quarry which has been beautifully transformed into a small nature reserve I stopped in the shop and grabbed a can of Sprite to drink to keep my energy up as I had decided not to detour into Greenhead in search of food (this turned out to be a mistake) and instead carried on passing Thirlwall Castle, although as I had a long way to go I only snapped a picture from outside and didn’t explore the grounds. As you cross the railway line shortly after Thirlwall View had a little honesty tuck shop for hikers of The Way to re-supply. I didn’t have any change so only took pictures rather than some food. Such tuck shops were to crop up a number of times along The Way and it was lovely to see how generous and helpful people could be towards strangers.
I survived a game of Frogger on the A69 but was mildly alarmed by the sign on the gate which warned of biological hazards, although they only seemed to apply to those who undertaking work on telephone masts! The next few kilometers were fairly mundane going gently uphill through grazed fields and low lying moorland. After a couple of hours though and not having had any food I was starting to get tired, my feet were hurting and my pace slowed. It became hard work going up hill and for the first time in four days I wasn’t really enjoying myself. I stopped to cool my feet in a stream which helped a bit but then had more mundane terrain skirting the edge of arable land that led me up the valley.
I hoped there would be somewhere to get a snack in Slaggyford but alas not but as I was planning to get to Garigill for the night and had to pass through Alston so figured I’d be able to eat on the way through. Looking at the map I decided that I wasn’t going to do what appeared to be a fairly mundane loop out across a hillside and instead head along the road into Alston.
Just after joining the road the smell of chips frying wafted up the road from The Nook and I knew instantly where I would be eating. They had burger night on so I ordered a delicious chicken burger which came with a healthy portion of chipps and quaffed a couple of cans of lemon Fanta. Feeling tired I asked staff if there was anywhere to camp in Alston, they didn’t think so but asked another customer who was local who confirmed this but advised to “just camp on the village green, no one will care and lots of people do it”. I thanked the staff and locals for advice and taking their advice shouldered the pack and crossed the adjacent field to reach a track that ran along the South Tynedale Railway which was a nice compact and flat trail into Alston and took me from Northumberland into Cumberland.
Feeling invigorated by the food I stopped in the Alston House Hotel for a pint and after grabbing some supplies (viz. beer, sweets and lunch for the next day) set off up hill to my original target for the day, Garigill. I’d read about a diversion because the Dryburn Bridge was closed due to flood damage which took me a long an alternative trail on the north side of the river which didn’t look as though it had seen much traffic and involved hacking through shoulder height ferns in the fading light.
As I entered Garigill I met a lady out walking her dog who asked if I was intending on camping behind the village hall which I was. She advised me I might want to look elsewhere as there was a wedding reception in the hall that evening and suggested a spot down by the river which would be quieter. Again I was surprised at how welcoming and helpful people were to those trekking The Way and thanked her for her advice. I was too tired to go looking for alternatives though so when I got to the village hall spoke to a couple of guys outside having cigarettes saying I had been hoping to camp out the back that evening. They said I should just go through and pitch up and that I could even join the party and have some curry which was very generous but I was satiated and tired and just wanted to go to bed so I went through and pitched my tent in the far corner under a tree, had a beer and showed some curious children from the wedding what my tent was like then went to bed. A short while later I was woken though as some of the kids decided to use my tent as a target for throwing plastic bottles and cans at. I didn’t bother rising to the bate and stayed quiet in my tent. The music stopped around 23:00 and I heard some arguing (alcohol and families often result in high emotions) but at least the shower of plastic bottles and cans had stopped and I soon drifted off to sleep.
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Day 5 - Garigill to High Cup Nick
Slept until about 06:30 as I had a relatively short day planned going up and over Cross Fell, down into Dufton and on to High Cup Nick. I collected the rubbish that had been thrown at my tent and put it in the recycling and chatted to a lady who was tidying up after last nights reception. Turns out it was the bride who hadn’t been able to sleep knowing that she had to tidy up so she’d got up early to get started with the job.
I had a shower, after clearing up what broken glass from the night before that I could see on the floor and managed to avoid cutting my feet which would have been bad for hiking. Dropped some cash in the honesty box (aka letter box) packed up and set off heading up Cross Fell. Poked my head inside the church and resisted the temptation to ring the bell.
The path was a good compact track, no doubt for the grouse shooting. After winding my way up the hill side the beautiful Gregs Hut came into view and I poked my head in to have a look around before continuing. Will definitely have to come back and spend at least one night here in the future.
A short steep section led to the plateau of Cross Fell with its excellent stone shelter from the wind and another trig point. There was a party of three with a couple of dogs who had hiked up from Dufton for the day when I arrived and we chatted briefly. I had a beer before snapping a panorama and heading off and over Great Dun Fell with its listening station on the summit like a golf ball poised to be driven south over the A66.
The path then headed across another fell before down into Dufton. I met a guy who was heading North on The Way with a very large rucksack and an umbrella dangling from the bottom. I’d considered taking an umbrella myself to keep the worst of heavy rain off the top of me but decided against it as most rain in the UK comes in sideways.
I had been planning on eating at the The Stag Inn. Arriving just after 16:00 I had to wait until 17:00 until food was served and was told I couldn’t look at the menu in advance as there was a party of eight booked in and they were taking priority so I would have to order after them. In the end the party (two families) turned up late and by 17:15 hadn’t decided what they wanted to eat so I was allowed to order ahead of them (as had a number of other people who were eating but hadn’t been waiting as long as I had). Not the friendliest of service I came across but the food was ok.
It was getting late and in my rush to set off and get to High Cup Nick I left without my walking poles. I didn’t get far before realising this so dashed back to the pub to grab them and started again at a decent pace to climb back up the hill, passing a pair who had walked from Middleton in Teesdale that day heading North along The Way. The 6km and ~300m of ascent (most of which are in the first 2-3km) were accomplished quickly (just over an hour) and I found myself coming onto the rim of the amazing High Cup Nick, a valley with a dolerite rim with limestone above and below the layer of dolerite. As I neared the head I kept my eyes open for a flat spot to camp, not wanting to pitch up at the very top where it was boggier and there would be more midges if the wind dropped (needn’t have worried, the wind barely stopped the whole trip!).
I snapped a few pictures in the fading light then setup my tent for the night and went to sleep almost instantly.
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Day 6 - High Cup Nick to Middleton in Teesdale
Wet, misty and windy this morning, I’d made the right decision heading up the previous night to see High Cup Nick in all its glory as I couldn’t see much of it this morning. Packed the tent up and was off quickly, looking forward to a short day of 28km almost exclusively downhill along the edge of the Maize Beck then the River Tees to Middleton in Teeside.
Crossed a bridge that had been erected in memory of Ken Wilson and followed a good compact track downhill passing through Birksdale Farm and shortly after coming on to the fantastic view of the confluence of Maize Beack and River Tees. The trail swings by underneath the dam of Cow Green Reservoir and down the side of Cauldron Snout which was in full flow and very impressive.
The Way then follows the River Tees all the way to Middleton on Tees side. Heading down this section I met a lady heading North along The Way, the first solo female hiker I’d met. She had set off early and was keen to reach Dufton before the forecast rain passed through, just as I was keen to reach Middleton.
After passing through Cronkley farm I came across what seemed like a Juniper forest with lots of small stout evergreens that looked to me like Juniper, something I’ve encountered on cliff faces over the years climbing but never seen a forest of. Force Garth Quarry was passed and very soon I arrived above High Force Waterfall which was quite spectacular. Snapped a few shots from above then went round to the viewing area from the South to get some shots, waiting to get into position as there were a lot of people about, including a school/youth group.
Plodding along down hill the sound of the water bubbling over waterfalls was too tempting and I opted to cool my feet off in the cold water. It was delightful and I wish I had done it earlier. If you can stand it for long enough it rejunivates the feet, taking down swelling (the longer you stay in the more swelling goes down) and is just a delightful contrast to pounding the floor.
Low Force came very soon after with the Wynch Bridge which strongly advised not to have more than one person on it at any given time which I and others duly respected.
A little further along the trail I met a couple out for a short walk who asked if I was walking the Pennine Way (the big rucksack and poles are a bit of a giveaway) we chatted and it transpired they were from Sheffield and occasionally drank in The Brothers Arms had just passed a pair who were also hiking from North to South who were also from Sheffield and who one of them knew. This was a first! I’d almost caught up some other Wayfarers heading South! I said farewell and as my feet were sore though so I decided to cool them off in the River Tees. Refreshed I resolved to catch up the pair from Sheffield and a short while later I came across two people with rucksacks who had stopped for a short break. It was the two Wayfarers who were heading South, I said I was heading the same way too as I lived in Sheffield so it was like walking home (knowing full well this was likely to be the pair from Sheffield). They were indeed from Sheffield and we came round to where abouts we lived, I said Meersbrook and one of them asked if I drank in The Brothers Arms which I do and he then asked where I lived. Transpires one of them, Martin who was 70, lives at number 59 on the same road as me! His friend had walked the Pennine Way many years ago when he was 17 and Martin had tried a year after lockdown but had aborted so they had joined forces to complete the way again. We posed for a picture and resolved to catch up when we were both back in Sheffield.
It was only a short distance to Middleton on Teesdale where I noticed Ozzys Pizza on the way into town but headed straight to the pub for a couple of mid-afternoon pints in The Forresters and wrote up some over-due notes in my diary and charged by phone and camera. A guy, Dave, playing darts and pools asked if I needed somewhere to camp for the night and said it would be fine to pitch up in the yard of his portaloo company. I thanked him for the offer but politely declined saying I wanted to have a shower, very friendly pub and people. Suitably refreshed I swung by the Co-Op for some beers and sweets and headed back out of town to Daleview where I met Andy and Alex who were heading North on The Way. Andy knew lots about The Pennine Way as he volunteered to work on The Spine Race and mentioned the Middleton Tandoori which piqued my interest as I love curry. Unfortunately this was only a transient restaurant that was setup to feed participants and volunteers. Andy proudly told me he’d eaten 12 portions of Chicken Korma one year but seemed put out that this coming year they had moved the station and said that he would not be able to indulge to quite such an extent. Alex was closer to my age, probably a bit younger and we agreed to head into town to grab a pizza for dinner that evening from Ozzy’s which was delicious (we invited Andy but he passed, favouring his own food).
Alex was a software engineer with a degree in computer science but was also learning about horticulture, initially to grow produce but more recently had got interested in ornamental plants. We popped back into town for pizza at Ozzy’s which was delicious and then along to The Forresters afterwards for another pint and to charge devices before heading back to the campsite for the night.
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Day 7 - Middleton in Teesdale to Thwaite
Big day as I was hoping to get to Hawes in one big push stopping for lunch at the Tan Hill Inn, England’s highest pub. It was unfortunately drizzling when I woke up early but I forced myself out of the tent and packed it away, noticing that Andy had the foresight to bring a cloth to wipe his tent down and get most of the moisture off of it
I’d made an organisational error and didn’t get snacks (i.e. sweets to chomp on whilst hiking) from the Co-op the previous night after pizza and beers with Alex so after packing everything up I hiked into town to grab some more Haribo Starmix before setting off on The Way in light drizzle. Gentle arable land rolled past with a couple of tuck shops passed on the way, one of which had Irn-Bru cans for sale which I took advantage of for an energy boost later on. Grassholme Reservoir was quickly passed.
Coming over Beck Head there was a barn owl circling around the field, it seemed to be struggling to gain height and escape in the strong wind that was blowing as it circled the area multiple times. I thought I glimpsed someone walking ahead of me in the same direction with a red bag but lost sight of them quickly even though I should have had a clear view of them as I dropped down into the valley with Blackton Reservoir as the path went up the hillside opposite. I soon caught up with them though as they had stopped for a break just past Clove Lodge. It was a lady called Jolyene from Ireland who was a locum vet in Cornwall who was doing The Way in sections with her dog (who’s name I forget). We fell into step and talked for a while, losing the path as we headed up Peatbrig Hill. She was looking to redress the balance in her life and spend more time doing the things she enjoyed, running (when the body allowed), travelling with friends and family and her main passion surfing. Around Race Yate she stopped to give her dog some water and said she couldn’t keep pace.
I carried on dropping down to cross the A66 which was a little weird as its somewhere I drive along when heading to Keswick. It was quite noisy due to the traffic, a complete contrast to the quiet hills and dales I’d been walking over the last week and even the villages I passed through. Just south of the A66 was a small farm and a sign for “God’s Bridge” a natural limestone bridge over the River Greta. There wasn’t much water flowing but it was very cool. If I hadn’t been in such a rush I might have investigated more, but I still had a long way to go to get to Hawes.
Following the track up from River Greta I met a father and son who were on day six or seven heading North on The Way. We had a brief chat and they asked how I was getting on in sandals and shorts which I’d opted for that day as it had been raining when I set off and I knew I had the bog that leads up to Tan Hill to contend with. I was quite happy walking in sandals and felt they worked well.
The Way then followed a good shooting track for a few kilometers up the slope towards Tan Hill but eventually petered out. As I left the trail I met two older ladies who were also following The Way North but had taken the sensible option of having their kit sherpa’d ahead each day so they had the luxury of walking with lighter day sacks. Not a bad idea at all I thought as I checked how heavy my pack felt.
There were a series of good wooden sign-posts with white painted tops that marked the way through the bog to Tan Hill summit and the highest pub in England. Near the top I saw a couple in the middle of the moor and bog disagreeing about which way to go as they tried to get back on the path. As I met them it was clear they weren’t british and I advised them to follow the marker posts and ignore the smaller plastic ones which I think they had mistakenly started following and had taken them off-track as these were markers for grouse feeders.
On arrival at the Tan Hill Inn I popped in to ask if it would be ok to pitch my tent so it could dry in the wind and sun whilst I had lunch and duly did so before settling down to an expensive pint and scampi and chips which was good but probably a bit over-priced too in my opinion.
No time for a second pint (the queue at the bar precluded this) so I packed up the now dry tent and set off on a good track towards East Stronsdale, gradually losing height. Upper East Gill Force was passed and The Way then headed up an interestingly paved path up Kisdon hill before skirting around over jumbled limestone blocks.
Traversing Kisdon Hill gave some stunning views into Swaledale, unfortunately at this point a heavy shower passed over but as it was late in the day I had the delight of a rainbow over Black Hill.
Dropping down into Thwaite there were more black clouds looming over Dam Hill and Great Shunner Fell so I decided to not push on to Hawes that evening and instead stop in the campsite I’d seen in the valley. Not before having a beer though so I popped into an empty Kearton House only to be told that they weren’t open and the only reason the door was unlocked was because the solicitors had just visited. I was advsed I might be able to get a beer at Usha Campsite where I was heading as they had a small shop so I walked the kilometre or so down the road only to find I was too late in the day as the shop, and reception in general, had closed an hour and a half earlier.
Pitched the tent in a field in the lee of a wall and large tree after carefully looking for dead branches that might come down in high wind and deciding it was relatively unlikely to happen.
A quick shower then boiled some water to make dinner. There were a number of Duke of Edinbrough participants who were hiking around the area and I chatted to a few of the as I ate my rehydrated meal in the warmth and comfort of the facilities. They were bemoaning having to hike 20km or so, but to be fair they were having to carry all of their food, unlike mysel who was making good use of all of the eateries I was passing.
Pretty tired so had an early night, but not before a few more showers passed through which helped me feel vindicated in my decision not to push on to Hawes that evening.
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Day 8 - Thwaite to Horton in Ribblesdale
Up early (there is a theme here!) and packing the tent away I left before most of the Duke of Edinbrough hikers were up. Reception wasn’t open so I went to post my £10 through the letter box just as a lady was sorting reception for the day. She was very grateful and wished me luck on my days hiking.
I found a path along Muker Beck back to Thwaite which was a lot more pleasant the following the road I’d come down the previous evening and had soon passed through Thwaite and started heading up Dam Hill on a good compact farm track. This turned to flagstones as the path joined the open moorland and I had a good target to reach of a prominent cairn.
I find setting myself short targets of reaching feature X or the other side of the valley in a certain number of minutes a good motivational way to keep moving quickly. Within no time I found I’d reached the cairn and paused to snap some pictures looking back down Swaledale before continuing over Great Shunner Fell.
There were great views to the North West but some ominous grey clouds were looming on the horizon so I didn’t hang around too long admiring the view, instead dropping down quickly to reach Hawes for lunch. This section was longer than I expected and only served to reassure me I’d made the right decision the previous night not to tackle it in the fading light.
Passing through Hardraw I was tempted to duck into The Green Dragon for a pint but mindful of the grey skies I kept on going to Hawes instead where there were more options for lunch. In hindsight I wish I had stopped as it is home to England’s highest waterfall, Hardraw Force which I didn’t know about, although you have to pay to access it which would likely have put me off.
A shower passed as I made my way to Hawes which is a lovely village in Wensleydale. None of the pubs opened until mid-day so instead I opted for lunch in The Wensleydale Pantry which turned out to be an excellent choice as I had a delicious Thai vegetable Penang curry.
Replenished I grabbed some sweets and a can of beer and set off out the west of the village pausing outside of St Margaret’s Church to put on waterproof trousers as it had started to drizzle.
This was just a passing shower and I soon stopped to remove the trousers as I was sweating. Onwards and upwards passing near the summit of Ten End (584m) I joined the Cam Road with excellent views over the valley to the west. By now it had started drizzling again but the wall by the side of Cam Road provided some shelter (the rain was coming in from the side rather than above) and I didn’t think much of it as I passed by Dodd Fell Hill (668m). As I started dropping down into Ribblesdale though I realised I was quite wet now and the rain showed no signs of letting up. There was no point in putting waterproofs on now though so I plodded on downhill.
There was a random caravan just off of Cam High Road and as I continued a cyclist passed me coming up the road. We said hello but he looked like he was in a hurry and carried on. I noticed his cycling shorts had a big hole in them on the right thigh suggesting he’d come off earlier in the day. I left Cam High Road following Cam Road, crossing Cam Beck and Calf Holes, skirting farmland.
I was thoroughly soaked by now and finding it pretty miserable for the second time of the hike and resolved to find somewhere dry to stay for the night in Horton in Ribblesdale. Eventually I arrived in town and immediately sort shelter in The Crown where there were a couple of guys who had just completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks and were waiting for the friends to join them. After finishing my pint I set about trying to find a B&B to stay in and there appeared to be one on the far side of town so I trekked over in the rain. There weren’t many cars outside which made me hopeful they’d have space but after knocking on the door (twice) a lady answered and said they didn’t have a room that evening. I asked if she could recommend anywhere and was advised to try Settle which I could get to by train so I walked back to the train station which was closed but found a small area out of the rain to check what was available online. The cheapest place was around £100-120 which was way outside my budget and didn’t include the cost of the train, nor the hassle of being so far off route the next morning so I resigned myself to a wet night in the tent and wandered back towards The Crown checking out the National Trust toilet block and grass as a possible place to pitch before returning to the pub and ordering a bowl of chips and another pint to console myself. I then did what I should have done in the first instance which was ask the barman if there was anywhere to stay in town and he advised me that there was another pub The Golden Lion Hotel just past the campsite (which I hadn’t actually located yet!) and that they had a bunkhouse and rooms but that they often shut early if they were quiet. My chips arrived and I couldn’t finish them quick enough before shouldering my pack and heading down the road to check out this lifeline. A Ukrainian woman was behind the bar but had only been working there five days so wasn’t sure about how the bunkhouse worked but they had space. With the assistance of what I presume was the landlord I was checked in and given the code to access the room. No one else was there so I draped my wet clothes and kit out over the beds in the hope they would dry a little overnight (there wasn’t any real heating and no dry room as far as I could tell).
After a quick shower I went back down to the bar where I got chatting to Roger who was heading North on The Way and had only found the pub and bunkhouse after he had pitched his tent next door at the campsite. He didn’t seem too phased by the wet weather and told me he’d walked The Pennine Way many years ago when he was 17, but that he couldn’t remember any of it. Whilst we were chatting a guy came into the bar decked out in cycling gear looking to stay in the bunkhouse, I thought he was cycle touring and, like me, needed a place to shelter for the night. Having just been checked in I helped show him where it was and entered the code to get in even though he had been chatting to the bar staff in what sounded like her native language.
Time was called at the bar relatively early, around 21:30 so I said farewell to Roger and wished him luck on the rest of his hike and retired to the bunkhouse where I got to know Daniil Sadomskij who wasn’t just cycle touring, he was competing in the GBDuro 2024 and was on his fifth day of cycling from Lands End to Cape Wrath via Wales, The Pennine Bridleway. It sounded brutal and would explain the cyclists I passed earlier in the day. Dani was currently placed fourth but it wasn’t about winning for him as his main motivation was to see the country as he’d been living in the UK for eight years working as a chef in a London restaurant. He had an excellent pair of Lidl shorts and was eating some cold, congealed chips he’d picked up earlier in the day. This didn’t look very appetising so I offered him one of my dehydrated meals which he gratefully accepted and after boiling the kettle and a short wait he had some warm pasta and salmon to help him recover from the days exertions and fuel him for the next days.
He was a really nice guy, engaged to be married to a Welsh lady and enthusiastic about cycling. We were both tired though and planned to get up early, although he said he was going to set his alarm for 04:00 and make an early start which didn’t bother me as I could doze a bit afterwards.
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Day 9 - Horton in Ribblesdale to Gargrave
Still raining when I was woken early by Daniil’s alarm. Knowing he’d set it early I didn’t bother to look at the time and dozed instead listening to it going off repeatedly. When I finally looked at the time it was 06:50 so I got up and let Daniil know that he’d missed his early start. He wasn’t too bothered, saying that if the body needs rest it needs rest. We both slowly packed up our kit which was still slightly damp and he sensibly did some stretching before posing for a picture. We wished each other good luck and he and jumped on his bike and set off, rejoining the Pennine Bridleway heading ultimately to Cape Wrath.
I was packed and ready to head out into the wind and rain shortly after and with nothing to keep me hanging around brace myself for the onslaught and headed out. Not sure there was much that could have prepared me for the battering the wind and rain gave me as I headed up Pen y Ghent, it was brutal! The rain was heavy and coming in horizontal as I gained height and I passed a couple who I’d seen in the car park of the pub who had decided not to continue which seemed wise, they were in shorts and pretty basic trainers. The higher I got the stronger the wind blew and I chatted to a guy who said he’d been out wild camping for the night (nutter!). On the final path up to the summit plateau the wind really kicked in though and I was very grateful of having my walking poles to help stabilise me. Even then I was still struggling to walk in a straight line and remain upright! The plateau itself provided some respite as the wind wasn’t hitting the side of the hill and being driven upwards and there was a shelter (viz. wall) near the summit trig point.
A couple who had come up the way I was due to descend arrived and said it was pretty windy and wet on the path. There was no point hanging around so I got on with descending out of the horrendous wind. The rocks were wet, as predicted several days ago, but weren’t that bad to negotiate (hands were employed for safety). The loss of altitude was accompanied by some easing off of the wind, but not by much. As I skirted round Cow Hill though the weather seemed to ease a bit, with both the rain and wind dying down a bit and the cloud base lifting a little. I unfortunately had to head up and over Fountains Fell (668m) so up I went again. The weather was definitely improving as it wasn’t anywhere near as windy or wet as Pen y Ghent had been although the views remained non-existent.
Soon I was dropping down and passing through farmland and making my way to skirt the long way round Malham Tarn where the wind was whipping across and making quite a few waves. Somewhere to return to in the future as it was very picturesque (like so many other places on the hike!).
The sun was out in force by now so I stripped down to shorts and hung my waterproofs from my arm to dry in the wind which worked pretty quickly as I could pack them away before starting the descent to Malham Cove. I passed a couple of young ladies out for a walk as I descended from Malham Moor and skirted under Watlowes. They seemed impressed by my progress and said they would have to try hiking The Way which I thoroughly recommended they do. The limestone pavement above Malham Cove was impressive and had attracted those fit enough to climb the stairs up from the bottom of the Cove.
I was getting hungry by now so after a few pictures I descended the steps, picking up an empty Red Bull can along the way, and passed many people out for the day as I made a beeline for The Lester Arms where I had a mushroom and black bean burger with wedges and beer battered onion rings. Chatted to a few others who were having a drink and explained how useful I found walking poles to a couple, as the lady had had operations on her knees which were weak as a consequence.
Satiated and watered I set off for Gargrave, tracking the River Aire as it wound its way down the dale. This took me most of the way, but I parted company and was taken over a couple of hills via some fields with cows in which weren’t bothered by my presence.
Soon I arrived at Gargrave and headed to the Co-op to get a few beers for the evening before back-tracking to Eshton Road Caravan Park where a lovely old gentleman pointed me to a small enclosed field to camp for the night. A beer whilst pitching the tent close to the wall so it was sheltered from the storm that was forecast to come through overnight before heading back into town to eat at The Frying Yorkshireman which was excellent both in terms of food and service. Very friendly, big portions of delicious food and a boot shaped glass for the beer. If you’re ever in Gargrave and need to eat head here you won’t be disappointed. Back to the tent for another beer (cheaper than the pub!) and an early night.
Chatted to a friendly guy on the campsite who I’d seen eating fish and chips opposite the chippy whilst I snapped pictures of the antiquated pharmacy and then got an early night.
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Day 10 - Gargrave to Colden
Woken early around 05:00 by the wind and rain of Storm Lilian passing through, it was pretty windy and on checking the satellite imagery it was due to rain heavily between 06:00 and 07:00 and decided to stay in bed and ride that out rather than take the tent down in the rain. Forecast was spot on and my tent was almost flattened by some very strong gusts about 06:30. Fortunately its design (an older version of the Wild Country Zephyros 1) with a single pole meant it sprung back up pretty quickly and I weathered the storm ok. On rising it was clear that some of the other campers hadn’t fared so well. There was a camper van with the air-beam awning collapsed, but that was because they had been savvy enough to do it themselves before the wind took it away. Unfortunately the awning to the caravan of the guy I’d chatted to the previous night was nowhere to be seen.
After packing my kit up I set off to the Co-op to get supplies for the day but as I crossed the road I realised I hadn’t seen my wallet so checked my pockets and those of my rucksack and then realised I’d left it on the floor of the tent and packed it away inside! Wasted five minutes retrieving it from inside whilst next to the canal and packing it all back up again. This proved a bit of a waste of time as on arrival at the Co-op the lights were out and the door was shut with a sign on the window saying there had been a power cut and they weren’t open. I managed to get the attention of a member of staff and asked where the nearest place shop was. After establishing that I couldn’t hear a word she was saying through the shut door she cracked it open and advised me it was 10 minutes drive down the road in Skipton, clearly not paying any attention to the rucksack on my back and walking poles I was carrying!
I resigned myself to having to make a detour later on and set off for the day crossing open farmland and winding my way through a few country lanes where I encountered a tree that had been felled by the wind. Fortuantely it only slowed me down for a minute or so as I negotiated the branches and soon I found myself walking along a section of the canal where I came across a cool two-storey bridge.
In Thornton in Craven I asked a gentleman who was rescuing his bin where the nearest shop was. Unfortunately there weren’t any shops in Thornton, the nearest was Earby which was off-route, but I needed some food for the day so crossed a couple of fields, noticing that the Colne and Broughton/Skipton Road was closed due to another tree that had come down and there was a queue of lorries backing up into Earby as they had no way of turning around on the narrow lanes. Earby had the usual Co-op and supplies for the day were purchased along with a “Yorkshire Slice” from a local bakery where I instantly regretted not buying my lunch from there instead of the Co-op.
I soon rejoined The Way and headed up to Pinhaw Beacon where there was a memorial to those who had died in the COVID19 Pandemic written to a Shakespeare sonnet. I was saddened to see some idiots had vandalised the tribute to the NHS at the end. Some people have no idea how fortunate they are to have free, world leading, health-care in this country.
After dropping down into Lothersdale and out again I met a guy who was walking from Dover to Cape Wrath and was currently on day 20. He was a talker and regaled going through London rather than round it camping near some football stadium and many other facets of his 20 days to get to that point. Mindful of the time I wished him well and carried on as I still had a long way to go.
I’d hoped there would be a pub near The Way in Ikornshaw but alas no so up Green Hill I went. As I reached the edge of the moors there appeared to be a collection of extreme sheds dotted along the edge. Perhaps these were for game keepers but there were a lot of them. There was a guy working outside of one and he took the time to calm his dog as I passed but I didn’t think to ask him what the sheds were for or why there were so many.
The moorland opened up and I met a lady who was out for a run, we had a brief chat about how nice a day it was and she mentioned she had just passed another person who was hiking the Pennine Way and heading South, this was a surprise and I decided to quicken my pace and see if I could catch them up. On the top of the moor I met two ladies who were heading north independently, the second was suffering from a very sore knee which she suspected was due to the weight of her pack. I advised getting some poles if possible to help and carried on.
I dropped down and passing Ponden Reservoir then up and over to Within Heights where an abandoned farm was a possible an inspiration for Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, a book I’ve never read and likely never will.
Good flagstones led to Walshaw Dean Reservoirs which were skirted round and Lower Gorple Reservoir passed quickly.
Traversing the moor of Standing Stone Hill was straight forward and I soon dropped down into Colden where I easily found the The New Delight Inn with the Hebden Bridge Camping adjacent. I wandered into the busy pub which had a lovely community vibe, lots of people milling around chatting and was asked if I was looking to camp for the night (I can’t think what gave that away!) and quickly directed to a lady sat with friends who happily took my £20 note and gave me a warm £10 she had extracted from her bra. The setup was simple as there was a small field next to the car park, flat at the bottom with toilets outside the pub and one person already camped there.
Heading over I dumped the pack and said hello to the other camper who happened to be the person the runner had met earlier in the day. His name was Mike and he was busy enjoying his dinner and avoiding the midges. We had a brief chat about how long we had been hiking and I left him to his dinner to pitch my tent before it got dark and return to the pub to get food and beer. The pub didn’t actually serve food, beyond the usual bar snacks of crisps and nuts which would often do me fine but tonight I needed something more substantial and was in luck as there was a takeaway in Hebden Bridge that delivered. Connected to the WiFi I placed my order and settled down with a pint to write up my notes for the past few days as I’d fallen behind. I was unfortunately quite tired, the light wasn’t great and I didn’t have my glasses which I find I’m needing more frequently these days, but I got some notes written before the pizza arrived which was delicious.
I had a big day planned as I wanted to pass Standing Edge where there wasn’t much accommodation, and push through to Crowden in a single big day which would leave me with “just” Bleaklow and Kinder to pass to get to Edale and so suitably satiated I headed to bed early. Thankfully the kids playing outside the pub whilst their parents drank and chatted didn’t use my tent for target practice this time.
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Day 11 - Colden to Crowden
Up early, again, but not as early as Mike who said hello as he set off, he thought I might catch him up though, having done so over the past few days. Tent away and I hit the trail again, heading down a lovely path above Colden Water. I wasn’t paying attention though and made a minor navigational error missing the turning and only realised 500m down the hill in the woods adding an unnecessary kilometre to the days hiking and having to turn around and head back up hill to find The Way which followed a very narrow, overgrown path between dry stone walls of fields before dropping steeply down into Calder Valley.
I had been thinking about getting some food here but as I approached the River Calder I saw a heron in the middle of the river and completely forgot to look for food as I snapped as many pictures as I could before it flew off.
Happy to have got some half decent shots, given the lack of zoom on my camera, I started the long slog out of the valley to Stoodley Pike. This section had looked steep but the path followed farm tracks and wound its way through woods and some fields before the final steep section onto the edge of the moor.
Before this last steep bit I paused to sort out my clothing as it looked like it was about to start raining and spied what I thought was Mike passing Stoodley Pike. Its an impressive monument and I took the time to climb the 39 steps that take you to the balcony and snap some overcast shots in each of the ordinal directions.
Continuing along The Way I met a group out for an early hike approaching from the opposite direction and followed the flagstones across the moor to Warland Reservoir which was looking a bit empty.
I was gaining on Mike now and was able to go quickly as the track was flat and my legs were strong from the past ten days of hiking. Blackstone Edge Reservoir and The White House came into view and were quickly passed and as I started to head up to Blackstone Edge I caught up with Mike who had paused to check his navigation and we walked and chatted as we went up to the edge. He said I should carry on as I was faster but after checking out the largest buttress for routes I was happy to walk and chat with him which made a change from the last ten days of being with my own thoughts.
Mike was easy to chat to, he is retired but worked on oil rigs off the coast of Norfolk after responding to an advert in a paper for mechanically minded people to transfer into the area. He’d worked his way up through the different levels, for a time having his own company and had lived in the US for a period with a lady he was with for a while. On returning to work after the COVID pandemic he decided he didn’t want to do that any more and after seeing a financial consultant he realised he could take early retirement and who would blame him. He enjoyed getting out walking and seeing the countryside with his dog Rufus who he clearly loved a lot and was pleased to be fit and able to enjoy his retirement unlike many of his friends who were still working or had heart conditions or other physical ailments which prevented them from doing so.
We soon passed over the M62 and both found the noise and bustle quite jarring compared to the peace and solitude we’d experienced hiking over fells and moorland but quickly left it behind and returned to peace and quiet. As we neared a road the possibility of lunch loomed in the form of a small cafe in a container by the side of the road but unfortunately they were closed. We were both sadden to see there appeared to be some people living in tents around this layby and the rise in homelessness is another poor reflection on the previous governments performance.
A couple of kilometeres and we reached Standedege above Marsden where I had abandoned a previous attempt to walk the Pennine Way from South to North a number of years ago and stopped on a convenient rock for lunch. Mike had a wrap and some cheese whilst I broke out my stove and reheated my penultimate dehydrated meal for lunch. The stove is super efficient and I was soon tucking into the hotpot mash which was tasty but as always with these meals there is a tiny bit that never gets the water it needs. Mike set off before me and 15 minutes later I’d packed everything away and hit the path again myself.
I noticed the Great Western Inn had a number of caravans outside it and this must have been the pub that someone had told me was a cheap campsite to stay at, but I was pushing on to Crowden so I had a relatively easy day into Edale on my last day. This first section to was nice going over moorland, passing between Black Moss and Swellands reservoir before dropping down and crossing Wessenden Brook and passing along the side of Wessenden and Wessenden Head reservoir. I noticed a small waterfall on the opposite side of the brook.
As I reached the top of Wessenden Head there was a Canadian couple who were trying to work out which way the Pennine Way went so I pointed them in the right direction. I was then asked by a lady with a large group of other “Instagrammers” who had just tumbled out of cars from the nearby road “Is the waterfall nearby?” I tried to explain that I had passed a waterfall but that it was 30-40 minutes down the track behind me and I didn’t know which waterfall they were looking for. They seemed to think I was referring to the road they had just left and not the track behind me. I gave up trying to answer their question as it seemed futile. Crossing the A635 felt like being on home territory having gone along it a few times earlier in the year to go climbing at the Standing Stones. Good paving slabs led over Dean Clough and up to Black Hill then across open moorland with a very boggy section where the paving slabs had disappeared to the head of Crowden Great Brook. This involved weaving back and forth across the brook before the path rose up the hillside to go over Laddow Rocks. Normally I would have a poke around and a small climb but was finding this section tough going as the heather made for a very narrow path and using poles was fairly pointless. Pretty uneven rocks down to Crowden, but I soon passed through the garden of Crowden Outdoor Education Centre where one of my friends from the Peak Climbing Club worked. Had it been a weekday I would have stopped to say hello but it was early evening on a Saturday so he wasn’t around.
Checked in at Crowden campsite, the most expensive of the trip at £13, and said hello to Mike who had just finished pitching his tent and to a father and son who had hiked over from Marsden and had been hoping to wild camp on Black Hill or above Laddow before continuing to Kinder Scout for the night and then onto Hathersage. They were trying out their kit in prepertion of hiking part of the Kungsleden Trail which I’d never heard of but sounds interesting, albeit almost twice as long as the Pennine Way, although considerably flatter by the sounds of it.
Mike and I decided to order some takeaways as it was our last night on the trail. I had another pizza with chips and he had a burger with chips. The food arrived as it got dark and we chatted over dinner before an early night as we were both tired from the long day and had Bleaklow and Kinder the following day.
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plot_day(gps_df, "2024-08-24")Code
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Day 12 - Crowden to Edale
28km to cover before 15:00, my self-imposed finish time to ensure I can claim to have completed The Way in 12 days so up early. Unconventionally for me I had one of my remaining two meals for breakfast, pasta and mushrooms, to see me through as there are no shops or pubs between Crowden and Edale. I packed the tent up damp from the previous nights rain, not caring as I was heading home today and could dry it once there. I said goodbye to Mike who was in no rush after the previous days efforts and thanked him for his company the previous day. Wished the father and son pair good luck on their the rest of their trip over-nighting on Kinder and then heading to Hathersage and their planned Arctic trip.
Clear blue skies and warm sun helped me set a decent pace as I headed down to the dam of Torside Researvoir and crossed over to the steep climb up onto the Bleaklow plateau.
Half-way up the steep section whilst snapping pictures with the Sony for some bizarre reason it stopped taking pictures, it would focus and do everything except actually take and save the picture. I wasted about 15-20 minutes trying to sort it before deciding it would have to wait and besides I had a 12-month warranty on it courtesy of Harrison Cameras excellent second-hand policy, so continued up the remaining section of the trail that runs round the edge of Torside Clough. As I crossed over the clough at the top I had another go at fixing the camera and resetting all settings seemed to sort it out. Will have to keep an eye on this though and consider returning it if the problem recurs.
Bleaklow Head was easy to find, but the wind had picked up a bit and it was starting to feel chilly when exposed.
I had forgotten what a pain it was navigating through the groughs on Bleaklow, compounded by the fact it had rained recently and/or overnight so many had running water in them and navigating round them slowed me down a bit, but soon the number of people I was passing, most going to look at the remains of the plane crash, increased and I soon reached the head of the Alport River.
Having walked from here to Kinder a few weeks previously when training I knew exactly where to go. Not that its hard, a massive path and paving slabs lead you to the crossing of the A57. A few kilometres of paving slab followed before swinging south and heading up the North tip of Kinder Scout. It was pretty windy on the edge of the plateau but there were plenty of people about, presumably going to see the inverted waterfall phenomenon which occurs when the wind is high as the water falling off of Kinder Downfall gets blown back up in an endless cycle, although being the end of summer it wasn’t as impressive as it can be in autumn.
Grateful of the poles I traversed the edge of the plateau passing behind the Upfall and heading South towards Edale Rocks and Jacobs Ladder. Lots of people were out on the hills which is great to see but something of a shock given how quiet it had been along most of The Way. I had my eye on the clock to make sure I got to Edale before 15:00 so didn’t hang around and apart from offering a bit of advice to people who looked lost and talking to a couple who had been keeping pace and talking loudly about how to stay fit (they were impressed with having walked +400km in 12 days) I kept moving and got to Barber Booth.
I’d forgotten The Way has one very small bit of uphill to return to Edale here but it passed quickly and I was soon bouncing down through the last field to take the track that goes along a small brook into Edale. With no fanfare I exited the path and was done, I had reached The Nags Head, the time was 14:51 so I had walked there from Kirk Yetholm in pretty much 12 days of hiking and was delighted, if a little tired.
Three members of Edale Mountain Rescue were out collecting donations to fund their excellent work so I approached them and asked if one of them would mind snapping a couple of pictures of me. “Only because you’ve got a Podsacs rucksack” said one of them. My riposte was simple “Does hiking the Pennine Way in 12 days qualify for a picture?”. The gentleman was more than happy to oblige me and suggested we go over to the wall where there was a plaque as well as snapping pictures next to the pub. I ducked inside to grab a pint and asked if there was a log book to sign which there was, much smaller than the one at Kirk Yetholm but I recorded my walk and took my pint (and a pint of water) outside to chat to the guys from Mountain Rescue and check train times.
Hydrated I wandered down to the train station to catch the 15:33 train which was typically delayed and did some stretching of my tired legs and was rudely reminded of why I enjoy being in quiet places because some drunk idiot started making fun of me for doing “yoga”. Train arrived late and whisked me back to Sheffield and I was grateful of the free ride as no ticket inspector passed through the carriage I was in. My wife and daughter were out so I walked home, not that I’d have accepted a lift anyway, stopping for a pint in a local pub (The Brothers Arms) before heading home.
Having been away for 12 days there were tons of leaves on our drive and in the street so before heading in I put my pack down and grabbed my broom and set about clearing them. After five minutes or so the front door opened and my wife and daughter asked if I was going to actually come in. I felt bad when I did as my daughter had made a lovely finishing banner for me to break through with “Welcome Home Daddy” in rainbow letters. She had apparently been peeking out the window keeping an eye out for me.
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Reflections
The Pennine Way passes through a lot of rugged, remote and beautiful countryside and I would highly recommend hiking it in some manner at some point in your life.
- Hiking multiple days is really good fun.
- Comfortable shoes are essential.
- Sandals and shorts are great for wet weather and bogs. I used a pair of Teva’s and have bought another spare pair.
- Grass is the best thing for walking on, rubble the worst.
- There are lots of really nice friendly people in the countryside. Get out of the town or city you live in and go and meet them and take the spirit back to the city.
- Always say hello to the people you pass.
- Backpacking-induced Paresthesias (see also here) is weird and lasted for at least four weeks.
- Rain isn’t that bad really, but combined with wind can be somewhat tiring.
- Head winds are annoying, particularly if strong.
- Walking poles are amazing for reducing stress on your knees and allowing you to go faster for longer.
- You don’t have to go a long way to meet your neighbours!
Summary Table
| Day | Date | Start | Finish | Distance (km) | Ascent (m) | Descent (m) | Duration (hⓂ️s) | Pauses (hⓂ️s) | Total Time (hⓂ️s) | Mean Speed (km/h) | Max Speed (km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2024-08-14 Wed | Kirk Yetholm | Clennell Street | 18.45 | 1129.24 | 705.14 | 4:45:11 | 0:1:18 | 4:46:29 | 3.88 | 5.7 |
| 2 | 2024-08-15 Thu | Clennell Street | Bryness | 23.554 | 736.15 | 1052.45 | 6:00:26 | 0:31:57 | 6:32:24 | 3.92 | 5.93 |
| 3 | 2024-08-16 Fri | Bryness | Hadrians Wall | 47.904 | 1573.63 | 1503.53 | 11:12:51 | 3:43:42 | 14:56:34 | 4.27 | 6.15 |
| 4 | 2024-08-17 Sat | Hadrians Wall | Garigill | 49.112 | 1907.28 | 1871.28 | 13:23:58 | 1:44:56 | 15:08:54 | 3.67 | 6.14 |
| 5 | 2024-08-18 Sun | Garigill | High Cup Nick | 33.094 | 1593.73 | 1381.03 | 8:38:28 | 2:53:02 | 11:31:31 | 3.83 | 6.51 |
| 6 | 2024-08-19 Mon | High Cup Nick | Middleton in Teesdale | 28.341 | 840.14 | 1190.44 | 7:14:33 | 0:8:54 | 7:23:27 | 3.91 | 6.59 |
| 7 | 2024-08-20 Tue | Middleton in Teesdale | Thwaite | 42.736 | 1704.63 | 1684.63 | 10:23:16 | 2:27:48 | 12:51:04 | 4.11 | 6.07 |
| 8 | 2024-08-21 Wed | Thwaite | Horton in Ribblesdale | 40.691 | 1547.21 | 1619.61 | 9:30:41 | 2:43:40 | 12:14:22 | 4.28 | 6.24 |
| 9 | 2024-08-22 Thu | Horton in Ribblesdale | Gargrave | 38.811 | 1759.36 | 1908.96 | 10:17:26 | 2:21:08 | 12:38:34 | 3.77 | 6.43 |
| 10 | 2024-08-23 Fri | Gargrave | Colden | 47.980 | 2302.5 | 2121.5 | 11:22:01 | 0:24:09 | 11:46:10 | 4.22 | 6.77 |
| 11 | 2024-08-24 Sat | Colden | Crowden | 49.205 | 2512.51 | 2582.31 | 11:12:44 | 1:03:51 | 12:16:35 | 4.39 | 7.05 |
| 12 | 2024-08-25 Sun | Crowden | Edale | 28.535 | 1323.47 | 1305.07 | 6:58:46 | 0:20:43 | 7:19:29 | 4.09 | 6.62 |
| Total | 448.413 | 18929.85 | 18925.95 | 4.0283333 | 7.05 |
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Citation
BibTeX citation:
@online{shephard2024,
author = {Shephard, Neil},
title = {Pennine {Way} 2024},
date = {2024-08-30},
url = {https://blog.nshephard.dev/posts/pennine-way/},
langid = {en}
}
For attribution, please cite this work as:
Shephard, Neil. 2024. “Pennine Way 2024.” August 30, 2024.
https://blog.nshephard.dev/posts/pennine-way/.