Getting high with a little help for my friend
- poulterjim
- 19 hours ago
- 6 min read
C
A combination of persistent rain and quite a few diary commitments meant that Q1 slipped by with barely a single trip into the great outdoors. Luckily April has been different with a 3 day trip with one of my Surfing Dad mates, Mark, planned a while ago. He is mid-way through his epic adventure of walking from Land's End to John O'Groats (LEJOG).
To say that this is a challenge is something of an understatement. There are a bunch of ways to skin this particular cat, but his path will cover 1,164 miles over some 59 days. Mark is a qualified accountant, but even my rusty grade C 'O' level maths was enough to see that equates to about 20 miles EVERY DAY. Brutal.
And nearly 2 months walking totally solo would only make this harder. So he's kindly invited friends and family along at various times to share in the fun and keep him company. He started in early March - but I was meeting him in mid-April for Days 32, 33 and 34 - a bit over half way. So with my trusty Senior Railcard I booked a single to Darlington and then hopped on a couple of buses to get to Middleton in Teesdale by Monday afternoon. Mark was still en route so I spent a couple of hours walking down the Pennine Way in an attempt to meet him at a place, rather intriguingly, called Nettlepot. However, he had elected to stick to roads due to the muddy conditions in that stage, so this was something of a failure. No matter. Being a super organised person with a complete aversion to camping, he has booked a range of hotels, B&B's and AirBnBs for every single day (bar one). So we were able to meet up early evening in that night's reservation - the Teesdale Hotel. This was perfectly fine - but my single room had a most unusual configuration (with the bathroom having the only window) and the first chocolate coloured bathroom suite that I have ever seen!
Still the bed was comfy, the room quiet and staff really helpful and friendly. So next morning we were down at breakfast as soon as it opened at 0800; at th Co-op by 0830 to buy lunch and on the path by 0845. At this point Mark's route was broadly following the Pennine Way.
Day 32: Middleton-in-Teesdale to Dufton
When I looked at Mark's route planning spreadsheet, this was a section that really appealed to me. I'd never been to the North Pennines but seen the waterfalls of Low Force, High Force and Cauldron Snout in blogs and on TV (including bizzarely an episode of Ripping Yarns in 1977). It's a 20 mile day with 870m of climbing but the weather was pretty sunny as we set out. One thing I will say about the Pennine Way is that it's pretty well marked and in places even paved, with huge flagstones placed across some of the grungiest sections. As always when walking with mates the miles seem to pass by quickly.
The waterfalls did not disappoint - they are all pretty spectacular. In summer I imagine they are rammed with visitors but on a weekday in April we only met a few fellow walkers. For anyone keen to do the route I have a couple of pieces of insight. Firstly, the 2,000 m immediately before Cauldron Snout is pretty tricky. You are walking across a boulder field that forms the bank of the river. The stones are big and unbalanced - so take care.
Secondly at Cauldron Snout, you are effectively climbing the right hand bank of the waterfall. The path is not terribly clear and the boulders pretty large. It was cloudy and blowy but nothing too tricky. We had lunch by Cauldron Snout and then pushed on to High Cup.
High Cup is pretty damn spectacular. For anyone who remembers their school geopgraphy lessons - it's a pretty nigh-on perfect glacial U shaped valley. However, the clouds were massing and the wind picking up, so we didn't pause long to wonder at its majesty, but got to Dufton. Our accomodation here was a place called Redstones - which is the old YHA hostel turned into a sort of upmarket B&B. My room was super new and comfy - but the most expensive of my 3 nights. On the upside it had a high tech boot drying system and was just across from the only pub in the village. The breakfast service was excellent and they also provided a packed lunch (albeit for £16 each). This is important because there are no shops in the village and the nearest ones over 4 miles away.
Day 33: Dufton to Alston
While arguably less spectacular than the previous day, this section was both long and included about 900m of ascent. So, not to be sneezed at. The day started sunny and calm with great views west across the Eden Valley to the Lake District. But as we steadily climbed up to the high point of Cross Fell the wind picked up and clouds filled the sky. Rain was forecast for 2.00pm, so we didn't tarry at the top (though a rather useful drystone multi-directional windbreak takes makes it more bearable) but pushed on to get somwhere less exposed. The top of the fell is very muddy - and all the recent rain meant that a number of the slabs that make up the path were totally submerged - in places up to 6 or so inches.
The descent wasn't too tricky and we were soon at Greg's Hut one of the bothies in England. I love the fact that these are open to all - though I imagine that they could get pretty crowded in summer. Today, there was just us. We stopped for lunch just below the hut, among some old quarry workings. It's easy to forget that in the 18th and 19th Centuries mining and quarrying were an important part of the local economy. Today the pickaxes have been replaced by shotguns; as we crossed into a huge area of moorland with grouse popping up almost every minute and passing numerous shooting butts. But by now the rain was properly falling and we continued down off the fell to arrive at a small village called Garrigill. Sadly this wasnt where our B&B was, so we plodded on 6km along the river and over what seemed to me like an endless stream of stone stiles. These are generally built into dry stone walls, of varying quality. The steps are steep and narrow and there is often a springback wooden gate on to, just to add to the joy. Needless to say by the time we arrived at the Temple Croft B&B I was about to have a catastrophic sense of humour failure. Cold, wet and knackered. But, luckily this was a perfect place to stop. Not only were its owners helpful and the rooms well-appointed - but they had a whole drying room set up going on. Luxury indeed.
Day 34: Alston to Haltwhistle
Compared to the previous two days, this leg was a doddle. Not only about 30% shorter but also along a disused railway line. As anyone who's read this blog in the past will know - I love a path that follows an old railway line - generally flat with a surface of gravel or hard core. And in this case downhill even - as we followed the South Tyne River as it wends its way North, before turning sharply to the East at Haltwhistle. So a totally different walk to the two days before. The South Tynedale Railway runs from Alston to the improbably named Slaggyford, but from then on its strictly human power. You cross the highly impressive Lambley Viaduct. Opened in 1852 to transport coal and lead from mines in Alston it really is a thing of beauty.
Our destination was Haltwhistle - which - as well as being on the rail line down to Newcastle in the 19th Century was also at the heart of Reiving Country in the 16th and 17th Centuries. And given the name of this Blog it instantly appealed to me. It also taught me a new word - Bastle. Basically a fortified house with thick walls and tiny windows that could be easily defended.
The Haltwhistle accommodation was something of a hybrid - https://belfordhouserooms.co.uk/ a sort of self-checkin B&B without the second B. No matter - it was clean, the shower was good and the bed comfy.
The next morning my train was at a civilised 11.00am, so by the time I got up Mark was long gone - on his way to Bellingham. So I had a leisurely breakfast in what is reputedly the middle of Britain (according to longitudinal calculations) and then hopped on a train back to London. I hope that Mark found my company a help not a hinderance - I had a thoroughly enjoyable 3 days in the Pennines. I will be meeting up with him again in early May to complete the last few day's walking along the John O'Groats Trail. I expect steep cliffs, lots of seascapes and plenty of clambering over barbed wire fences. Watch this space.
Comments