Second night at the Foresters Inn. It is a shame that Laura and Ollie who run it are having to move on after this season. I hope someone else takes it on - it is a perfect stop for this last section of the PW. After breakfast, Ollie drove me to the road junction in the remote Coquet Valley near Trows farm
Quite a warm up. 2 miles and a thousand feet of ascent before getting back on the trail at Windy Gyle.
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| Setting off from the drop off poaint at Trows |
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| Just about to start the clib out of the Coquet Valley |
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| Back in the Border Ridge |
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Trig point at Kings Seat    Summit of Auchope Cairn  Hen Hole  Auchope Refuge Hut    Here is my final day Facebook post :- Travelled up to Haltwhistle last Friday and had a nice warm
up hike to the Sill YHA at Once Brewed. Completed the final four days last
Saturday – Tuesday. The Sill YHA – Belingham – Byrness – Windy Gyle – Kirk
Yetholm. I used the pick up / drop off service from the Foresters Inn to split
the Cheviot crossing to two days. What a brilliant place the Foresters Inn is,
run by the fantastic Laura and Ollie. There can’t be many places where you can
talk all things Pennine Way and long distance trails in general without fear of
being boring or being bored ! I met some lovely people on both nights I stayed
there – Ian (celebrating his 60th) , Tom and Owen (two pals from the
North West) , David and Alice (married
team on their way south), and Adam (who did the Cheviot section in one day). I
met Ian , Tom and Owen again at the Yearning Saddle Hut on the penultimate day
where we all had lunch. I met another lovely
couple plus bump (due in September – congratulations) on the two Cheviot days .
I met them just after Windy Gyle and then again in KY. Alfred Wainwright was quite grumpy about this last 60 miles
claiming the PW should have ended at Housteads Fort. I don’t agree. I loved the
variety of these four days and the Cheviots was (for me) a spectacular and
fitting end. I did one day in September 2023, most of the trail last year
and then these last four days. Edale to Horton in Ribblesdale I camped each
day, and then from Horton to end I used hostels and b&bs. What a fantastic
adventure – I think this will stay in my memory for a long time. Highlights ·
Middleton in Teesdale to Dufton – Waterfalls ,
High Cup Nick and a herd of wild horses. ·
Malham to Horton in Ribblesdale – Malham Cove,
Malham Tarn (I had this all to myself after an early start. Stopped for
breakfast on a lovely clear morning), and Pen- Y-Ghent. ·
The Cheviots – stunning five star walking
countryside, and wild goats. ·
Hadrians Wall – A walk through history and a
crazy slow motion roller coaster trail. ·
Kinder Scout – I live in Derbyshire and have
been on dozens of walks on this hallowed high ground. ·
Swaledale, between Thwaite and Keld – Beautiful
views from the valley edge down to the River Swale. ·
Corpse road from Gregs Hut to Garagill. – Tough
section at the end of a long day, but I
found the winding track hypnotic. A rough , tough descent but no navigation
required …just follow the yellow brick road! Memorable ‘jeopardy’ moments ·
Falling in a bog on the approach to Black Fell.
It was only up to my knees but I lost a water bottle ·
Being chased by a cow between Fountains Fell and
Pen-Y-Gent. I made the schoolboy error of walking between her and a group of
calves. She wasn’t happy with me. ·
Losing the path in clag on Knock Fell. The
temperature dipped sharply and my hands
got cold and painful very quickly. In normal conditions this would the easiest
of navigation – jus head for the radar station on Great Dun Fell. ·
Massive energy dip towards the end of the first day – I really
slowed down on the Torside Clough section. What’s next for me – either Offas Dyke, or the Coast to
Coast. However, I am still buzzing after this week , and I would love to do the
PW again, but in one go rather than sections (inspired by the folks I have met
along the way). Final thought – Tom Stephenson – He might not have worn a
cloak and his underpants over his trousers, but he is a hero to me. Very best of luck to everyone on the trail at the moment, or
planning to do it in the future.      |
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