Sunday 15 September 2019
Miles: 21.4
Total miles: 110.8
I knew today was going to be a long day. I set off about 8.15am and fairly flew along to Garrigill. I found I had inadvertently left two pots of yoghurt in the fridge at the youth hostel, which was annoying, but there was a little village shop in Garrigill so I was able to replace them, and add a banana or two to boot.
From Garrigill you walk up an apparently endless track to Greg's Hut, nestled on a shoulder below Cross Fell. Through the good offices of my daughter and Amazon Prime, I have all three volumes of Mark Twain's autobiography on my phone as audiobooks, so I kept my head down, pressed on steadily and listened to that to help the time pass.
Got to the hut in good time, and sat there for a bit to have lunch. Just as I was leaving three more people arrived, one of them had twisted his ankle coming down from Cross Fell and was hobbling badly. I did not envy him trying to get all the way down to Garrigill in that condition.
Then on to the summit of Cross Fell, highest point of the Pennine Way at 870m (2854ft). The weather was fine and breezy, but not windy. The view was hazy but not obscured. I carried on across the summit, then over Little and Great Dun Fells, (the 2nd and 3rd highest points in the Pennines) past the surveillance station there. Allegedly part of UK air traffic control nowadays. Then on over Knock Old Man, to start the descent to Dufton.
So far, all part of the official PW route. But instead of descending to Dufton I turned sharp left and headed straight across the moor towards High Cup Nick where I would camp for the night. I had done the same thing in 2014 in reverse, spending the night at HCN and then nipping through the heather to rejoin the official route without having to go down to Dufton. A cunning trick that saves a whole day and in my memory took no time at all but it was definitely not like that this time.. crossing the high moors is easy enough if there is a path to follow but if not it can be an awkward business. Large peat bogs, ravines and streams impede progress and there are unexpected holes "shake holes" etc to watch out for. To cut a long story short I got to HCN ok, but it was a slow business and it must have been 7.30pm by the time I got my tent out.
But my legs felt good, the high moors in decent weather are a fine place to be, and to have High Cup Nick all to yourself is a great privilege. I was a tired but happy bunny.
A few photos follow ... there are more but I am having trouble adding them. I will do another post with just photos. Doing this on a phone is v. frustrating!
I knew today was going to be a long day. I set off about 8.15am and fairly flew along to Garrigill. I found I had inadvertently left two pots of yoghurt in the fridge at the youth hostel, which was annoying, but there was a little village shop in Garrigill so I was able to replace them, and add a banana or two to boot.
From Garrigill you walk up an apparently endless track to Greg's Hut, nestled on a shoulder below Cross Fell. Through the good offices of my daughter and Amazon Prime, I have all three volumes of Mark Twain's autobiography on my phone as audiobooks, so I kept my head down, pressed on steadily and listened to that to help the time pass.
Got to the hut in good time, and sat there for a bit to have lunch. Just as I was leaving three more people arrived, one of them had twisted his ankle coming down from Cross Fell and was hobbling badly. I did not envy him trying to get all the way down to Garrigill in that condition.
Then on to the summit of Cross Fell, highest point of the Pennine Way at 870m (2854ft). The weather was fine and breezy, but not windy. The view was hazy but not obscured. I carried on across the summit, then over Little and Great Dun Fells, (the 2nd and 3rd highest points in the Pennines) past the surveillance station there. Allegedly part of UK air traffic control nowadays. Then on over Knock Old Man, to start the descent to Dufton.
So far, all part of the official PW route. But instead of descending to Dufton I turned sharp left and headed straight across the moor towards High Cup Nick where I would camp for the night. I had done the same thing in 2014 in reverse, spending the night at HCN and then nipping through the heather to rejoin the official route without having to go down to Dufton. A cunning trick that saves a whole day and in my memory took no time at all but it was definitely not like that this time.. crossing the high moors is easy enough if there is a path to follow but if not it can be an awkward business. Large peat bogs, ravines and streams impede progress and there are unexpected holes "shake holes" etc to watch out for. To cut a long story short I got to HCN ok, but it was a slow business and it must have been 7.30pm by the time I got my tent out.
But my legs felt good, the high moors in decent weather are a fine place to be, and to have High Cup Nick all to yourself is a great privilege. I was a tired but happy bunny.
A few photos follow ... there are more but I am having trouble adding them. I will do another post with just photos. Doing this on a phone is v. frustrating!
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| The River South Tyne nr Alston |
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| The long and winding track up to Cross Fell (in the distance) |
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| Inside Greg's hut. He was killed in a climbing accident in the Alps |
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| Great Dun Fell |
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