Pennine Way 2024 - Day 12: Middleton-in-Teesdale - Hannah's Well
Distance: 18.2 miles Total: 182.32 (Tracklog: 17.15) Steps: 36,695
Things seen: some redshank, and yet more lovely curlews. And the glory that is High Cup Nick.
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Set off in good order from the Teesdale, about 8.45am and ploughed steadily up the Tees valley, past Low Force and High Force, both in good flow as well they should be after all the rain. Today it started raining about 10am and carried on until about 2pm, when it started to brighten up a bit. A good set of birds today, most sadly unidentified, but at one point I said to a man standing nearby "Do you know a lot about birds?" And he said yes he did. I said "What are those there, that go wheep?" And he said "Those are redshank" in that way that implies that everybody knows that.
Much of today's route was straightforward, but there is a tricky bit in the mile before Cauldron Spout involving scrambling over rocks, care needed when they are wet and slippery and you have a heavy pack. Cauldron Spout itself has to be scrambled up too. It is the outflow for Cow Green reservoir so all artificial. It can be quite impressive, but not much was being let out today.
Then another long flat stretch before the climb up to High Cup Nick. This never fails to impress, though I have been here several times before. The weather now was bright and sunny so I decided to camp there for the night and not go down to Dufton. It is a fine place to spend time.
Low Force
Wife Sue tells me this is a Northern Marsh orchid. Certainly very pretty and lots of them around here
This is Tamsin and Tom. We criss-crossed all day and when I told them I was camping here and was a bit short of food, they most kindly donated two Penguins and some nuts to the cause..
Tent, with view... it is next to a stream, Hannah's Well, supposedly a spring but the map doesn't actually say that, so I did filter the water.
High Cup Nick. Expand the photo if you can
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