A hefty day to kick off the trail! I’ll be setting off at 9am and will be eager to get some miles under my belt. Last year myself and Dave managed the same mileage with Bleaklow 4 inch under water. I’ll be sure to take a longer break at Kinder Downfall and Bleaklow, intent on filtering some water and have a good refuel before descending to Torside and scaling Crowden Valley. I will be meeting Dave at Black Hill as he will be joining me for the next 3 days.

A shorter day to recover from two previous demanding days. This day is a favourite of mine, with the landscape changing and renewing the mental energy. Coupled with the shorter distance and the prospect of a pizza, bunk house bed and a few beers at Squirrel Wood Campsite, this should be a great day. I think our pace should be leisurely today and a good opportunity to get the cameras out.

I enjoyed this day on my 2020 attempt. Although I did not have the weather and I was ‘survival’ mode most of the day, only stopping to rest in the deepest of ditches to hide from the wind. It was also a day of solitude for the most part until I reached Pen-Y-Ghent. I quite enjoy the campsite at Horton, although very noisy and busy on the bank holiday last time. I’ve been one other time in the car however where it was quiet. The showers are good and the pub next door is what I like, no nonsense, easy going food and a few drinks. That’s why I’ll be up semi early, get a good spot at the campsite and enjoy a hot shower and a pub meal.

I’m approaching half way now and I would like to get a few easy days in. A slow start and an amble up Great Shunner, finished with tea and cake in Thwaite. I do like the campsite in Keld but I wasn’t overly pleased with stopping here overnight while on the Pennine Way. Partly because there is little phone reception and partly due to the next morning’s climb to Tan Hill. I could have progressed further today and reached Tan Hill, but I fancied staying there even less. Any further than Tan Hill would turn this into a long day so Keld it was.

From one wild camp to another. As today would be a Saturday, I would expect the campsite at Middleton to be very busy and I think I’d be best of avoiding it on this trip. Instead I would spend a couple of hours in Middleton, replenishing my supplies for the next leg of the Pennine Way, through the notorious and highest points on the trail. I would leave Middleton and hike up the scenic river before taking a short detour up Cronkley Fell. I’ve chosen this location as it appears to be well out of the way, allowing me to pitch a little earlier than normal. Analysing the maps I’ve found a few springs on the way up to the fell so I will be able to fill up my bottles here. The next day I will head back down the way I came. Partly due to there being no bridge on the other side of the fell to rejoin the Pennine Way, but also I’d like to re-fill water from the spring for the day ahead.

After a number of fairly short and pleasant days, this will be a long day potentially made much worse by the infamous weather present around Cross Fell. I originally planned to hike into Alston today but after reading a number of sources, I think I will camp on the last high before the descent to Garrigill at a point on the map called “Black Band”. Here there are a number of walls that I can hide behind and hopefully shelter from any wind.

This section is a great hike for history buffs. A real part of British history, Hadrians Wall. I’m quite looking forward to getting up close and personal with the wall, having only seen the mounds from a distance when riding on the motorbike. I would end this day quite short at a special location mentioned in Andrew Cannon’s blog, An Oldie Outdoors. The reason being, while planning the final days of the Pennine Way, I was unsure of where I could camp for the best spots. I don’t know the land very well in these ends so I am relying on the valuable information contained in such blogs. The sheepfold looked a great place to stay the night and would put me on an ideal schedule to follow Andrew’s south bound journey.

As I’ve mentioned prior, I don’t know these lands very well at all and I find myself without a great deal to say about them. At this point I will most definately thinking about the finish and returning home. I plan to end this night on the grass outside the hut at Lamb Hill. Although I don’t intend on staying within it. Yet it will atleast provide some shelter should the weather be poor.