Day 62 - June 10th - Dufton to Alston - 20.8 miles
This is the day that's described as one of the longest and toughest of the Pennine Way with over 3200 feet of ascent - a sequence of high fells with boggy and indistinct tracks and because of the altitude, a likelihood that the weather could quickly turn inclement and challenging.
The taxi from Penrith dropped me in Dufton at 8.20.
Initially, the path out of the village was pleasant and sheltered.
At Coatsike Farm, I met Chris, a farmer and shepherd.
He has his own flock of 200 sheep but for a few days a week is helping at Coatsike with a flock of 700 sheep.
We had a chat about the economics of shearing. Apparently the farmer gets 30p per kilo of wool and the shearer charges £1.50 per sheep. There isn't enough wool on a sheep to make it viable but the sheep have to sheared to maintain a healthy flock.
I watched him on a quad bike with two dogs as he seemed to effortlessly bring a large flock down off a high field.
The weather prospects didn't look promising higher up the hill.
At Green Fell (2600 feet) it was becoming quite breezy.
The cairns pointed the way to Great Dun Fell.
The radar domes on Great Dun Fell are apparently operated by NATS - the air traffic control people but as I got closer the security fences seemed quite intimidating. The tarmacadam track up to the domes is the highest road in the UK.
Three egg heads together!!
The shelter from the domes provided some temporary respite from the wind and as I walked across to Little Dun Fell (2780 feet) I must have been caught in a squall - I guessed 30mph) It felt as though the crosswind was trying to twist the pack off my back and was sufficient to pull off the elasticated rain cover. Though it was still attached, it was a tussle for a few minutes to get it secured again.
By Cross Fell (2900 feet) the squall had passed but it was still blowing what felt like a constant 20 - 25 mph.
By contrast, to Cross Fell, the highest point on the South Downs Way - Butser Hill is 880 feet, more than 2000 feet lower!
There's a robust wind shelter on the top,
arranged to provide shelter from all wind directions - not that I wanted to hang around. I had a quick sandwich and moved on.
The descent off the top isn't easy to follow and in poor visibilty, without GPS it'd be easy to become disorientated. Fortunately, though I was wearing all my rain clothes by now, the rain held off and the visibility was improving.
Greg's hut is the highest bothy in England at 2400 feet.
It was originally a blacksmith's hut for the lead mines that are dotted around the moor. I doubt it was a daily commute!! and it made me think about what hardships those poor guys had to put up with.
As I went in, I met a woman and her dog and two guys Stuart and John who been behind me all morning. We enjoyed the short respite from the wind, signed the visitors book and continued down the hill.
It was a long walk down a stoney road but at long last the sun came out and there were great views back on to the moor.
Eventually the track got down to the normality of Garrigill (1100 feet) where unfortunately the pub was closed for rebuilding.
There was a nice Morris Minor though...
and another of those lovely tractors!
I was caught up again by Stuart and John and we walked together along a very pleasant route to Alston.
We met for supper and a few well deserved beers....and a few single malts!!
Stuart is originally from the UK but has been living in Sattle for the last 20 years. He retired a few years ago and enjoys a lot of walking in the States.
John is a retired engineer and lives with his family in Derbyshire. He and his family have been instrumental in setting up Macclesfield Ukrainian Aid which has already raised in excess of £350,000 in medical and food relief. He has already driven to Ukraine to deliver trucks of palletised aid and is walking the Pennine Way to raise further funds. His team is constantly fund raising and currently seeking specific medical materials to patch-up and treat those injured in the war.
You're a good man John!
Total distance walked so far = 806.7 miles
Total ascent so far = 98 152 feet
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If you'd like to contribute to any or all of the great charities I'm supporting, here are the relevant links.
- Just Wheels UK - this is a small charity set up to provide wheelchairs in a rural community in Tanzania. It does this through funding training, education and the local fabrication and servicing of bespoke wheelchairs. My nephew uses a wheelchair and as he grows I can see the life changing freedoms that proper wheelchairs can bring to both users and their families.-
- Parkinsons UK - My dad had Parkinsons in his latter years and the research work this charity funds and the support it provides to patients and their families is invaluable. - https://www.justgiving.com/
- RNLI - these are the brave guys who selflessly head out to sea to help others. I volunteer at Littlehampton RNLI shop and often meet families of those who’ve had first hand experience of their loved ones being saved from the sea. Having sailed for years I can say thankfully we’ve never had to call on the RNLI's services but it’s amazing what it does to know they are there
Well done amazing you! We are in the UK and caught Covid after just 1 week here! In the mend now. Keep going. Enjoying your blog very much. Kakai
ReplyDeleteHi Kakai. I'm very sorry to hear about your Covid. The UK is obviously a very dangerous place!! I hope you'll be back to 'showroom condition' by now. Knowing how you like a challenge, you'd love the Pennine Way. How long are you over? Let me know if you're passing through Sussex during your trip.
DeleteOn the mend*
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