Pennine Way Virtual Day 1 of 1... with a photobomber!

[WhitstableDave]

Having recently walked a fair few miles of the North Downs Way on my Street View equipped treadmill, I thought I'd follow up by walking the whole of the Pennine Way in the stages described on the National Trails website.

Day One: Edale to Crowden.

The website says this stage is 16 miles. I plotted the route on the Google map and it turned out to be 16.99 miles, which is exactly what the treadmill recorded.

The walk started well. My wife and I had a week's walking holiday in the Peak District last summer and we did a Kinder Scout walk so I remembered the trig point, Kinder Downfall, the reservoir and even some of the rocks!

Soon after setting off, a man overtook us ('us' is the Google cameraperson and me!) but stayed just a short distance ahead. Then, for the next two-and-a-half hours, he was always there. If he got too far ahead he would wait for us to catch up then set off again. On steep sections he often dropped back (a lack of fitness perhaps?) but would get in front again on the next downhill bit.



An iconic spot approaching Jacob's Ladder:



The trig point:



As I said, the photobomber was with us for about two-and-a-half hours and I'm sure he would have been with us the entire way - except that something unexpected happened at around the 10 mile mark. Google Street View stopped and went no further. 

I should have noticed when I plotted the route that Street View had stopped; instead, I just carried on clicking along the route of the Pennine Way. The result was that for the last two hours I had no images to watch, just maps and charts. It really wasn't the same as having views (even of the back of an irritating person). When I'd finished the walk, I checked other sections of the Pennine Way to see if Street View was available, but it doesn't often appear to be. Oh well, at least I've done Edale to Crowden - even if nearly half of the walk was in virtual zero visibility!

However, in all other respects the walk was a big success. 16.99 miles is the furthest I've walked on the treadmill without stopping. It took me 4 hours and 15 mins, giving an average speed of 4.0mph. A lot of the 1,976ft ascent was near the start and I didn't push myself too hard, while the second half of the walk was generally downhill (that's level on the treadmill) so I was able to go very briskly to make up time.

I'm determined to do daily sections of a national trail, but Street View will have to be available for at least most of the way. I'll investigate later... 

[April]

I think the Hadrians Wall Path is available in street view.

I may investigate getting a treadmill myself.

[WhitstableDave]

I think the Hadrians Wall Path is available in street view.

I may investigate getting a treadmill myself.

Many thanks  - I did wonder about Hadrian's Wall. I'll certainly look into it. I've started planning for the Pembrokeshire Coast Path though, which I've read is fully 'Street Viewed', so I'll try that first.

I can highly recommend getting a treadmill; it's a fantastic thing to have at the moment. I'm not even missing going out!

[April]

I can highly recommend getting a treadmill; it's a fantastic thing to have at the moment. I'm not even missing going out!

  I know you do a lot of mileage, these restrictions must be especially difficult for you, a treadmill is a great idea.

[gunwharfman]

Caution before spending. We have a treadmill and they are very good (I'm running on ours every day at the moment) but they can get very boring as well. We had ours for a few years now, my wife bought it to help her with her knees, but she soon bored of it and it for more than two years it was used as a flat platform to stack things on. Very useful at the moment but as soon as restrictions are lifted it will be a storage place again.

[April]

Caution before spending......Very useful at the moment but as soon as restrictions are lifted it will be a storage place again.

I've just looked at how much they cost and weighing up how much I will use it once we can do normal things again. I don't have that much space for storing things in my house so I may regret buying one. I will think about it a bit more before I do spend any money. Having one is very tempting though.

[WhitstableDave]

Caution before spending. We have a treadmill and they are very good (I'm running on ours every day at the moment) but they can get very boring as well. We had ours for a few years now, my wife bought it to help her with her knees, but she soon bored of it and it for more than two years it was used as a flat platform to stack things on. Very useful at the moment but as soon as restrictions are lifted it will be a storage place again.

I suppose that whether or not someone finds that something can get very boring depends on the someone and the something. Of course, it might be that we're actually talking about different things...

We've had ours for 10 days now and I've spent nearly 27 hours on it. This morning I started walking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path (excellent so far) and I'll do some more of it after lunch. Then later, I'll probably do another walk on Hawaii. Yesterday, following my Pennine Way walk, I strolled along the Steall Gorge in the Highlands with Graham McTavish to see a spectacular waterfall.

I think that a treadmill on its own could well be boring - and it really does need the amazing iFit system to bring it to life. 

[gunwharfman]

I personally am not against the idea of buying one, in hindsight perhaps buying one like yours might have been a better answer for us but we bought what we bought. But boredom with something, when I purchase anyway is a consideration that I tend to think about. I now use my Ipad to show me virtual runs, I tried to fit a 32" TV above it but in the end, I couldn't be bothered to make the effort, drilling holes, etc, just not my skill. I've had my Ipad for nearly three years and never got on with it so I just put it down on a shelf one day and its been there ever since, back in use now though. Back on the shelf when this virus is behind us?

[Percy]

I think that a treadmill on its own could well be boring - and it really does need the amazing iFit system to bring it to life. 

Are we talking north of £1000 for a treadmill with this feature?

[WhitstableDave]

Are we talking north of £1000 for a treadmill with this feature?

NordicTrack has three models in this range (T-series) and they cost between £1299 and £1699 depending on screen size. We paid £1499 for the middle one that has a 10" screen. A year's subscription to iFit is included in the price and this would normally cost £349.

[Ridge]

Wow, that feels like a big investment, though clearly you are enjoying it which is what matters.

[WhitstableDave]

Wow, that feels like a big investment, though clearly you are enjoying it which is what matters.

It was, but here's how we see it...

We've put off two booked holidays until next year. We should be doing a walking week in Devon right now, and we'd booked a week in the Peak District for early summer when the kids and grand-kids were to join us (although walking wasn't compulsory for them!).

Not paying the balances this year has saved us more than the cost of the treadmill, so we've actually saved money. 

[fernman]

While I was gasping at the price of the equipmemt and the cost of the subscription, my wife, who I might add is not one for too much exercise, pulled a face and said, "Think I'd prefer a holiday." 

[Percy]

It was, but here's how we see it...

We've put off two booked holidays until next year. We should be doing a walking week in Devon right now, and we'd booked a week in the Peak District for early summer when the kids and grand-kids were to join us (although walking wasn't compulsory for them!).

Not paying the balances this year has saved us more than the cost of the treadmill, so we've actually saved money. 

I'm seriously considering one of these. I too have already saved a good chunk of it with cancelled travel - 4 days in the Lakes that was supposed to happen last week and 5 days in the Sierra Nevada that were booked for May. I have also made a few quid from not going to the pub. The iFit aspect is the most attractive bit for me so it's not going to come cheaply unfortunately.

[Mel]

Haha, at least you had some company on this walk WD 


Have you thought about doing the virtual Cleveland Way?  The full trail is available on google street view and, if my memory serves me correctly, you'll even meet up with a forum member on the way.


Linkyrinkydinky here: https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/cleveland-way/see-the-trail/