DAY 10 – 1st September 2020
Middleton in Teesdale to Dufton
20.77 miles 33.42km
8.25am to 4.50pm
A long, lovely day in warm weather but with a cooling breeze.
Our landlady could not be at the B&B for breakfast so it was beautifully cooked and served by the lady who introduced her self to us, and will for ever be known as, Claire's Mum.
There had been, as I think I may have mentioned, a lot of rain. Now at least we were reaping the benefit as there was loads of water coming over the falls.
Low Force
High Force
A really nice day for walking
Clambering over all the rocks on our way towards Cow Green we met a slightly overweight cyclist coming the other way having to carry his bike. I can't now remember where he asked us if he was close to yet but he had much further to go than he estimated.
A little further someone greeted me with 'Hi, are you Ridge?' which for a moment completely threw me as no one actually calls me that in the real world. It was emdaw and Mr. emdaw who were walking Dufton to MinT and then back the next day in preparation for their own PW walk. They had been following our reports and it was lovely to meet them. I hope, when they get to do the PW next year, they enjoy it as much as we did.
Cauldron Snout was spectacular.
We then had the long track section, quite hard on the feet, to take us to the moors above High Cup Nick.
It was a beautiful day and there were quite a few people sat about at the top of High Cup Nick.
This is probably where my plan to walk the PW started to take root many, many years ago. I must have been quite young and we were on holiday as a family staying in Church Brough just north of Kirkby Stephen. We had walked up to High Cup Nick from Dufton and I remember seeing some bedraggled figures weighed down by enormous rucksacks coming out of the mist across the moor. My Dad explained that they were PW walkers and that it was the same PW which was not far from our home in Sheffield. I was just amazed that it was possible to walk all that way.
My memory is awful, the fact that I can recall this incident so clearly, it must have made a huge impression.
The intervening years had wiped from my mind the long track in to Dufton once you have dropped down. We stood aside to let a group of local residents go the other way.
At our B&B there was a note on the door telling us that they were out and how to get in. Very trusting of them, anyone else reading it would have had complete access to their home.
It had been a long day today and the 2 track sections had really taken their toll. It was tough walking down to the Stag Inn that evening but we struggled on bravely.