Hiking the Pennine Way
This hike across part of the Pennine Way was the most challenging four days of my life, both physically and psychologically. We had ambitiously decided to tackle one of the toughest sections of the trail. And, after 18 months of lockdown, I had taken my fitness for granted, while underestimating how demanding the four days of hiking would be on my body.
The positives, though, were that the views were extremely rewarding. The terrain varied throughout the four days, from the moors north of Hawes, the marshy bogs around Tan Hill, and following the river in a gentle, green valley between Middleton-in-Teesdale and Dufton. The pinnacle for me was towards the end of the third day, at High Cup Nick, which had drawn me to the Pennines originally. The final day, on route to Alston from Dufton, was another highlight. We climbed the highest peaks in England outside of the Lake District, in an area that has recorded the coldest temperatures anywhere in England. There was snow on the ground in mid-October.
We hiked a total of 77 miles (124 km) over the four days, averaging just under 20 miles (32km) a day. The mixed terrain meant the hiking was tough. And the accumulation of each day’s mileage took its toll. So, each night I felt a huge relief to have finished walking, albeit it temporarily. Some days I doubted whether I would be able to carry on. But that only added to the sense of achievement when I managed to finish the route we set out to do – and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of my travel companions – Alex, Jon, and Mark.
Each night, we stopped at small villages, all of which provided decent options for sleeping and eating. And it was only a short walk to return to the trail, into the wilderness. It was great to be exploring my own country, on a difficult challenge, and realising there are still ways to escape the densely populated towns and cities. Particularly after having spent much of the recent lockdowns in London.
The Pennine Way is a demonstration that England can offer world class hiking trails. I was pleasantly surprised to find much of the trail was rugged, untouched, and devoid of other walkers, and delved through a diversity of amazing scenery.
We started our adventure in Hawes, where we joined the Pennine Way. And ended the day in Tan Hill – at an Inn that claims to be the highest in England. We travelled just over 18 miles, over a mixture of fields, moorland, with plenty of incline – and some great views to get us on our way.
I was struggling after picking up an injury on the first day. But with help from my companions, I continued on. On the second day we hiked just over 16 miles, in largely flat terrain. The weather was mixed, to say the least. We started with drizzle, but the sun came out. The rainbow that appeared was to be a unfortunate sign, as we ended the day trudging through heavy rainfall until we reached Middle-in-Teesdale.
This was the longest day of the four, covering just over 21 miles to Dufton. The weather was largely calm, and we hiked past two impressive waterfalls – one of which we had to clamber under – through a rugged but tranquil valley, and ended the day above of one England’s great vantage points – High Cup Nick.
The final and the most difficult day. We hiked up England’s coldest mountains, over snow, and against a chilly, blustery wind. And it was a total of 20 hard miles to Alston, which I barely made in one piece. The feeling on completion made it all worth it, though.