LAST DAY OF THE SHEPHERD'S ROUND

Wednesday 20/01/2010. I was a bit reluctant to exit my sleeping bag this morning as outside my Terra Nova Laser tent it was snowing and the prospect of packing up in the wet is never attractive - but it must be done and so it was. Eight thirty am seems to be my natural starting time on this walk and today kept that routine, the snow and sleet continued for an hour or so but after twenty minutes of walking with some uphill I was nicely warmed up but once more in hard going, the constant crashing through the snow crust up to my knees is decidedly wearing on the descent to Honey Hill. From here I managed to create my only confusion of the walk regarding route finding and although I didn't go far off route I managed to waste half-an-hour or so before I got it sorted, this is annoying as I want to get back to Osmotherley in time to catch a bus to Stokesley and so get home tonight, at this rate though I'll be spending anohter night wild-camping in the Osmotherley area. Fortunately the route south-west down to Moor Gate about a mile from the village of Hawnby made for faster progress. There is an option to reach Hawnby by negotiating the west side of Hawnby hill but I chose the faster road option and romped a quick mile (making up some lost time) into Hawnby where I stopped at the pub for a pot of tea and rang Joy to warn I might be out for another night. However, it's a low level road walk to Arden House where the old quarry track is climbed up onto Kepwick Bank Top. From here and along the old drove road on Black Hambleton the snow was deep, the going tough, it was wild and cold and winter-lovely (see my picture) and I made it in time to get home by seven pm. My walking time over three days with two nights wild camping was eighteen hours and fifteen minutes. Not too bad for an old man.