Wednesday 12/05/2010. PHOTO: Stoodley Pike.After Tuesday night camped by the busy M62 where, I'm pleased to say, neither frost nor traffic noise could penetrate my sleep! I got off bright and early this morning being keen to walk into new territory, the Derbyshire end of the Pennine Way being quite well known to me from the years I lived in the county from 1979-2000. Fairly soon I'm crossing Blackstone Edge with it's trig point atop an impressive rocky mound at 1549' above sea level. Then a rather windswept drop off the high moor to reach an old paved road by the ancient waymarker the Aiggin Stone.
The Way now enters proper reservior country, after crossing the busy A58 close to the White Horse pub, (closed of course) there are several easy miles by the side of Blackstone Edge, then Light Hazzles and finally Warland reservoirs. Lots of nesting Mallards, a few Sandpipers and the odd Wheatear enlivening the scene with the ususal crop of Swallows working the water. Stoodley Pike comes into view and is followed by a steep descent into Calderdale and Hebden Bridge - another water detour, the weather is warm and my high mileage makes constant rehydration essential. My guide now gives a distance of 18 miles to reach Lothersdale which will keep me busy for a bit! And it starts with a steep climb back up to the moorland plateau, I did another minor detour to grab a cup of coffee and a bun or two at Highgate Farm (Alladin's Cave), well worth the effort. More but gentler climbing leads up to famous Top Withans and it's tenuous connection with Wuthering Heights, for a while the Way follows the path of The Bronte Way and after a descent to Pondon Reservior climbs over the summit of Wolf Stones and on to Ickornshaw Moor. After passing the village the Way continues north and I'm on the look out for a camping spot, this is actively farmed countryside but I soon find a nice out of sight hollow, pitch, brew, eat and sleep. Some 60 miles completed now.
Thursday 13/05/2010. ICKORNSHAW TO PEN-Y-GHENT. (Due to an editorial error (hmmm) today 's report will be included in this post with Wednesdays!
After an early and frosty start to my day I set off in the now customary bright sunlight and
the first place of interest reached was the pretty village of Lothersdale and from there it is a fifteen mile stretch to Malham and the limestone country of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, a good target. All good easy walking with a brief spell along the Leeds and Liverpool canal taking in the interesting double stacked bridge near East Marton. Then on to pretty Gargrave where the Co-op supplied food and drink and an meat pie emporium opposite sourced my water needs as well as an excellent jellied pie (should have bought two). Had a bit of bother getting off-route on the last mile to Gargrave which caused me to head too far east, don't think it added much in the way of distance but had me road-walking for a bit longer than necessary. After Gargrave it was on to Malham in beautiful sunshine, I really have got it good with the weather and in Malham I stop for a drink of ornange and soda at the Buck Inn my preferred pub in the village. At the Cove I had a chat with a couple of RSPB lads who pointed out where a Peregrine was sitting on it's nest, unfortunately not showing in the little time I could spare for birdwatching - I got a good shot of an Oyster-catcher chick on the river Ayre on the approach to Malham though - then up the steep steps to the limestone pavement and away from the crowds and on to deserted Malham Tarn passing the field centre ( with it's literary associations with Charles Kingsley). I left Malham at 3.30pm and about four hours later had climbed and crossed Fountains Fell making a tiring ascent at the end of a long days walk, down the other side and down to the minor road above Stainforth just to the east of Pen-y-Ghent where I camped for the night midway between two farms close to the road but with the protection of a good wall. It has been a long days walking and I'm too tired at 8pm to tackke the ascent of Pen-y-Ghent and though this was a chancy sort of place for a wild camp in Yorkshire, I was up and away early in the morning with problems.
The Way now enters proper reservior country, after crossing the busy A58 close to the White Horse pub, (closed of course) there are several easy miles by the side of Blackstone Edge, then Light Hazzles and finally Warland reservoirs. Lots of nesting Mallards, a few Sandpipers and the odd Wheatear enlivening the scene with the ususal crop of Swallows working the water. Stoodley Pike comes into view and is followed by a steep descent into Calderdale and Hebden Bridge - another water detour, the weather is warm and my high mileage makes constant rehydration essential. My guide now gives a distance of 18 miles to reach Lothersdale which will keep me busy for a bit! And it starts with a steep climb back up to the moorland plateau, I did another minor detour to grab a cup of coffee and a bun or two at Highgate Farm (Alladin's Cave), well worth the effort. More but gentler climbing leads up to famous Top Withans and it's tenuous connection with Wuthering Heights, for a while the Way follows the path of The Bronte Way and after a descent to Pondon Reservior climbs over the summit of Wolf Stones and on to Ickornshaw Moor. After passing the village the Way continues north and I'm on the look out for a camping spot, this is actively farmed countryside but I soon find a nice out of sight hollow, pitch, brew, eat and sleep. Some 60 miles completed now.
Thursday 13/05/2010. ICKORNSHAW TO PEN-Y-GHENT. (Due to an editorial error (hmmm) today 's report will be included in this post with Wednesdays!
After an early and frosty start to my day I set off in the now customary bright sunlight and
the first place of interest reached was the pretty village of Lothersdale and from there it is a fifteen mile stretch to Malham and the limestone country of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, a good target. All good easy walking with a brief spell along the Leeds and Liverpool canal taking in the interesting double stacked bridge near East Marton. Then on to pretty Gargrave where the Co-op supplied food and drink and an meat pie emporium opposite sourced my water needs as well as an excellent jellied pie (should have bought two). Had a bit of bother getting off-route on the last mile to Gargrave which caused me to head too far east, don't think it added much in the way of distance but had me road-walking for a bit longer than necessary. After Gargrave it was on to Malham in beautiful sunshine, I really have got it good with the weather and in Malham I stop for a drink of ornange and soda at the Buck Inn my preferred pub in the village. At the Cove I had a chat with a couple of RSPB lads who pointed out where a Peregrine was sitting on it's nest, unfortunately not showing in the little time I could spare for birdwatching - I got a good shot of an Oyster-catcher chick on the river Ayre on the approach to Malham though - then up the steep steps to the limestone pavement and away from the crowds and on to deserted Malham Tarn passing the field centre ( with it's literary associations with Charles Kingsley). I left Malham at 3.30pm and about four hours later had climbed and crossed Fountains Fell making a tiring ascent at the end of a long days walk, down the other side and down to the minor road above Stainforth just to the east of Pen-y-Ghent where I camped for the night midway between two farms close to the road but with the protection of a good wall. It has been a long days walking and I'm too tired at 8pm to tackke the ascent of Pen-y-Ghent and though this was a chancy sort of place for a wild camp in Yorkshire, I was up and away early in the morning with problems.
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