CompanyIt’s been a great day today, varied, challenging and satisfying. But the biggest difference is that I’ve had people with me for the whole time. The forecast was not great for what is known to be a demanding walk, and the excellent host at the Old Croft House, an experienced walker, strongly suggested that I should miss out Nine Standards Rigg if the mist was down. Although this point is not the highest of the path, it’s still high, and is in a very remote area that can be hazardous. I was keen to get there, but also reluctant to do anything risky. So I was ready to follow his advice and take the lower Green route instead. Kirkby Stephen has many little alleyways and ginnels, created to herd cattle into the market place to save them from bandits. It was down one of those that the walk started today. As I left the outskirts of the town, I saw Wendy and Liz, my dog walking friends from the last two days. We fell into a rhythm of walking either a little ahead or behind each other, depending on who needed to stop for breath as the path rose steeply. But gradually we walked more in synch, chatting easily about the route and what we thought the weather was going to do. So far it was considerably better than forecast, and it seemed more of a possibility that I might get to Nine Standards Rigg. At the junction of the lower and higher routes we looked at the sky and thought it was high enough to go for it, they kindly asked if I’d like to be part of their group for the journey. With some excitement we started to climb past cairns, some conveniently converted into chairs,that are described as the ‘false’ standards - to confuse the unwary walker. But then we could see the silhouette of the 9 true cairns at the summit. Our guidebooks disagreed about the history of the piles of stones. Mine suggested that the English army built them to confuse the Scots into thinking there were more soldiers on their side. This seems deeply unlikely, but at least it’s a story. Liz’s guidebook could offer no insight at all. Whatever the reason for them, they are both a welcome sight as signifying the top, but also deeply evocative in the mist that swirled around them. As the photos attest, (!) it was very blowy and cold. We were delighted to have made it, but knew that the next section of the walk was the more hazardous in the mist. It is unstable peat bog that has been eroded by generations of walkers. The park authorities protect it by providing alternative routes for different periods of the year, and also have laid flags to set on top of the peat. Because of the extended dry spell, generally the going was ok, with just some areas where we had to negotiate unstable ground. We were conscious how lucky we were, it is not unheard of to go up to your knees in the bog, and walkers have to be rescued who have got completely stuck in it. And in setting off from the summit, we crossed into Yorkshire, marked by a suitably lugubrious and understated stone. The Cumbrian leg of the walk has been breathtaking, it’s exciting to know what Yorkshire is going to bring. The drama of these moors when the sun disappears and the mist descends is unforgettable. I was glad we were heading downhill. One of the things I was looking forward to today was to visit Ravenseat Farm. My book group read Amanda Owen’s book, ‘The Yorkshire Shepherdess’ along with a similar one by James Rebanks. We got very good at knowing about tups and hefting that month. A TV series was made about the Owen family, with their 9 children, which is a very engaging account of life on this extremely remote farm. The farm is directly on the C2C walk, and they periodically offer refreshments to travellers. I was delighted to see that they were doing so as we approached the farm. However, it is now not just walkers that stop for their cream teas. Clearly the fame of them being on TV has attracted people who drive up specially to see the family, even taking photographs of the children. It was great to see the farm that I knew so much about, but I felt sorry for them being in a goldfish bowl. We made our gradual descent from Ravenseat towards Keld, chatting easily on the way. We passed men laying new flags on boggy sections, which although obtrusive now will blend into the earth. Talking to Wendy, I discovered that she too is a music teacher. That makes 4 so far. We wondered what it is about a music teacher’s qualities that draws us to this sort of challenge. As we moved towards Keld, and started to follow the Swale down past Wain Wrath falls, it looked like Yorkshire was shaping up pretty well. Having seen so many sheep since setting off, it was a privilege to watch a skilled shepherd and his scruffy collie negotiating a flock down a hill and into a new field. With almost no instruction the dog keenly checked that the flock was together, and once the shepherd had shut the animals in she jumped up on to the quad bike and stood, ears blowing, as they roared off up the hill again. At the end of our journey we walked down into Keld, a tiny hamlet in the Swaledale valley. Liz, Wendy and their dogs are stopping here, as they are completing the walk in sections every month. So I won’t walk with them again. I am so grateful that they were there today to give me the confidence to get up onto Nine Standards. It’s been an unforgettable experience, and the camaraderie of the journey is something I was really hoping I would get from walking the Coast to Coast. Keld Lodge is the perfect place to stay in this environment. A converted youth hostel, it offered a convivial welcome to the many walkers that stayed today. This is much more the experience I was expecting, compared to the quietness of the beginning. It is great to compare stories with others, and discuss routes and plans for the upcoming days. The food was excellent, and to the great benefit of anyone who might meet me tomorrow, there was a brilliant drying room, so I could do some washing! But the other notable thing about Keld, and this stay, is that it marks the half way point. Stats
Distance: 13 miles Ascent: 1673 feet Calories burned: 2000 Annoying ear worm: Proclaimers 500 miles (at least that makes more sense!) Number of cows encountered: 0, thankfully Number of people that I spoke enthusiastically to about the joys of solo walking and who encouraged me to continue with the Big Walk next year: 4/4 Hearty post meal walk and local tipple: Black pudding and Stilton salad (yes!! Who knew?) Chicken with mushroom and cream sauce with new potatoes. Half of Black Sheep ale Video of the day: https://www.relive.cc/view/vevYxVjZQyq
3 Comments
Mel H
29/7/2021 19:04:27
I instinctively and completely believe your guidebook re the Cairns. The photo convinces. How thrilling!
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Carly
2/8/2021 18:33:21
Dramatic scenery and skies!!
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Jane
2/8/2021 21:49:55
It’ll be on the menu next time you’re round ours….
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