Day
5 - Saturday 17th July
Haweswater to Kirkby Stephen
28 miles: 16h 30mins
Indeed, 'who knows'. I wake at about 3am and hear rain pattering
down on the tent. Slept again until 5:15am. Still raining. Decided to get
up and move on. Had breakfast - porridge and rolls with cheese and
pack up. It's still pouring with rain. Every time I shake the rain from the
tent it is awash with water again before I can roll it up. In the end I just
roll it up and squeeze it out. Trudge along the rest of the reservoir and
on towards Shap. My legs are fine on the flat but any slight incline slows
me since they seem to have lost all their energy to push me upwards. At one
point I had to sit on a rock for a full 5 minutes to regain my breath. I
was coughing as if I had bronchitis. In retrospect I wonder if this was
due to inhalation of water through drinking as I walked? At Burn Banks all
the cottages were being demolished. It was like a scrap yard. By now I am
saturated with sweat and can feel it running down my legs inside my waterproofs.
The rain eased and I saw the ruined barn mentioned by Wainwright. I find
shelter inside it and strip off my rain clothes. I stand steaming. I decide
to see if I can ring Gemma. I can and have a long conversation. I dry the
inside of my rain clothes by flapping them back and forth. After about an
hour, during which the rain had become heavier and then eased again, I move
on. As I enter Shap it is almost 11am and I head for the Co-op shop, buy
some provisions and drink 1/2 litre of milk. It was now midday and hardly
raining so I decided to continue.
Just after crossing the M6 I finally remove my rain clothes. I walked up
over the hill to view Wainwright's 'ugly' quarry. It was impressive to see
the massive trucks crawling up and down the road made for them. I saw a
flight of three plovers flying into the quarry but no curlews. I descended
the wooden steps to the 'road' below which was a mush of white, wet lime.
It was clear that most Coast to Coasters go west to east by the cleanliness
on the steps down compared to the deposits of lime on the steps up on the
other side.
On crossing Crosby Ravensworth Fell I suddenly came across a group of spherical
toadstools. Not puff balls since they didn't explode. It was dry. The sun
was shining and I was enjoying the walking. I paid my respects to Robin
Hood at his grave (one of them!). On reaching Dina Gill I almost went astray
as the path up the valley was indistinct. It eventually met the road about
½ mile from the junction described by Wainwright, so I trudged
on up hill beside the road. Passed through Scar Side and Scarside!! Just
before Friar Biggin two kestrels flew in circles above me squawking. I thought
they were trying to attack the swallows but they must have young nearby and
reality was it was me they were 'attacking' since they stopped when I moved
on. At Scarside I was temporarily delayed by a herd of cows being taken
in for milking. I commented to the farmer about how many there were and
he replied that: 'by today's standards this was a small herd of about 70.
Other herds in the area are about 600 to 700'! By now it was 5:00pm and my
feet were becoming sore. I stopped by a wall when I reached Knotts Lane.
I brewed tea and took off my boots. My feet looked as though I had been in
a bath for a week. Hung my socks on the wall in the sun to try and dry them,
After ½ hour I moved on feeling refreshed and feet, now dry, a lot
less sore. Sungbiggin Tarn was uninspiring. Hardly any birds and the mile
trudge up the road and then down another one in almost the opposite direction
was endless and tiring. It seemed an eternity before I reached the cattle
grid and could turn off left towards Bents Hill. Up until now the weather
had been good but large black clouds were looming in the west and I felt
rain was inevitable and the day would end as it began - wet through. Approaching
Bents Farm I'm sure I felt ONE spot but luck was on my side as that was all.
Was tempted to stop at Bents Farm as there is a campsite and camping barn
but the lure of a washer and dryer at Kirkby Stephen was too great and I
continued. Just after Bents Farm there was a small group of mushrooms. One
was still in perfect condition and I was tempted to pick it for my tea.
The effort of removing my rucksack yet again was too much for me and I left
it where it stood! I was now at 1100ft and to my horror realised I was about
to drop down 400 of these only to have to regain them on the other side of
the valley. My dreams of reaching Kirkby by 9:00pm were shattered. As I crossed
Smardale Fell the sun was setting in the west. An enormous deep red ball.
Soon I saw the tunnel under the Settle - Carlisle railway and I felt Kirkby
was in sight - it wasn't as the first you see of it is when you reach it!!
I had hoped to take a short cut to the campsite along a disused railway
shown on the map but a boy, sitting on a seat at the road side with his
bike and mobile phone told me it was all overgrown. My feet were extremely
sore and the next two miles were the longest I have ever walked. A sign
at Green Riggs Farm, where Dad had camped, gives directions to the campsite
and misleadingly implies it is only another 100yds to where you cut through
from the lane to the main road. It isn't! The start of the lane is 100yds
- the right turn is several hundred yards more! I had set off at 7am this
morning and when I finally reached the campsite it was 10pm. The weather
had changed for the better but my feet were very sore. I pulled off my boots
and the cold wet dew on the grass felt like heaven! I erected my tent, ate
my meal - soup, sausages, beans, mash and fruit - and shortly before midnight
I was in my sleeping bag. I had to take two ibuprofen since my feet hurt
more than they had all day as the endorphins wore off. I had travelled over
27miles and Haweswater seemed a long, long way away. I slept. I had not seen
a Coast to Coaster all day and indeed not a single walker. It was as if I
was the only person in the world out walking this Saturday in July!
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