Alex and the length of a country.

Dear Alex:

It was such a pleasure to meet you and family and frineds last tuesday. The traveler's rest is a wonderful pub, adn having just the bar available did because that private party did not make any difference. I had a great time, and my first pub lock in!!

It was a plasure to speak with you about cricket, tennis and football, to sadly realize that probably Arsenal will not win any trophies this season.... hopefully, we are wrong.

I would like to thank you so much for giving your cricket ball to me. I dumped the fake one in my rucksack, and I carry yours in my pocket all the time. This ball will travel with me all the way through Scotland, and will finally see the North sea by John O'Groat's sometime in september. Thank you so much!!

Alex.

I slept quite well on that night, in the camping nearby Dalton, but not enough as I had once again, a nice headache, "thanks" to the lock in night. In the morning I discovered that part of my breakfast had dissapeared: the chorizo pack was empty, and the chesse, including the package was missing. I don't remember if I left the tent opened or not, but a have a suspect for the crime:

Suspect

Anyway, I left Dalton with the nice memory of the best night of the walk so far, and not only because of you Alex, but also due to nice company of your mother Anne, that was extremely nice and kind, and Keith, the local builder that looks at least ten years younger than he actually is, and John, an old 3.500 acres farmer, with whom I briefly spoke about interested farming issues... I learned a few things.

Camping in the farm near Dalton

The day, on wednesday, it was cloudy in the begining, but I got plenty of blue skies by the end of the day. The walk began on country lanes, then a short bit in a noisy double cariageway, and straight into a footpath by the river Tees, that I followed up to Barnard castle, where I stopped for a meal in a pub, and a bit of a rest ( I was feeling a bit rough still). Later on I walked, already in tha sun through a few fields, leaving the river behind, and entereing in a very dense forest where a nice stream was running. Fresh, light filtering through the branches of the trees and, and the souond of the water. Very pleasant.

You don't get many sunny days like this one, so farmers rashed to get this type of work done.

Once I left the forest, took a few more country lanes towars Middleton-in-Teesdale. I was quickly surrounded by the hills of the North Pennines, that I would walk the next day. The camping at Middleton had a bar, which was very convenience for dinner and drinks. By this time, my head was already recovered from the night at your place, Alex, but I was feeling quite tired, so I went quickly to the tent.

The plan for the next morning... well, to be honest with you Alex, I had no plan fo the next day. I had to walk through the Pennines, and that can be slower and more difficult than I might thought when I look at the map. So I took tha path, without knowing where I would finish on that day.

Thursday was one of those days when the rucksack seems to be much heavier that the day before, although it is actually the same weight!. So, for the whole day, I had a sore back, and it was hurting me on the hips too and i got a strange looking blisters there.

In the day I walked in a mixture of paths and lonely roads. Sometimes following the Pennine way. No far from Middleton I visited High Force, an impresive 21 metres high water fall. I have observed that since I entered the Pennines a few weeks ago, the streams are red coloured, containing some kind of reddish sediment. Up here though, the red colour is not so intense, and some of the streams I crossed were colourless.

Me at High Force

Facing the last bit of the Pennines

As the day passed by, I realized I was going to make it to Alston, which right at the North side of the Hills, the end of the Pennines for me. So I walked, always in slight pain in the hips and in the back, to a nice spot by the South Tyne where I had a deserved lunch, expecting to reach Alston by 8 pm more or less. The day had been cloudy at the top of the hills, but down in the valley it wqas nice and sunny, and once again, it smelled like summer, with a not too warm sunset sun from the west, and a continous refreshing breeze form the east.

Luch by the South Tyne

Just before reaching Alston, I met a belgium couple that were cycling to Scotland. I met them too later on in the hostel at Alston, we had dinner together and then went to the pub for a quick couple of pints. The midges were again being very anoying.

A house in the south hills of the North Pennines.

An another one in the north side

In the next moring breakfast, I got to know that the army uses a mosturising cream called "Skin so nice" that apparently keep the midges away. The day was absolutly beautiful, and strangely enough, the rucksack was feeling very light on friday morning. I walked following first a steam railway line and then a dismantled one. Easy walking, and not very long, just about five hours, to greenhead.

The camping at greenhead is just a field by an old lady house, toilets an showers, but, would you need anything else in a camping??? Not me. So perfect then!

After eating and doing the daily cleaning duties, I took a bus to Haltwhistle. I did some shopping and I tried to update this blog, to let you Alex know how I was doing.I coudn't as the computer system in the library did not like uploading blog sites. So, feelling myself lost, with no hope, and not knowing where to go, I headed to the pub. The Black Bull. I can recomend it, for when you are old enough to get in pubs, over the ones that are close to Haltwhistle station.... and they have London Pride!!!!

Haltwhistle crazy people!

I lost the 8 pm bus back to the station, and I did not fancy waiting up to ten for the next one. So I walked for 1 hour back to Greenhead, that as you must be thinking Alex, it was like a stroll in the park for me.

I had a quick dinner while I got my face and legs eaten by the bloody midges, and selpt well. On the next morning, tuesday, I got up early, and took the train to Newcastle. I needed to buy a new pair of boots ( I don't know if I mentioned to you in the Traveller's Rest, that the ones I had were almost "dead", and the pair that afew frineds brought to me the last weekend were losing their soles), updating the blog, buying maps, and maybe go to the cinema to see The Dark Night, and go for a swim, all of this bearing in mind that I would meet Phil around 3 pm at the station. The library was having works done, and there was a film session for batman at 10:45, so I saw the film. The gave 5 stars to the film in the Times. I don't think the film was that good, but Heath Ledger, was absolutely amazing as the joker. That is acting! He actually became the Joker, and a very scary one. Recommended.

Me in Newcastle.

After that I bought a new pair of boots, and "Skin so nice", the midges repellent.. we'll see.... I bought the maps, visited the river, and met Phil in the O'Neals by the station.

I really liked Newcastle. Have you been, Alex? Nice wide streets in the city centre, lively by the river, and the whole city looked like going to a party... I really liked it!!

Phil and I had lunch.... (dinner for Phil) at Pizzahut (nice meal by the way), and got the train back to Haltwhistle. Made some shopping, and got lost again, no bus, no hope, no nothing... the Black Bull and more London Pride; sad life this one....

English men (the one in yellow is Phil) discussing geographic issues, and scientific ones!

In the camping we were eaten by midges once again, and decided to get up very early in the morning the next day. it was 5:30, a record for me. Starting walking at 7:30, in the fog. We quickly joinned the Hadrian's wall looking for a roman road that went in the right direction for us. The map says, remains of Roman road. There was as much remaining of the road as the soldiers taking care of it 2000 years ago: notihng. So the walk, towards Bewcastle (remains of) was quite difficult: wet and unstable terrain, reminded me Dartmoor, but no so bad.

The black bull at Hatlwhistle

The fog dissapeared, and we a beautifull second half of the day. From Bewcastle we walked 90% on country lanes. The landscape really felt like a border place to me; difficult to define, no flat, no hilly, "owned by no one".... Big masses of connifers began to appear in the horizon, landscape that you would not find in the England that we were about to leave behind.

Walking in the fog and in connifer woods.

The boots, the new ones, were behaving well, and we went through a few fords, and proved to be really water-proof. However, they were feelin a bit heavy, and we were actually not needing them for walking on a road (a deserted one) so we put our sandals on. I showed to be a good idea, adn we waled quicker and better. Phil was getting some blisters:

Making some repairs...

Wrinckly feet...

Then, we got to a point where we actually saw the border coming closer and closer. We actually saw some Scottish hills beyond the next connifer wood. Went through the forest, winding road towards Liddel Water, and there it was: Scotland. And what it means, I have now walled the length of a country, this beautiful country of yours Alex: rights of way, fields, streams and woods, stiles and kissing gates, towns and villages, pubs, and lost of beer, and cider too. And the country of Cricket.... this though, my only dissapointing so far. I mean, I am leaving the England without having been able to see a cricket game.... well, I guess there will always be next summer...

Just on the bridge over the Scottish border on Liddel Water river

Let's walk another country then! And then realizing, how my life changed in the last few months; and how unexpected would be from before those months to see me doing what I am doing now. I guess everything is possible, in a very possitive way.

The plan was getting to Newcastleton, but we actually stayed in Sorbietrees. A B&B just outside the town. I should recommend the place if you ever come up here Alex, as it is in a beautiful location, the house itsefl is huge and carefully and finely decorated, they have animals, the breakfast was huge and very good, and Sandy was a never ending smile extremely kind and nice hostess. And the place is cheap for the quality. She treated us very well, and after our shower she gave us a lift to town for dinner, picked us back to the B&B later on.

We ate at the Grapes hotel. A obscene dinner.... It made me sweat, very good!!

Saying goodbye to Sandy

Now we are in town, Newcastleton, and Phil is being very patient waiting for me while I write this long letter to you Alex. So thanks to him! In themeantime he is making some repairs to his boots:

I am impressed!!

Today we just have a short walk to Langholm, in the next valley (4 hours I think), an on a road. So we should be there by 6 or 7.

And that was all for the moment. I hope you liked my letter, and follow my blog for my Scottish walk.

Dear Alex, truly yours.

Carlos.

Rest weekend and national security threats

Hi all

I am in Richmond, a lovely village in North Yorkshire.

Richmond main square

After leaving the library in Harrogate I went to a pub in the town centre for a few pints and planning the following days on the maps. Then I went to the Wetherspoon free house for a curry and the last pint of the night. The pub is a huge building with very high ceilings and very good atmosphere. After that I headed to the camp site and had a nice sleep.

In the morning, threatened rain, but it hold up so that I could pack tent and things in dry conditions. Later I had very light rain but I did not need to use my poncho. Before leaving harrogate I quickly went through the town centre to change a map that I actually did not need.

Before starting walking I phoned David, Liz's Dad, to let him know that I would get to Ripon just before the duck race (?????) at 6. Later on I realize that I would get to Ripon much earlier and we rearranged the meeting.

The walk run through easy walking paths and fields in a grey gloomy day.

Once in Ripon and after meeting David and Elaine (Liz's Mum) had a shower and we all went to the duck race. I eventually knew that the duck race was a fundraising event where 1000 yellow plastic ducks are released into the river in Ripon town center, and flow to a certain point. Each duck have a number attached and the first, second and third one have a prize. it was very curious seeing all those ducks coming in the river, and seeing the real ones just wondering what the hell is coming down the river!

The duck race in Ripon.

After the race, barbaque, and back "home" for doing some cooking. I cooked my world famous rice pudding (arroz con leche) whike having one or two lagers, and a few glasses of Shiraz, my arm twisted on my back, I swear.... ;) I should say that I was very happy with the outcome of my cooking, and this rice pudding was at least as good as the one I cooked 5 years ago in Javi and Zoraida place in London. Well done to me.

By the time Will, Liz, Paco, and Djeison arrived it was almost midnight, and I had just finished cooking, and was nicely pissed thanks to the tireless persinstence of David, and his hard work on filling up my glass, arm twisted once again...

We decided, that on the first day of my rest weekend in Ripon we (Paco, Will, Djeison and myself) would walk the three peaks of the Yorkshire dales. A 40 Km walk, with three summits to climb in the middle. Liz and Elaine had a nice shopping day at York, and David went umpiring a cricket game.

On saturday we woke up at 5 am, as a beginning for my rest day. At 8, we were in the car park, that was already full at such an early hour. The first peak was really close to us and we could see it behind a cloud on top of us. Once we got into the cloud, and reached the ridge that would take us to the top of the peak, horrible wind a rain started. As you know I have a poncho to keep myself dry, and it was like wearing a kite in the wind. I managed to not to start flying.

Top of the first peak. Awful wheather conditions.

The rest of the day we had a bit more rain, but generally it was ok. We even had very far nice views of the sea and the Morecambe Bay.

Amazing views from the ridge of the second peak, with the third one in the distance.

Down to the car park, the walk was not very long, but fel like it were: we were really tired, and really looking forward to get "home" and eat.

Nackered after finishing the walk

Paco cooked lentils, and I made a tortilla, both succesful. For sunday we had a climbing day planned.

The weather was good this time. Brendham Rocks (not sure about the spelling) is an area used in Orienteering too, and has many curious rock formations. Everybody tried the climbing excepting Elaine and myself. I really wanted to try, but I also needed to have a real rest day.

Liz: still long way to go to the top

David, the master, showing us how to do it.

Will, finding his way up the hill.

Paco showing off his skills

And Djeison; probably the less experienced climber, but was a pleasure seeing him fighting to reach the top of each cliff. Unstoppable!!

Once back at home we had a very nice meal and Liz, Paco, Will and Djeison left.

I made some repairs on the banner and rucksack, and we Elaine David and myself went out for a drink before seeing the Ripon Hornblower: a guy that everyday, through the years, blow his horn at 9 pm to confirm that everything is ok in town, and look after the wellbeing of Ripon citizens overnight.

Ripon Hornblower

I would like to thank Elaine and David for giving us such a wonderful weekend. The best one of my walk.

Elaine and David

Yesterday monday, I had possibly the best day of summer in terms of weather; sunny and quite warm. I walked through well signed paths and hills and fields. I really pleasant day. I got lost a couple of times, but I found my way easily.

Very close to the camp site I was aiming for, and walking by a leisure reservoir, I saw the usual rabbits running away as i would approach them. There was a big bush near by where they could hide; three of the rabbits stayed by the edge of the bush, so try to get closer to them. I moved very slowly, and eventually I got very very close to them. I think I got 4 or 5 metres away from them, and I managed to shoot a few nice pictures.

When I was so close so that I was almost shooting from above i went down on my knees, and then they got scared and run away. This was a very strange happening; rabbits normally run away and hide when you are much more far away than 4 or 5 metres. Nice picture anyway.

The camping was a nice place, with a very recommendable pub, with nice expensive food, (not that I tried it but it looked like it). They had Black Sheep, nice ale!!

Today I started walking before 10. Overcast in the beginning, but now the sun is shining. Walked mainly in country lanes to reach Caterrick Garrison, a military village where there are military schools and do training as well. I had my long lens on, so I started tooking pictures, mainly of the barb wire fences, trying to get a nice pattern somehow.

There are four characters involve in the next story: "General" (G), "Sergeant" (S), Militar police (MP) and me. First of all, I would like to make very clear, that they were all very polite and nice, and not rude at all in any moment.

So, after taking a few of my pictures, I continued to walk, when a military security vehicle parked in front of me on the pavement. I made evasive manouvres, round the back of the car, but S cut my way, being quickly surounded by anemy forces when G joined him at my back. "so, you come for me" I said. "Yes"

I was being a security threat by taking pictures. "hey look, they are just barb wire fences, the picture could have been taken any where..." I said. G: "barb wire fences (suspicioues tone)?, why?" "well...". I sugested that they took the camera and delete the security breach pics, juts those ones, but G insisted in deleting all of them as he would do the curring head off gesture with his finger. "Wow!, you are walking Britain" S said, looking at my banner.

Pics gone, continued to walk. 10 minutes later, they were back, this time with a military police member in the car. She was extremely nice and polite to me, and asked me for my details. I was and am pretty sure that they are not going to do anything dodgy with them, but I "resisted" a bit, asking "what if i do not give them to you?". It was clear that I would not get anywhere so I gave them my name, adress and number. MP had a phone called and she answered: "no prob down here, national security threat under control".

Before they left I asked general, to be in a photo with me. He did not want to, I think he was shy. By MP, did not have much of a problem, and general showed to be as good photagrapher as a soldier...... and a security threat too!!! I laughed my way to Richmond.

National threat!

Time is running out in the library. Time to leave a find my today camping. I hope to see dan Edwards tomorrow.

Thanks for reading me.

Carlos

Nice Glen and sister donated £1 for EACH

Between Pennines and Yorkshire Dales

Hi al

I am in Harrogate.

After leaving the library in Holmfirth I just walked an extra 30 min. to the camping. The field, although nosy had very nice views of just trees around it. Shower, washing up, and usual pub and pints for diary updating.

Met the locals, and really had problems to understand the guy talking to me; really dificult accent up here!

More feet pictures: this is what happend if you walk in the Pennine moors with "waterproof" shoes.

It would take me two days to reach Harrogate on wednesday. On the first day on tuesday I would go to Pudsey. The walk run first on country lanes and then through the suburbs of Leeds and Hurddesfield. The area is quite nice with beautiful hills and contours, but very populated and heavily industrialised.

The banner, as said before, does not stop giving me happy moments. This time a guy driving a boilers and heating repairs van stopped. As he did not have any money, he gave an a box with no one, no two, no three, but four double chocolate muffins. I loved the guy! Which takes me to comment my addiction problem with chocolate since I began the walk. There is no day without chocolate.. lots of it! The is no chocolate bar that survives the day, and chocolate biscuits packets (the whole of it) are like light snacks.... before a proper lunch or dinner...

And maybe this is why my mum says she does not see me losing any weight, but the other way round...

When I got to Pudsey, I decided to continue to walk to a camping near Leeds Int. airport. By this time the sun was shining, and as the feet were ok, I made to the camping by nine. Just before arriving I walked by a cricket game going on. Shame that I did not have time to stop. I hope to be able to see one, one of these days.

Although my feet have improved significantly (my new "1000 miles" double layer socks have a lot to do with it), I have a sore back now, and a small part of it at the top near the neck is a bit numb, so I guess there must be a pinched nerve somewhere in spine. I will worry when I can't feel my arse...

Thanks to the long walk on tuesday, I only had to walk for 4 hours yesterday, wednesday. The walk this time run mainly in pleasent footpaths. The day was quite gloomy in the morning but by the time I arrived to Harrogate it was nice and sunny, but a bit windy.

The caravan park where I am staying has the worst shower so far, but the place is not far from the town centre. Harrogate is full of expensive design shops, and people carrying bags from them. Something that called my attention was that I found difficult to find a pub in the town centre... I was about to ask. "excuse me, U know where can I find a pub???" ... in England...

A touch of yesterday in today's country lanes.

After the daily cleaning duties I had a huge lunch by the Harrogate war memorial (tripple choc muffin included, and chocolate biscuits packet), and updated my diary. Then last night, I had the best sleep in the tent so far.

A railway bridge near Harrogate

This morning had my breakfast in the tent, it was raining, and went for a swim. My back does not ache any more, but it is still numb.

After leaving the library I'll go for tea at Betty's (I'll give tea one more try; the last and first one was in Oxford, almost 6 years ago...), and then read the newspaper in a pub, if I find one...

Tonight, early to "bed". Tomorrow walk to Ripon, where at last I will meet Will, Paco, Djeison and Liz's family. Looking forward to the weekend

That is all for now.

I hope you are all well

Carlos

The Pennine Way

Hi all

I am in Holmfirth, a small pleasent village south of Hurddesfiled.

Hey Julien, you were right, the cows love me!!! ;)

After leaving the library in Buxton I found a B&B in the town centre. The owner, Sandra, invited me for a nice meal. Lamb... MMMmmmm!!! After the shower went shopping and looked for a pub to have the usual pints, and update my diary. It was saturday, so the atmosphere would not suit a guy wearing sandals and a dirty trekking trouser. Found a quite pub and went to bed early.

On the saturday I had planned a short walk, it took 4 hours evntually, to the youth hostel in Edale. In the begining on the day it kept on raining, and it was quite windy too. Before leaving Buxton, posted some maps "home" (thank you Elena and Julien) and bought some more. I met a guy that not only knew Asturias but also knew that it never was conquered by the moros. Remarkable!!

Me, near Edale, with the Mam Tor at the back.

The walk began in the main road leaving Buston. The rain stopped soon and by the time I took the secondary road through a valley parallel to the Edale one, I could see some blue patches in the sky. The hills in this area are mainly big fields with sheeps.


Edale valley from the top of the Mam Tor

I left the road to climb the Mam Tor on an easy path, and had to remove the banner from my rucksack as it was very very windy. The Edale valley looked like a beautiful place from the top of the Tor, and from there I could see the hostel and a few camppings; I descended in no more than and hour and reached the hostel at 4 pm. The place is very beautiful, and there is a lot to do, including rock cllimbing and other adventure activities.

The view from my room in the Edale hostel.

I had a huge lunch, cleaned the camera and lenses and, obviously, headed to the pub in Edale village. Nice path 30 minutes walk, in sandals. The pub is the Nag's Head, that is the official start for the Pennine Way. Awsome, lovely place; huge too. The atmosphere on that saturday night was amazing. People singing, and local juices flowing.... I went for the Nag ale, of course. I met a few people. Ernei, from York, we are supossed to meet again in Harrogate, for tea a cakes, in Betty's. As I said the night was great and I had a "few" of Nag. I walked back to the hostel with Ernei, a former military, that had no problem with orientation in pitch black night. So, he found the way to the hostel, but had a few problems with my sandals, and the path condition. See the picture below...

The stuff in the left foot is mud. What I have in the right one I was pretty sure it was sheep shit...

The night was fun, the next morning wasn't... tipically. Headache, I wish I would not exist.... After the shower, and a proper breakfast I was ready to take on the Pennine way from the Nag's Head. At last, the sun was shining, and there were just a few clouds.

Edale village from the end of the footpath

Before continuing, I would like to tell you that the Edale valley has become my favourite place of the walk so far. The perfect walking holliday spot. Worth checking and coming.

The awsome Nag's Head

The plan for the day was reaching Holmfirth on sunday evening. I would follow the Pennine way mainly but I would also took a few shortcuts. The first one would be just climbing strainght the north hills of the valley, where I met some walkers and a couple of fell runners.

Hard work

After the climb I would follow the ridge until a stream that would take me North and northwest to reach finally the Pennine way in another ridge facing west. The plan did not quite worked as i got lost when I could not find the path by the stream. The place was a flat muddy and wet moor, but although quite wet, the mud in the place was strangly firm and compact, so it wasn't too bad. This Orienteering champion finally found his way and I began waking the P. way

Hey Jose, I spoke to you on the phone, just in this spot!!

I followed the way with the city of Manchester in the distance. The scenary was mainly moorland and I was impressed with some very long parts of the way that were paved with very big flat stones.

The pennine highway

The way finally reaches a stream that transformed into a huge gully that went down to a reservoir in Crowden where I stayed. I understimated distances and took me 8 and a half hours to reach Crowden. The camping was all right and had my first experince with midges, those tiny buggers form hell!. It was just 15 minutes while I was eating and almost got me mad. I am defenetly getting a repelant! I should also mentioned that on sunday had my first day of walking without any soreness due to blisters. Good!!

Pennine moorland

Today monday, I made the rest of the walk to Holmfirth. It did not rain yet, but it is quite a gloomy oveercast day. The walked was more of the same moorland, and took me four hours to reach the village. I still have to have a look a t the maps to decide where I will stay today, but I think I'll head to a camping 30 minutes walk form here, north of the village.

I think I'll be in Harrogate on Wednesday where I will rest for a day before meeting Will, Paco and Djeison in Ripon.

Everything going very well, thank you very much for reading me.

All the best.

Carlos