C2C Day 11 Grinton. (25.8k)

Todays walk was along the Swaledale river to Reeth. Hundreds of little stone ringed padlocks with little "yard barns" which used to house cows in winter along with their fodder. It was also a high style per mile day with a style spaced at what seemed to be every 200m.

For the first time we actually walked through a few small villages so were able to have a half and soup at the kings head in Gunnerside.

Finally arrived at Reeth but still had a mile to walk before our lodgings at the Bridge Inn at Grinton. A couple of K's I won't have to walk tomorrow.

C2C Day 10 Keld (Pry House farm) (19.3k)

Half way mark today at 161km.

Today we also left Cumbria and entered Yorkshire. It also included entering the second of the national parks we travel through ie Yorkshire dales nat park. (all creatures great and small, James Herriot country) The national park has quite a few grouse shooting areas with little stone semi circular hides or "Butts" where one is allocated a shooting spot.

Shooting seems easy.
Basically one needs to dress in tweed and Barbour. Liqueur up on fine single malt to the point where one forgets where the deed to the estate is hidden and probably more importantly where the keys to the range rover are. Then it's just a matter of waiting for a herd or commoners to beat the shit out of the under growth with sticks causing the grouse to fly straight over you. It is now just a matter of shooting the shit out of anything that moves or shows promise of moving until the sky is clear. Your done, now congratulate your self and friends with another wee dram the find the frickin keys so you can get to the next set of butts before starting all over again.
After a long climb we arrived on the high moors home of the Swaledale breed of sheep and the haunt of grouse shooters. We walked off the moors in rain so stopped for cream tea at a local farm. From there it was a short few ks to find Pry House Farm B&B just outside Keld.

After a kip the farmers wife drove us down to Keld hotel for a few pints of Black Sheep (Beer brand) and beautify meal of duck salad, lamb roulettes and lemon tart. I finished of with a single malt before the publicans daughter gave us a lift back to the B&B
for a well earned kip.

C2C Day 9 Kirkby Stephen (20.5k)

Very dale'y today rolling hills heaps of livestock and stone fences. Consequentially there were many styles, gates and mounds of cow shit to negotiate SW more successfully than others.

Had lunch near the bridge in the photo below (one with walkers on it) and dawdled into Kirkby about 3:30.

All in al a gentle day which is just as well for someone with the knees of an eighty year old.

C2C Day 8 rest day Orton

Orton is a quiet quaint little village. It has a pub, a very well stocked general store/post office, and a gourmet chocolate factory/cafe.

What more could one need for a recovery day.

C2C Day 7 Orton (12.9k)

Relatively easy day with intermittent drizzle. We left the lakes national park yesterday and are now entering the Yorkshire Dales national park. The scenery changed from glacial tarns and steep ground to rolling heather covered sales. Even saw the first tessellated pavement rock formation today which I remember from walks in this area years ago.

C2C Day 6 Shap (26.3k)

Bloody hell. This was a long 26k. It took a total of 9hrs walking with 15min for lunch.

The climb out of Patterdale continued past Angle tarn then up Kidsty Pike, (780m) the highest point on the coast to coast, was grueling but very enjoyable. The descent was not much fun though went back on my other knee.

This effort only covered about a third of the day. The next two thirds (in rain) consisted on 1/3 along the shores of Hawsewater and the final third over right of ways and bloody heaps of styles.

The couple of pints, fist full of anti inflammatories, hot meal and a warm bed in the Greyhound pub have gone some way to revive me.

C2C Day 5 Patterdale (12.8k)

I'm writing this post from the beer garden of the Patterdale Pub with a pint of Bodingtons to steady my typing finger.

Another up add down day today, meaning the first half of the walk was climbing to a saddle, Grisdale Hause (600m) then down for the later half through a valley following Grisdale Beck.

The weather again held the rain and we even has some sun in the arvo. The climbing is pretty tough and a good work out. The descent is tricky and rocky consequentially I went back on my knee today so it's a bit sore. Silly me, i was chatting and didn't place my foot properly.

The scenery is stunning and the photos don't portray the size and steepness very well. I'm afraid Alcott of the views are similar so photos all look the same. Not a bad problem to have really, "more bloody beautiful scenery"

A big day tomorrow 25k with shit loads of climbing. The distances all sound so insignificant compared to Spain but the terrain certainly takes its toll.

C2C Day 4 Grasmere (15.6k)

Another glorious day only 16k but many hills and consequentially absouloutly buggered.

Strolled into Grasmere about 3:30 covered in mud. A quick search of the gear shops here didn't yield any suitable new shoes so bought some antiseptic to kill what ever evil beast has inhabited my shoes.

Grasmere is a busy town servicing the thousands of Poms that walk the lakes district. The pub had a pool so went for a swim to loosen the back and neck muscles. These are strained by constantly looking at you feet to avoid a fall.

C2C day 3 Borrowdale (23.7k)

Contrary to the flood warnings last night I arose to a beautify sunny day with blue sky's. Apparently the dark art of weather forecasting in Britain is even less accurate than back home. The floods are still on though just in the south of the country.

Today's walk skirted along Ennerdale lake for half the day at the end of which we chowed down on roast beef sandwiches prepared by the pub for us this morning.

C2C Day 2 Ennerdale Bridge (9.5k)

Short day today, light drizzle most of the time but and not cold so t shirt and shorts affair.

Really beautiful dales. Green, wet with little white dots (sheep) scattered every where.

Navigation is not difficult but tedious as there are so many paths, roads farms some marked on the map aome not. That means the GPS and guide book have to be checked every 10mins.

One climb today up Dent hill not difficult but windy and energetic.

By about 2:00 we were tucked up in the Sheepherds arms in Ennadale Bridge staring at a Pint in front of the fire.

Bloody hell. Tomorrows weather forecast includes flood warnings for much of Britain.