As I pack away the tent it's damp and drizzling. I need to get to Middleton in Teesdale Coop for supplies. A scone and coffee wouldn't come amiss either.
This section is mainly rough pasture or hay meadows. There's lots of bullocks in the fields. Mostly they ignore you but I found them a bit intimidating when they stand in a heard right in front of the stile you are heading for. Wall climbing became my speciality.
Middleton in Teesdale. Half day closing, despite being 10:30 ish half the shops were shut. Maybe that's what it means.
The Tees is a big river and the path follows it for miles. There are lots of flowers and spectacular water falls.
Eventually a roaring can be heard and I turned a corner to the site of Cauldron Snout. Special.
It's getting late and I want to get beyond the farms to camp. Maize Beck looks promising. The far horizon is High Cup. Hopefully I won't need to go that far.
Oh yes I do. The midges are terrible by the beck and there's no wind. At High Cup there's a breeze, well half a gale actually, but no midges.
How far can I walk in a day back packing ? I now have the answer. 29 miles, never again.
This is all worth it as the next day is beautiful.
Just after this I tip the whole bowl of porridge in the gravel. So when I get to Dufton walk the half mile into the village as last time there was a shop. It's now gone. So I had to walk to the train in Appleby hungry.
I can't see any reason for anyone doing the Pennine Way for going all the way down to Dufton just to climb back up to the escarpment to go over Cross Fell. I would just keep height and walk around the plateau.
Last twist, I'll get some breakfast in Appleby but as I pass the station to get there I just check the train times. What time is the next train to Carlisle? 3 minutes time. Bugger.
