Over the last 2 years I have been wlaking sections of the pennine way, in 2010 I walked from Edale to Malham on 6 day walks; in july 2010
I walked a section from Malham to Tan hill inn over 4 days; camping for 3 nights.
In 2011 I wasnt able to walk a section due to working away in Newcastle so didn have time to spare at the weekends.
so forward to 2012 and an oppurtunity arose to spend 2 days walking from Tan hill to Dufton, overnight at Middleton-in -Teesdale
6th March 2012 - Tuesday
Tan Hill Inn to Middleton in Teesdale - 15 miles
Very cold overnight and temperature was -4 degrees C as we turned off the M6 at tebay, and a barmy -2 degrees C as we pulled up outside Tan Hill Inn, though the bonus was the sky was clear and blue and unilike last time i was here when it was raining heavily back in 2010 I could see all the way across Sleightome moor to the traffic on the A66 and beyond.
the landlady of the Inn came out with her spaniel and said hello, I would meet her again later.
Donned my boots and rucsac, said good bye to Mrs B and cassiedog, who was staying at home, due to age and athritis, and with Mollydog ( the border terrier) I headed down to the stile and crossed it and onto the moor.
The first section of the day is 5 miles across Sleighthome moor to the A66 dual carriageway. the first 3 miles of this is very boggy moor, and it doesn't have the slabs that the south pennine moors have over Kinder and Blackstone edge and others. After reading Wainwrights description, Iwas sort of looking forward to this and I wasnt as well, looking forward as this would be a taste of what the original PW was across Kinder and featherbed moss, not, as i was carrying a full pack for the second time for 18 months and had a long way to go.
But my fears were relatively unfounded as the low temperatures meant that the moor was frozen and supported my weight well, only lost my foot a couple of times when i passed through the frozen crust, but with the help of the walking pole and my momentum I managed to keep going quite easily.
after 3/4 mile the pub dog turned up beside us and went ranging away ahead of us across the moor and wouldnt come close enough for me to catch her, this went on as we joined the shallow valley of the sleightholme beck and the ground improved, Took my fiorst rest at 2 miles and manged to get a phone signal and rang the Tan hill Inn to tell them that I had their dog, ... " Middleton or Keld?" was the response, it turns out the dog regularly escapes and takes it self off for a walk with hikers leaving the pub. I arranged to meet the landlady at the green access brdige across the beck and she turned up as i arrived there in a dscovery and bundled the dog into the back, and explained that in the past she has collected the dog from Middleton, Bowes and Hawes. watched them drive off then follwoed them along the track and into some farmland.
The first farm was in a hollow, but was deserted, looked like the sheds hadnt been used for a few years but there were signs of habitation and washing in the farmhouse. 200yards on the road and then back off into the fields, lots of geese, ducks and oystercatchers roosting in the fields either side and then over a bridge over the Beck, evidence that when in spate the stream floods these fields as the debris caught in the barbed wire fence evidenced.
a short shrp climb brought us back up to the level of the moor, but we followed the valley a little further before the Bowes loop diversion left and we turned left and struck off across the moor towards God's bridge and the A66.
the morning sun had got some heat in it and the earlier frost and ice had melted and this section was more boggy and difficult but soon through it and downhill into the fields and arrived at God's Bridge, Sat down and had a cup of coffee and had a rest whilst enjoying the scenery, before moving on.
God's bridge is a natural limestone bridge over the river Greta, well only over the river when it is flowing as the river passes underground through the limestone here and the bridge is usually dry or just have pols of water.
After the break a short climb up the track and through the underpass under the A66 that was a noisy intrusion. then back out onto the moor and away, even from here I could see Tan hill inn in the distance.
The next section is undulating moorland on a narrow path through the heather, lts of Grouse and skylarks and the odd Curlew about, view opened out and i coiuld see the next drop and climb through the great brook past a shooting hut that looked more like a scout hut.
up again and ove the next rise and the view ipened out to reveal a reservoir and a further ridge and the hills beyond, was this the first or second valley with reservoirs I could see, it was soon apparent that it was the first and I could then spy a lot of my route across the further valleys.
Down to meet a track and through a farmyard then down again to the reservoir and the Bowes loop rejoined. on the banks of the reservoir was the first cache of the trip, so Rucsack off and tied mopllydog to the rucksack as there were sheep nearby and searched for the cache, quickly found and swapped travel bugs and then sat by the path and had my lunch, and make some notes in the wainwright guide,
