Dave Byrnes' Adventures

Land's End to John O'Groats - 2010

Overview     Planning     Schedule     Map     Diary     Pictures
Day: 030
Date:

Tuesday, 1 June 2010

Start:

Marsden

Finish:

Hebden Bridge

Daily Kilometres:

27.1

Total Kilometres:

942.0

Weather:

Overcast and drizzling or raining all day

Accommodation:

Hotel B&B (£69 for two)

Nutrition:

Sausage roll and orange juice for breakfast; no lunch; chicken, chips and salad and chocolate cake and ice-cream for dinner

Aches:

Right shoulder and right knee sore

Pictures:

Here

GPS Track:

Here

Journal:

After a late night catching up on email and other internet stuff, I slept in a bit and didn't leave the hotel until 8:30am.  Given the high price of breakfast at the hotel, I had opted not to pay for it and, instead, headed for a bakery I had seen the previous evening.  They didn't have much range ("still baking, mate"), so I chose a sausage roll and a bottle of orange juice and began the steep climb out of town.  As I did, I crossed the Huddersfield Narrow Canal as a longboat went through the lock.  The canals seem a bit incongruous on the sides of these steep-sided valleys.  Quite an engineering feat.

The guide book had warned that the day would be a series of climbs to moorland and then descents to intervening valleys, and it was right.  Not long after I started walking, the forecast rain began and it pretty much drizzled for the remainder of the day.  Despite a few particularly steep climbs, the day was mostly easy walking and it wasn't cold or windy.  I enjoyed crossing the fog-shrouded moors and, with my good wet weather gear, wasn't bothered by the rain.

When I stopped for my morning break around 11am, I was passed by a girl hiking on her own and appearing to be following the same route.  We said a brief hello, and she continued on.  I followed after my break and caught up with her about 90 minutes later when she stopped for a break.  We chatted for a while and I learned that Karen was also walking from Lands End to John O'Groats, raising money for charity en route.  She had been on the trail six weeks and was travelling at a more relaxed pace than me.  She was also heading for Hebden Bridge for the night, and there's a chance Keith and I may see her early on the trail again tomorrow.

I aimed to get to a pub at Cragg Vale for lunch, but the climbs and descents were slowing my pace and I didn't get there until 2:10pm, by which time lunch was over.  However, it looked a bit expensive anyway and I was running later than intended, so I had a Mars Bar instead and kept going.  Just as well that I did, because crossing the last hill moorland to reach Hebden Bridge took me a lot longer than anticipated.  It was foggy and raining and the path was non-existent for a section at the top.  I couldn't work out exactly where I was after about 30 minutes trying to find something recognisable, so I went to Plan B and forgot about trying to find the guide-book route and, instead, concentrated on finding my way off the hill and down to Hebden Bridge.  I eventually did this, but an hour later than I had hoped.

I found the Post Office and mailed off my old maps and asked for my package.  After a lot of searching, the guy said there was nothing there for me.  I was insistent that it would be there and, after consultation with one of his colleagues, my package was found.  By this time it was 4:30pm and I was hoping to meet my friend Keith's train at 5:00pm.  I wandered around the town area and eventually found a hotel with a twin room available, though not ready for another 30 minutes.  They offered to look after my rucksack and then I walked down to the station just in time to meet Keith, who will be hiking with me for the next five days.  Lucky for him, the rain is supposed to clear overnight and not return until some time next week.

ADVENTURE LIST

 

Round Ireland
(2016)

Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)

Via Alpina
(2012)

Australian Alps Walking Track
(2011)

Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)

Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)

Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)

Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)

Three Peaks Race
(2004)

Appalachian Trail
(1986)

Alpine Track
(1983)

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