Day 7. A long day! 18 miles over 9 hours. And I walked every mile!! We set off from Ravenstonedale a bit after nine o'clock and walked along pasture walls and the road until we came to the town of Kirkby Stephen. There we stopped to use the ATM, get more moleskin, buy new and improved socks and enjoy the local bakery's scones. Then it was time to ascend the hills and begin our entry into the Dales, James Herriot country. Yesterday as we traipsed across the undulating hills, we tried to recall all the characters on Downton Abbey. You see, the first episode aired here last night. Peter and I restrained ourselves but the others did not. They have been very considerate not to give much away.
Often we will stop for "elevensies" -- yes, at 11 o'clock -- for a biscuit or special treat. On the first morning as we stood on the bluff looking back at St Bees and tried not to be blown over, Ben distributed Kendale mint cake, a sugar candy to give us a kick. On day three, he handed out Eccles cakes, a mincemeat pastry, that was delicious. On day five as we took a break on a rather cool, windy and showery ascent toward Kidsty Pike, Ben shared the "original Grasmere gingerbread." We look forward to our elevensies!
Back to today. We climbed what seemed to be an endless hill, the fog closing in as we trudged higher up. Our destination was the Nine Standards Rigg, a series of stone formations at the summit of Hartley Fells of the Pennines. Its origin and age are not known but it is thought that the nine stone cairns were designed and positioned to look like English sentinels and fool the Scottish army.
Once our daily high point photo was taken it was time to descend the other side. This meant slogging through peat bogs of an indeterminate depth. The sedge grass and star moss grow on the surface layer that floats on top of the bog. If you pause and take deliberate steps -- and put your poles down -- you can sink in quite deep. The trick is to spring nimbly across. Not so easily executed! All of us managed to cross with only sinking down to our ankles until we came to a low bog that had formed when part of a slope had eroded. The banks were quite high and were eroding underneath. As I stepped down from the near bank, I slipped on the mud and slid partway down. Fortunately, I caught myself so I was none for the worse. At the next crossing, Dave who often makes his own paths chose to cross at an untested spot and found his boot swallowed up in the muck -- he took a step and his foot came right out while his boot stayed. Oh dear! He is a trooper - he extricated himself, put his boot back on mud soaked and all, and slogged on.
We do not whine (or "whinge" as the English say) on our walks. During the more challenging parts, we often are silent. Conversation will break out again once the challenge has been met.
Today driver Dave was waiting for us at a picturesque farm with extra water and bananas and to transport anyone who was ready to call it a day at 14 miles. My "dogs" were yipping but not yet barking, and the late afternoon sun was wakening all the hues of green of the fields.
After making our way through pastures, we came to the lane that took us to Keld Lodge where we spent the night.
Two high points for me today -- the beauty of the Dales and the realization that we really are walking step by step across England!! Wow!
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