joanne Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Hi Everyone, Me and a friend are planning on doing the Pennine way in August. Has anyone done it before and can offer advice? We are also eager to get a group together to do it with us, please let me know if you are interested? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantaspook Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Hi Joanne, A friend & I walked the Pennine way in 1981, its 270 miles and we took 17 days, but one of the days we just stayed in the tent and watched the rain, so our average mileage was 16-17 miles per day. Anyone of average fitness should be able to achieve this pace. We started the walk in Scotland at Kirk Yetholm and headed south, no real reason for this except it that was psychologically downhill and we were always heading towards home. The first 20 miles (Kirk Yetholm to Bryness) over the cheviot hills are very wild and waterlogged, its essential to check the weather forecast before attempting this stretch because it is very open, there are two shelters on the route, one is called Greg’s hut (an old railway carriage) near The Cheviot, the other is a hut about 8 miles from Bryness. (I stayed in this hut overnight on a different trip years later and woke up to six inches of unforecasted snow the next morning, so the weather is unpredictable.) South of Bryness is mostly pine forest, if you are doing the walk in August the flies will eat you alive, take some insect repellent. We didn’t! Out of the woods you follow a pleasant stretch of Adrians wall for a few miles to Haltwhistle, (Bus service to Newcastle train station if you’ve had enough!) the route basically follow the Pennine watershed down the spine of the country so its mostly windy and wet, even in August, the route is generally well marked with the ‘Acorn’ signs but your standard of map reading has to be high on the featureless moors & near the MOD property, especially when they are shelling. Try and hit Cross Fell (the highest part of the Pennines) early morning like we did, the views over the cloud tops is a memory you’ll cherish, some other unmissable features are High Force, England’s highest waterfall and the limestone pavement at Malham Cove. Keep going past Todmorden, then you hit Black hill, Bleaklow & Kinder scout. This is REALLY boggy, peat gough country, probably as bad as the cheviots…again check weather forecast - your mapreading / compass skills must be good, you’ll need them if the mist descends. Some general advice, (I’m not sure how much experience you have so apologies if I’m teaching you to suck eggs) You could bathe your feet in clear spirit half hour each night to harden them for 3 weeks prior to setting off, Make sure your pack is not too heavy, plan ahead so you have a rough idea where you are going to finish at the end of the day. Keep your spare clothes / sleeping bag in plastic bags for extra protection from the elements, make sure your boots are well broke in, take plenty of plasters & moleskin to control blisters, carry just enough food but always assume the next town has early closing day when you arrive. Think ahead, use your map and always have an escape route off the tops if the weather deteriorates. To quote Barry Pilton from his book ‘One man and his bog’: ‘If, after reading this book, you are in any way encouraged to attempt the Pennine way yourself, the author respectively suggests you read the book again.’ I’ll ditto that. GOOD LUCK! PS. You can PM me if you need any further info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanne Posted March 20, 2006 Author Share Posted March 20, 2006 Thanks alot for that and you certainly was not teaching me to suck eggs as I havent got a clue! I hadnt even thought about maps and compasses ). With regard to your last comment, would you not recommend it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Loving Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 i was about to say id come on this walk..... but 270 miles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantaspook Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Hi Joanne, If you are doing the Pennine way you’ll definitely need maps! The following is a list of the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Scale maps that we used Sheet 110 Sheffield & Huddersfield Sheet 103 Blackburn & Burnley Sheet 98 Wenslydale & Wharfdale Sheet 91 Appleby Sheet 86 Haltwhistle & Brewcastle Sheet 80 The Cheviot Hills Just looking through them now and the most common phrase is “Pennine way undefined” which is the cartographer’s way of saying “this bit is underwater, look for the high bits” I’d recommend getting the full maps rather than a “strip map” that only has a narrow band either side of the route, at least then you can calculate escape routes / diversions & use the distant hills when taking a compass back bearing to plot your position. There is no way I would try to put anyone off doing the walk, I did it 25 years ago but its one of those achievements that forms part of your character, indeed, some of the memories are so clear it seems like we did it last year. From your comments it sounds like you may need more experience with the maps & compass before undertaking such a journey, I’d suggest you & your pal study the rudiments & try a couple of walks in Derbyshire, maybe with some experienced hikers, before you attempt the Pennine Way. When confident I’d try walking from Edale over Kinder Scout & Bleaklow to Crowden. This should give you a taste of what you’re letting yourself in for, it is one of the worst bits but better to find out early whether it’s your cup of tea before you commit yourself. What’s your reason for wanting to do The Pennine Way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanne Posted March 21, 2006 Author Share Posted March 21, 2006 Hi, I wanted a nice healthy walking holiday and the sense of achievement of doing the Pennine Way must be great. However, from what you have said, I think I might do it next year and do a shorter one this year, maybe the Coast to Coast. Have you done that? I think I will go on some walking weekends to the places you have suggested to test my map and compass reading skills. Thanks for all your advice Joanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanne Posted March 21, 2006 Author Share Posted March 21, 2006 Hi, I think I will be doing a shorter walk after the advice I have been given, so if you fancy the Coast to Coast or another walk, let me know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverknight Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Hi Joanne Some info on the Coast to coast or C2C as its sometimes called... OS Explorer Maps OL4 OL5 OL19 OL26 OL27 OL30 302 303 & 304 These are at 1:50000 scale or in plain English 2.5 inches to a mile. Have you read Wainwright's guide book on the walk he devised? Would you be staying overnights in BB/YHA Hostels/ or carrying tents? This is an unsigned route devised by AW to link the Irish Sea and the North Sea via 3 national parks ( A challenging 190 mile walk).Popular and scenic,however some sections remote and demanding.It was named the 2nd best walk in the world in a recent experts' poll!! If you require anymore info just PM me as the books I have are in the loft! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantaspook Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Hi Joanne, I can’t fault your motives for wanting to do the PW, it is a bit of an endurance march in places but you’d certainly come back a lot fitter, more confident & self reliant. Yes I’ve done the coast to coast walk, The first half, St Bees to Keld (where it crosses the Pennine way) is a real pleasure, the Lakeland scenery cannot be bettered, Striding Edge is fantastic, although my walking buddy is scared of heights and tends to swear at me when I drag him across ridges. http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walks/walks1/w156e.shtml http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/gallery/panoramas/p179.php# Personally, I can’t see what his problem is…. However the second half of the walk is a bit of a drag, it is OK but a bit flat and monotonous after you have been spoilt by the Lake District. The first half can be done in a week, if you have a look at your map you’ll see that the first 96 miles, broadly speaking, cuts across 5 valleys (Ennerdale, Seathwaite, Thirlmere, Patterdale, Haweswater) There are villages in these valleys and they are spaced roughly one days hiking apart, so rather than lug a heavy tent over the mountains from valley to valley I’d travel light and book into B&B’s on the route before setting off. A slight downside is that you have to hit the villages at set times so you must maintain the pace to avoid falling behind. An alternative long distance walk I would recommend for fit beginners is the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, 180 miles, dead easy navigation (follow the coastline!) views from the cliff tops ....of yet another cliff top half a mile away, across a deep valley…it is NOT all flat beaches. Nice sea breezes to cool you down, you can go for a paddle or a swim, plenty of campsites and B&B’s. The only downside is a distinct lack of pubs! BTW I’ve got a book called Mountaincraft & Leadership by Eric Langmuir which has comprehensive chapters on navigation and all aspects of hill walking - you’re welcome to borrow it if you want. Hey Silverknight, what was the walk the experts said came 1st in the poll? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie-pie Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Hi Joanne, Good luck walking the Pennine Way, it's definitely on my to-do list as well! Last May I walked the West Highland Way - comparatively short at 97 miles but absolutely stunningly beautiful every step of the way. I am a fairly fit person who does a lot of walking, canoeing, mountain-biking etc so I figured it would be quite easy. I have to say that while my legs could have danced a merry jig then turned and walked all the way back, my feet were shot. Do not underestimate the importance of good footwear!! My boots weren't properly broken in and weren't a great fit anyway so I had to abandon them after 2 days and walk the rest of the way in an old pair of trainers! Not good. Without getting too evangelical about long-distance walking I must admit that it did change my life a bit. There's something powerful about going out and doing the things you've been thinking about doing, even if they are a challenge. Since I walked the WHW I have done a lot of other things that I'd have probably not bothered with before. Hope you have a wonderful time, let us know how you get on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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