Day 38 Keld to Baldersdale

Have another £20.00 donation this morning from a woman who had suffered with breast cancer in 2000 but now seemed to be doing well. Bit misty but dry and although I started out with my waterproofs on, soon discarded that leaving the T shirt. Retraced my steps through the Keld hamlet briefly stopping at Caurake Force before heading uphill along a stony and then grassy track and out onto Stonesdale Moor. This was fantastic to run along as extremely springy underfoot. I watched from up on high as several farmers were rounding up their sheep, this time using the reliable canines! It was quite interesting watching the white blobs on the hillsides below form orderly groups as if being pulled together by a lead. After heading uphill again, more moor beckoned but although it might appear lifeless, if you stand still and listen, the birdsong is almost deafening - golden pluver, curlew and lapwing all raucous with the latter two having no fear in divebombing if they feel you are getting too close to their nests! Then Tan Hill Inn appeared out of the mist - this is Britain highest pub at 528m above sea level and although it has recently been the subject of a couple of TV ads for double glazing and in the last few months for solar heating, inside retains a lot of quirkiness - time to stop for a coffee and a packet of crisps. Unfortunately a group of bikers stole the unique rubber stamp so no passport update but I did get another £10.00 donation!

Next onto the delights of Sleight Holme Moor, described as a "soggy expanse of bog and low, tussocky moorland" - they're not far wrong! I only got half a mile before deciding I really didn't want to go swimming today and retraced my boggy steps back to the road. Two miles later I picked up a track which connected me back to the Pennine Way but beyond the mire. Guess who I met? David and Marilyn, so I walked with them for a mile or so across a few boggy fields before having a nice run across Wytham Moor (there were a few streams of running black water that had to be safely negotiated en-route so more gazelle like antics required). After ducking under the A66 I then had another lovely run up and over Ravock Moor which suddenly transformed from bog grasses into masses of heather and again springy footpaths. A couple walking the Pennine Way North to South stopped to ask if I was the "long distance runner going to John O'Groats?"! My fame had proceeded me!! Apparently they met Kerry and Nancy earlier (they had a good head start today as they had gone onto Tan Hill Inn yesterday) but it was really nice to be recognized.

More marsh and bog fields needed careful negotiation which really slows the pace but I would much rather have dry (ish) feet and non smelly trainers. I'm getting good at emergency stops preventing me from heading feet first into a bottomless pit. After reaching the top at Race Yate, Baldersdale's reservoirs came into sight and it was an easy run through several fields to reach my overnight stop right at the foot of the dam. This is normally a team building venue and was original a Youth Hostel. I'm looking out of the window as I write this with swallows nesting right above my head, pied wagtail nesting in the dry stone wall below, rabbits galore in the fields, curlews screeching overhead - I've already seen a couple of red kites and a vole and to cap it all there is apparently a baby owl that comes each evening to the other side of the wall........wildlife tour continues!! I'm also staying on my own in this huge house overnight (and I'm led to believe there is a ghost) another element of trust that I am finding along my way.

As far as the leg is concerned it's still there (the leg that is) not so painful today although I could feel the jarring when I ran on the road, so more positive today.


Mileage 16.7 Time 4.17