After probably one of the worst accommodations of the trip in Kirkby Steven, we had one of the best night’s accommodations at the Little Birkdale in Keld, we stayed in a self contained flat overlooking the Moors, with delicious food & excellent hosts. I lay soaking in the bath after a days walking admiring the brilliant view of the surrounding moors of Yorkshire. As we had separate bedrooms Mike could sleep as I had a beer & watched a film.
From Keld we had two options a high & low level walk, due to the weather forecast predicting heavy showers & thunder storms we took the low level route along the river. Due to the rain on the peat Moors the water was running black & foamy & looked just like Guinness.
Keld river water
We passed some falls & carried on down the valley, unlike previous days we were now walking down river towards sea rather than up river away from the sea. We passed a large group of americans who were doing the C2C as part of an organised group, they were walking from Keld to Gunnerside (1.5 or 2 hours max) on the flat with two guides, were then having lunch at the cafe before being taken to another easy part of the C2C. Perhaps there is hope for Uncle Geoff yet!
A large group of farmers with, land-rovers, trailers and quad bikes were moving a flock of sheep down the hillside. It made for fascinating if noisy viewing as the sheep were all complaining loudly about being disturbed.
We stopped off for a hot drink at Gunnerside along with the 3 ladies who we had been meeting on and off since day 1. One of them asked the cafe owner whether you were meant to eat the Wensleydale with the fruit cake or separately, you would have thought she had asked “due I need to breath to stay alive” the owner gave her a look half pity & half scorn & explained of couse you had to. As we were leaving the cafe the heavy rain commenced!!! We started to walk through fields when lightning struck directly above us & it started to rain even heavier, we decided to walk along the road to make faster progress, but after a mile we decided to go back to the river.
wet weather
We arrived in Grinton at 3pm & Michael forced Dad to drink a couple of pints of Old Peculiar & watch the Olympic tennis final, once the bad weather passed & the tennis had finished we moved on to the YHA.
Wee count 5 Total so far 34
2 hours on the flat, and with 2 guides – those Americans are my kind of walkers !