Saturday 6 August 2016

Dales Way Day 3

Day 3
23.73miles - 38.2km

Up quite early and were walking by 5:30 am. Topping up our water we begin our road walk through Cowgill and up beneath the viaduct. A lovely aurora dawn surrounded us as we ascended. A deep dark forest emerged on our right. We stopped for photos and food and soon realised that the midges were still out. We marched up the road fleeing the tiny beasts. We were now pretty high and had a good view of the surrounding area. A golden light shone over the hills and we turned off the road and met a path into the moorland. Long green strands of pointy grass covered everything and we inevitably got wet feet. We followed the trail up over the moorland as Pen-y-ghent came into view. Over numerous stiles and we finally arrived at the descent. We passed a farm with a sign welcoming us in for cake and a drink, we would if we hadn't been there at 7.30 am. 

Walking down a track we met a major road. Crossing it we got to the track on the other side. Through cow and sheep fields we headed up and up and its was endless. You think you're there and you're not, we stopped close to the top and ate our lunch allowing our feet to breath before hiking on. I powered on to the top as a few vans and trucks passed us. Heading into the logging site, a Pennine way thru hiker - passed us. We then headed down into a valley, our feet getting water logged. This was the highest point on the Dales Way. This was also when Tom my brother realises that he’s left his car keys in my car which is back in Winderemere.... I laughed as we are pretty much half way between Windermere and Ilkley. We trudged on gutted. Luckily this haze didn't stay for long as we pondered way to get the keys or spare keys. 

We hiked on and reach Oughtenshaw, another stunning hamlet. It was beautiful and on the way out we saw a deer grazing on the opposite hill. We descended down into another hamlet, crossed a river and follow it. We got to a pub called the George Inn where the kind land lord lets us use the landline and got us bus timetable. 
We were going to have to speed up our walking as Tom had managed to get in touch with a friend who was going to be in Ilkley tomorrow at 15 pm and was going to bring the spare keys. We decided to play it safe and get bus from Buckden to Grassington. It was sad to cutting out about 10 miles but this was a pick up we did not want to miss.

It didn't take long to reach Buckton where we got an ice cream and chilled in the Buck Inn where Tom sampled their Ales. We got the bus and sat back feeling a tad guilty as we cruised by the lovely and sunny views outsides. The miles we were suppose to be hiking....

Grassington was only 10 miles away but we felt justified in skipping it. Its was a smooth ride and at Grassington we got some food and devoured it on a bench. We then hiked on and walked easily to a field just before Barden castle where we wild camped. It was easy evening walk and lovely to do again as I'd walked this section back in May.











 

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