Thursday 15th February 2007
Distance Walked: 13.6 miles
Start Time: 9:23
End Time: 14:02
Elapsed Time: 4:39
Weather: Very windy but dry.
Distance walked so far: 622.5 miles
I was drugged. Overdosed on the elements. High on the air, my mind lost to the light and the wind. That was no angel, just the Support Crew, back to lift flagging spirits. The night’s haven turned out to be the grotty Golden Lion Hotel, with its surly service, tiny rooms, plastic sheets and disturbing décor. The come-down was rapid and sobering.
There are only three things required for a good day’s walking: a consistent path, pleasant weather, and a view. Today provided none of these. For a start it was a gloomy day, and the hills and valleys which sparkled so brightly yesterday were deadened and dulled. But the real killer was the wind which blustered and blew, buffeting the bag and backside, making every step a lottery. Compounding this, the route largely followed stony, ankle-wrenching tracks and, despite my roars of frustration, progress was uncomfortably slow.
Thankfully it was a relatively short, uneventful walk and, once the climb up the flank of Dodd Fell had been accomplished, it was simply a case of picking a way through the remaining snow drifts on the top before descending sharply to the small, touristy town of Hawes. You can determine the popularity of a place from the size and quality of its Tourist Information Centre, and the TIC in Hawes is huge and shiny, with its own shop, museum and learning centre. On a cold day in February it’s largely deserted. I take my leaflets and slink off into another Yorkshire night.
There are only three things required for a good day’s walking: a consistent path, pleasant weather, and a view. Today provided none of these. For a start it was a gloomy day, and the hills and valleys which sparkled so brightly yesterday were deadened and dulled. But the real killer was the wind which blustered and blew, buffeting the bag and backside, making every step a lottery. Compounding this, the route largely followed stony, ankle-wrenching tracks and, despite my roars of frustration, progress was uncomfortably slow.
Thankfully it was a relatively short, uneventful walk and, once the climb up the flank of Dodd Fell had been accomplished, it was simply a case of picking a way through the remaining snow drifts on the top before descending sharply to the small, touristy town of Hawes. You can determine the popularity of a place from the size and quality of its Tourist Information Centre, and the TIC in Hawes is huge and shiny, with its own shop, museum and learning centre. On a cold day in February it’s largely deserted. I take my leaflets and slink off into another Yorkshire night.
Song of the day:
Brendan Benson
“What I’m Looking For”
Well I don’t know what I’m looking for /
But I know that I just want to look some more /
And I won’t be satisfied /
Till there’s nothing left that I haven’t tried /
For some people it’s an easy choice /
But for me there’s a devil with an angel’s voice /
Well I don’t know what I am looking for /
But I know that I just wanna look some more
Brendan Benson
“What I’m Looking For”
Well I don’t know what I’m looking for /
But I know that I just want to look some more /
And I won’t be satisfied /
Till there’s nothing left that I haven’t tried /
For some people it’s an easy choice /
But for me there’s a devil with an angel’s voice /
Well I don’t know what I am looking for /
But I know that I just wanna look some more
9 comments:
At least you mentioned the support crew this time. A good idea if you are looking for support. Thanks for the tip about the Golden Lion: I shall give that one a miss!
Do you have a site counter? You can guage later on if you are getting a lot of interest - and with BBC6Music plugging it, a book could go far. Loads of UK walking blogs are linking to you Dave.
Good luck
Book, book, book! :)
I've added a counter (I think) so I'll see what kind of numbers I get.
Not sure if 6Music are plugging it. I thought i was plugging them?
Good book chant Mr Monthly. I'll look into it. I'd want to have lots of glossy photos though, and an accompanying double CD, for the complete experience.
I agree. That Stephen seems like a nice boy but surely it wasn't chance that he rings you for help just before he launches his audio media empire?
The man is a leech.
Dump him Dave! Do it on air for full effect. It could be DLT all over again.
Trust me. It is a great career move. He will come grovelling back. Musical taste will win out in the end.
What a come down, from "angel" to "support crew" in one foul swoop.
I hope the others reading this and planning their work will be a bit more appreciative of their partners efforts when driving 500 miles to make sure you have foot balm!
nik
I agree with you
Fickle fingers of fame.
Dump the bastard and talk to Stephen - after all, he will need help when Dave dumps him...
I need an angel shortly... I start on Thursday.
Thanks for the advice Alan, but I'm not a Stephen fan
You should put an ad out for someone, they should enjoy long drives and be able to sleep in some of the nastiest places this beautiful country has to offer.
Hope you find someone suitable, but you're leaving it a bit late
Nik
It's the crunchy carpets that get you down. Stepping out of bed in your bare feet onto week-old biscuit crumbs and gravel...
Anywhere from Edale northwards and its as if they had never heard of Dyson.
Pink Nylon Sheets...
Now if you were into fetish I could understand it.
Certainly not a nylon fan, I'm a crisp cotton kinda gal
Its not so much the awful rooms, its the fact that they charge you a fortune for what is basically a cupboard with a mattress just because they have the only bed in a 20mile radius. And the Northerners aren't the only ones guilty, I never realised how tight Southerners where!
No doubt Dave will be able to tell you the best places to avoid (Horton is a definite no-no, just keep walking)
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