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I hadn't done a major trip like this since my Lands End-John o Groats bike ride two years earlier but I felt reasonably fit and was confident I'd be able to do it provided the load on my back wasn't too great. That was a bit of a problem, however, as my usual aversion to being tied down to a schedule meant not booking accommodation and that in turn meant I'd have to carry a tent with me just in case. And with the tent came a sleeping bag and a Thermarest, all extra weight. I tried my best to cut the luggage down but when it came to the day my rucksack still weighed in at an ounce or so short of a mighty 30 lb. A hefty load. This is what I took with me: Craghopper Kiwi walking trousers x 2 shorts x 1 base layers x 3 thick shirt x 1 thick socks x 3 thin undersocks x 3 fleece anorak waterproof trousers gloves fleece hat wide-brimmed sun hat balaclava boots gaiters Roclite lightweight shoes shirt x 1 fleece top Fetherlite rainproof packaway top T-shirt x 2 underpants x 4 socks x 2 Osprey 65 litre rucksack roll-top drysack - large roll-top drysack - medium roll-top drysack - small Leki walking pole x 1 compass x 2 phone & charger camera & charger Active 10 GPS & charger Old Garmin Etrex GPS as backup cash & credit/debit cards maps Terra Nova Laser tent sleeping bag Thermarest self-inflating mattress toothbrush & paste razor & blades first aid: Compeed blister plasters; midge repellant; sun cream Water (usually 1.5 litres)
Having plotted the route of the Pennine Way on the PC with MemoryMap I split it up into suitable chunks based on starting and ending at a weekend so Trisha would be able to drop me off and pick me up. I came up with the following rough schedule of stops: Edale, Crowden, Diggle, Hebden Bridge, Haworth, East Marton, Malham, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Hawes, Keld, Bowes, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Langdon Beck, Dufton, Alston, Greenhead, Stonehaugh, Bellingham, Byrness, 18-Mile Bothy, Kirk Yetholm. Well it didn't work out like that, naturally, but that's the benefit of having a bit of flexibility in your plans. Gym a couple of times a week and a mid-week bike ride with the U3A cycling group had kept me reasonably fit so I felt I'd probably be ok. In the event I was, although looking through my notes I do see the words 'knackered' and 'tired' appearing rather frequently. Maybe a couple of the days were a bit taxing due to the large load on my back and a bit of dehydration from the hot weather. I'll make sure I drink more next time. | ||
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