We made it!

Here we are - Margaret, Ailie and me, photographed by Chris - dipping our boots into Lake Windermere at the end of our 29 mile 3 day walk to complete the Dales Way

I think my book is out of date as all our devices recorded further distances than the book. Our first and last days were 9 miles and yesterday 11. Because of the heat it was on the hardest for me. Today was really hot when we set out at 9.30 but luckily it soon clouded over and there was a brisk breeze for most of the walk. There was a lot of uphill which would have been. debilitating in heat. At Bowness Margaret suggested a fort her mile to a viewpoint to see the lake from a higher point so Ailie and I went. We also found someone on the way down into the town to take our photos on the seat at the end but my then Chris had gone down the hill and we found her having a drink in a pub garden.

The Lakeland fells were in ominous cloud as we walked to the shore, Ailie and I with our ice cream and Margaret gagging for a scone in a tea shop which was the next stop. There we got a taxi firm number - Margaret said it was impossible to get a car park spot in Bowness, so we’d left both cars at the start at Staveley - we had an hour to wait for the taxi. It appeared just as the rain came on.

Margaret made her way back to Consett and Ailie drove Chris and me home by the Military Road, to arrive at 6pm.

I think we started this venture 5 years ago, with 2 years out for Covid, doing sometimes 2 days at a time and others 1. I think we did it in 8 days while the usual time is 5. A friend Rick ran it all in one go which is a remarkable feat of endurance.

The amazing thing is every day was warm and sunny - when accommodation and time is booked we’d have had to do it whatever the weather, so we were lucky.