Garry and Marie walk South to North

  After a disturbed night with Alfie's tummy thinking it needed to eat grass from 4am, we all set off from Cow Green reservoir. We walked, keeping the reservoir on our left, with the views of Great Dun Fell (with its radar station), Little Dun Fell and Cross Fell (the highest point in the Pennines) behind the reservoir. Once we passed the end of the reservoir, there were some disused mines. Garry passed some disused shafts further along. Me and Alfie headed back after 2.5 miles whilst Garry continued on the pathway until he reached the road. I actually drove past him as I returned to Alston. It felt wrong not offering him a lift! Garry continued walking on the road for a while as the pathway was unclear and looked like it could possibly go into the depths of the valley. The sign indicated it wasn't suitable for vehicles or pedestrians. After walking on the road for about three miles, Garry took a left down to the South Tyne Trail. The trail, although it was pretty, was hard goi...

  The day started with me driving up to Hexam for a morning rock choir session with Rob Slater. Again, very friendly rockies and Rob was an entertaining and skillful leader, lots of work on the dynamics of the song that we're learning, 'Unwritten'. Once I'd returned, we drove to Middleton in Teesdale to continue walking from yesterday's end point yesterday.  We walked out of Middleton in Teesdale together, through sheep fields and meadows alongside the River Tees. Alfie was particularly good at negotiating stone stiles with bars at the top and enjoyed himself more than the windy day yesterday. We left Garry after a mile and a half as we approached a metal A frame type stile which looked particularly difficult for a whippet to negotiate.   Garry carried on with the River Tees as his constant companion. It was a very pleasant along the river, passing Low Force and then High Force, two waterfalls.    As Garry progressed up the river, the path became more rocky and ...

  Today was not cold, but there was plenty of wind. With reluctance, after I turfed Garry out the car, we all set out of Bowes, almost immediately over the A67, heading northwards into the wind and the rain. After half a mile Garry realised he'd left his walking poles in the car, so I went back to collect them and drop them back to him where he was waiting. I then continued onto Middleton in Teesdale in the car, where Alfie and me had our second short walk of the day around the town, finishing in Winter's, a dog friendly cafe, where Alfie enjoyed a sausage and me a piece of date and walnut tart.                                                          Back to the walking hero. Being careful to keep the military range to his right, he traversed Cotherstone Moor, passed the outcrop of rocks called Robin Hood's Hole.      ...

  After the previous evening of thunder and lightning, we wondered what the weather had in store for us today. We did not have to wait long before the rain started as Garry set out northwards from Keld and me and Alfie dashed back to the car. A few views looking back towards Keld, including West Stonesdale.           Garry opted to use the road for the first section, rather than the Pennine Way, mainly because of the rain last night and the effect it would have on the pathway. 4 1/2 miles in and Garry took welcome refuge in the highest pub in the UK, the Tan Hill Inn.  Reluctantly, Garry left the pub and set off across Sleightholme Moor, boggy in places but relatively easy to follow the Pennine Way pathway with a number of white markers.          Garry followed Sleightholme Beck until it joined River Greta, just to the west of Bowes, where he met me and Alfie. Me and Alfie had a few short stints of walking  today. Ini...