The Road Less Traveled

Day 10: Keld to Reeth

It was hard to bid farewell to Jacqui, Chris and Scamp, our warm and gracious hosts from the Butt (pronounced boot) House.  Cliff and I agreed these were hosts we would love to have as neighbors and pals.  And Scamp, well he would fit right in with the Boltz pack!

Today presented another high route/low route choice -- and having so loved the high routes in the Lakes District, we decided to go high once again.  Parting ways with many walkers at the route junction, we realized we were taking the road less traveled . . . Our route would take us high over the hills to Reeth (our destination today),  The low road in this case wound through the verdant valley below.

Before the path divided, we had the great pleasure to walk and chat with for a time with twins Jim and Peter from Birmingham, England.  The brothers have been taking long-distance walking holidays together each year since retiring (both former school teachers) in 2000.

At 70+ they were keeping quite pace, and we watched them pause at the juncture, before continuing on to the valley. Knowing Peter had completed the track before, I wondered how they made their decision as we headed up to the ruins of the 1800s lead mills above.  What did they know that we didn't?

Our high route took on altitude quickly across a rock fall, then along a lovely beck with a series of waterfalls above.  At first we thought we had the trail to ourselves.  Then we saw a group of young climbers above us, resting on a grassy area beside the falls. Continuing up the path, we met them at merged trails and learned they were all working toward their Duke of Edinburgh (D of E) award.

A voluntary program for youths aged 14-24, the D of E requires youth complete components of volunteering, physical effort, skills development, and an expedition (what the group we met were doing). Completing the program at the highest level earns participants valuable credits toward university admission.  What a great program!  We were trying to think what we may have that is similar in the US.  Maybe scouting?

Leaving the D of E group, we walked for a short time each with a couple of solo C2Cers (both English) as the day and terrain grew progressively more gray.  Winding our way through various smelt mill ruins, we finally reached the area Wainwright described as the wasteland, where the earth was left jagged and scarred from mining and quarries.

The trail trickled up and down to Reeth without much to recommend it.  Happily in the moors below the smelt mills, we saw grouse.  However, they were so fleet of foot as to be impossible to photograph on this day.  Our thought -- this is probably a good day to enjoy a valley walk, unless you have some historical interest in 19th Century mining operations!