Walking the Pennine Way 2017

At a distance of about 270 miles along the "spine" of England, this year's hike, the Pennine Way (PW), is considered the toughest of England's National Trails.  Envisioned in the 1930s as England's version of the US Appalachian Trail, the PW opened officially in 1965.  The trail traverses three National Parks (Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland).  It also guides walkers through the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (a no-kidding, true designation; how very British as Bill Bryson no doubt would observe 😏) -- among the most wild and bleak of moorland areas in the country.  The trail then follows (and ultimately crosses) Hadrian's Wall before moving into the Cheviot Hills straddling the border into Scotland.

On 22 June we'll step onto the trail in Edale, England, which is located some 170 miles northeast of London (in the country's "Peak District") and proceed in the next 20 days over hill (fell) and dale (36,700 cumulative feet of ascent) to terminate on 11 July, in Kirk Yetholm, Scotland.

Along the way we'll take two rest days to wash socks and explore a couple of local villages.  For those of you wondering: We'll average 15 miles/day over 18 hiking days.  Yes, we've trained . . . AND we know from experience that the training and conditioning continue along the trail (quite literally each step of the way).  As always, we are filled with gratitude that we can embark upon this adventure both curious and determined.  On this trip we are particularly grateful to be joined for the duration by veteran trekking companion, Marty Howard from Pasadena, CA; and by Cliff's cousin and cousin's wife, Axel and Bettina Boltz, who will join us (from Hannover, Germany) for the first two hiking days.

Our journey is a B&B-to-B&B supported hike (designed by Contours, out of England).  Meaning that whilst (practicing my Queen's English 😄) the bulk of our gear will be transported between lodgings  -- we'll walk carrying day packs (contents to be detailed later) and navigate the route on our own (maps marked, GPS loaded with waypoints, compass at the ready).

As always, this will be no-holds-barred chronicle; guaranteed to report the good, the bad and the ugly of our long-distance trekking experiences.

Note: These first couple of blog posts covering some admin and logistics really allow me to become reacquainted with all the idiosyncrasies of blogging.  The blog goes "live in country" on 21 or 22 June.

See you on the Way (the Pennine Way, that is)!

Blog practice at sunset from our west-facing portal in Santa Fe, NM