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Kirkby Stephen, Nine Standards, Mallerstang, Yarlside, Cumbria/Yorkshire (5 day backpack)

Fri 13 Oct 2006

Fri 13 Oct 2006
Sat 14 Oct 2006
Sun 15 Oct 2006
Mon 16 Oct 2006
Tue 17 Oct 2006

 

I left the house at 6am to catch the bus to Preston, £2.80 one way. It was very quiet in town as I walked to the Railway Station. There was time to kill while I waited for the 7:20am to Glasgow Central so I sat a while in the waiting room. It was very warm and stuffy so I waited out the remaining minutes on the platform. The train was on time and there were plenty of seats. I got off at Oxenholme and waited for the 8:41 564 bus to Kirkby Stephen. It arrived on time which is interesting as Friday 13th is supposed to be bad luck for travelling. The interesting thing is the fare. £2.80 one way to Kirkby Stephen, the same as the Preston journey except that it's over 3 times the distance for the same money.


Preston Railway Station

It was a lovely sunny drive through Sedbergh and on past the east side of the Howgills. I arrived in Kirkby Stephen town square at 9:40 and spent a few minutes sorting myself out before heading off towards the Nine Standards Rigg. I was walking on a section of Wainwright's Coast to Coast route, which I completed with Charlie in 1980. As I've commented in previous articles its so scary thinking that it was over 26 years ago. I walked down a narrow way with a high wall to my left then over Frank's Bridge, crossing the River Eden. A drawing of the bridge in Wainwright's book shows it much as it is today. The path across to Hartley was well tended and the grass mown. In Hartley I was back on the road for a while and climbed steeply up past the working quarry. A post van passed me higher up so there must still be inhabited houses. I became quite warm in the sun and I was soon down to my t-shirt. Even higher the post van returned and gave another wave as I moved off the road to let him pass. I came to a terrace of cottages at Fell House, which I suppose is where the postman had been.


Frank's Bridge - then


Frank's Bridge - now

   


Rebuilt cairns on Nine Standards Rigg

After Birkett Hill I left the road and followed the way marked track up the fell. It was a steady but easy climb and in places the grass was so closely grazed it was like walking on a bowling green. Although I'd walked it 26 years ago I don't remember anything of the scenery. My only memory is of looking for somewhere to camp near Kirkby Stephen and an old man letting us camp in his back garden. A goodwill gesture I've remembered to this day. The outline of the Nine Standards appeared before me and as I climbed they got larger. They are a category above your average cairn as they are huge. When I reached them it looked like some of the larger ones had been re-built. There were two walkers by the largest cairn when I arrived at 12:07. We exchanged a few words then I went off to find a suitable pitch for the tent, which is where I am now typing this note.

 


Sunset from my tent.