I woke around 5 as light dawned, and was away from Bryness by 5.30. Rain had already started, so it was on with the waterproofs before leaving Forest View, but it stopped just before I started the climb away from the A68 up onto Bryness Hill. That lull was the only part of the route that was dry, and as I crested Bryness Hill I got hit by the wind and the rain. While the rain was heavy my waterproofs coped with that, but the wind was something else. Strong and seemingly constantly off to my right or into my face, making going extremely tough and at times so strong as to nearly push me over.
Wind chill was beginning to affect my hands and foolishly I left it slightly too long before I got my gloves out, as my fingers were struggling to work fully. I had a pair of hand warmers in my sac, and those combined with the gloves at least got some feeling back into my hands allowing me to press on until I’d covered the first 9 miles to Yearning Saddle Hut. Once there I was able to strip off my Berghaus shell, get a hot meal going and change socks, as for the second time on the walk my Asolo fabric boots had simply been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of water they were having to face, both from the rain and the very boggy ground.
Mentally buoyed up after a hot curry it was then back out into the wind. The walk to the next hut, at Hen Hole, seemed to take forever and apart from remembering it was still wet and windy much of it is a blur. I remember reaching the track junction at Clennell Street, and wishing at that point I was to be collected and taken back to Bryness to be dropped there again tomorrow, but as I hadn’t booked their ‘2 day package’ I walked on. It wasn’t long after that I began to get quite concerned, as I could feel myself getting colder and beginning to recognise the very early stages of hypothermia. This was despite a base layer, fleece and Berghaus shell but even they were slowly allowing the cold in, mainly due to the wind chill caused by the strong wind, so I was relieved to see the signpost pointing the way to the Cheviot spur, where I was able to turn left and head across Auchope Cairn and quickly down into the hut at Hen Hole.
Glad at last to be out of the wind again, I started the second of my hot meals cooking and then had a good look at the map. Conditions were so poor that I knew I had to seriously consider waiting out the storm at the hut, but the distance from the hut to the point where the poor weather route dives off to the West of the Cheviots, and quickly drops into the valley below, where I knew I would get respite from the wind, was only 2 miles and I was confident I could manage that, so after eating my vegetable curry (not that nice but hot!) it was back out into the open.
Shortly after leaving the hut comes the final hill, the Schil, and it was a slightly sad moment, knowing that from there it was downhill to KY and the end of my 15 day journey, but never-the-less I was glad to be off it as I could then drop rapidly away from the Cheviots and into calm air, although the rain continued.
From there it is a pretty simple walk into KY and I was able to ring the bell at Cross Keys B&B bang on 6 o’clock, and must have looked like a drowned rat when Kathleen opened the door. I’d picked Cross Keys as it is the closest B&B to the end of the Pennine Way, and when I did so some 6 months ago I could never have imagined how pleased I would have been to get there, knowing that I didn’t have to walk any further at that precise moment!
I got a lovely warm Scottish welcome from Kathleen, and was relieved to be shown to a lovely room overlooking the KY Green, with views across to the Border Hotel and, if not still obscured by the low cloud, the Cheviots! After stripping off and warming up with gallons of tea and a hot shower, I headed across to the Border Hotel to sign the book, get my certificate and sink a few pints of real ale, not necessarily in that order!
Having enquired about ordering food, and finding they were very busy that night so couldn’t offer me anything for about an hour or so, I settled into a corner to reflect on the day’s events.
I think the barman took pity on me, as my order was taken shortly and the food arrived within 15 minutes, rather than the expected hour, and while it may have been my exhausted state the food was superb, and quite clearly showed why the Border Hotel was so popular.
Back in my room, I checked the odometer on my Etrex 20. The distance is quoted at 268 miles in most guidebooks. My GPS showed 265.7 miles, pretty accurate considering I taken the original (and 2 miles shorter) route at the start over Kinder rather than up Jacob’s Ladder.
Then it was off to bed, with sleep coming pretty rapidly!
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