Day one dawned and a quick look out the window showed low cloud on the surrounding hills, but I’d enjoyed a lovely night’s sleep so felt well rested. Breakfast was a gargantuan affair, and set me up perfectly to start the Pennine Way. As I went to pay I got a surprise when Theresa told me to put the payment towards Help for Heroes, the charity I was raising money for, a very generous gesture and much appreciated. Leaving the B&B I switched on my GPS and, after my recent problem that required a visit to Go Outdoors when they replaced the ‘broken’ Etrex, I was relieved to see it boot normally! Then followed the short walk into Edale, to arrive at the Nag’s Head where I reset the trip on my GPS, never to reset it until the walk was over. Gulp … it was now 0810 … time to take the first inch towards the 268 miles or so.
Leaving the Nag’s Head I headed up the ‘old’ route that took me up Grindsbrook
onto the Kinder Plateau, and was pleasantly surprised to reach the top within the hour I’d mentally given myself.
Very misty on top, but thanks to my GPS I had little trouble finding my way across the Kinder plateau to Kinder Downfall
The rest of the trip to Crowden YH seemed a simple enough stroll across to Mill Hill (where I bumped into Peak Lad from the walking forum) and onwards to Bleaklow, with a pause when I reached Snake Pass for lunch. Having heard that Day One puts many Pennine Wayfarers off I was pleased at my (apparent) fitness level, since I completed the 17 miles in just over 7 hours. I’d managed to book one of the few single rooms at Crowden YH, and very comfortable it was too, allowing me to swiftly change out of my boots and then sup the can of Speckled Hen that I’d sneaked into my rucksack at the last moment before leaving home!
Had the evening meal at Crowden, fish cake to start and then a Thai red curry washed down with a bottle of Undertaker ale, a lovely pint!
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