Day 11 - Keld to Reeth

The rain pours down overnight.  So much so that I can hear it impacting on the thick slate tiles that roof the converted barn in which we are staying.  In the morning the barn yard is a frenzy of ducks, trawling through the newly wet ground.  Which is all very well for the ducks, but we are supposed to be walking in this.  Fortunately the weather starts to clear about 10am, leaving some dramatic sky-scapes.

Looking down the Swaledale valley

Today's journey is a relatively gentle stroll down the valley, often beside the river.  The weather slowly improves throughout the day, and we have a very pleasant walk.

The Lipton river, flowing out of Yorkshire's famous tea growing highlands.  A factory downstream extracts the water, combines it with fine wood shavings, and packages it as tea bags.  OK, OK - it is just the run off from the peat bog above.

Fields near the village of Gunnerside.

We have arranged to tent in the campsite at Reeth.  We are managing to do this about one day in three, to help keep costs down.  However, on arrival the effervesant campsite owner offers us the use of a caravan for approximately the same price.  This is great because it means that we don't need to spend time setting up and taking down our tent, or pack the tent wet in with all of our other gear in the morning.  As we do most nights, we have a meal in the local country pub.  We have become very enthusiastic about these old gems.

We are now over half way through the Coast-to-Coast, and although we end each day quite tired, we are otherwise both in reasonable physical condition.  The current plan is to try to complete the Coast-to-Coast with six days walking, then a rest day, then five days walking, then another rest day, then a final five days walking.  We are certainly looking forward to our next scheduled rest day - the day after tomorrow.

Distance walked today: 20km