Castleton To Home

The tweet says it all really.

Over the past 7 months, I’ve had so many ups and downs with this PF – good days, bad days, days when the pain/and or mental anguish has reduced me to tears – that even though I knew it was time to get back out on a solo camp, I will admit to feeling somewhat nervous about it. So in the end, I decided that for this trip I would use a campsite rather than wild camp, just in case The Foot totally misbehaved. That way I could contact Geoff to pick me up if necessary.

Day One, 4.77 miles

Ok, not a huge mileage by normal standards, but definitely a huge mileage by PF standards. Also, slightly more challenging underfoot than our average, daily dog wander.

It was a Sunday, very hot and very busy. Geoff dropped me off, and I set off in search of something to eat for lunch. We had planned on having lunch out together at a favourite cafe, but it was just too busy. A sticky cornflake thingy and a bottle of Coke would do.

For some reason, I do love a linear route that takes me home and I’d planned this one around the National Trust campsite at Upper Booth.

The first task, was to climb out of Castleton to Hollins Cross, where I would cross The Great Ridge, before dropping down the other side and into Edale. Field paths would then take me the last couple of miles west, across to Upper Booth.

It’s no big deal climbing up to Hollins Cross, but half way up I was acutely aware of both the heat, and how unfit I was feeling. Seven months of very low key exercise – and hardly any in the hills – has taken its toll.

I was also finding it hard to understand the number of dogs I was seeing out in this heat. Dogs that were looking decidedly stressed, too. Ours just don’t get exercised in these temperatures – we take them out in the comparative cool of the morning, and with their special Wet Coats on. Even then, Pebbles The Drama Queen will occasionally get teed off and dramatically throw herself on the floor, refusing to move any further until she’s had 5 minutes rest.

The campsite was very pleasant. I know it gets fully booked most weekends, but it was nearly empty this night. And they sold ice cream.

 

One of the farm dogs recognised me as a kindred spirit and kept throwing his ball at me.

The evening passed very pleasantly.

Day Two, 6.08 miles

A warm night, but I slept well and woke up to heavy looking, grey skies.

Very pleasantly cool and with a nice breeze. It wasn’t due to heat up again until the afternoon.

I was even wearing trousers (instead of shorts) and a long sleeved base layer.

And being Monday, it was so quiet. I hardly saw anyone all the way home.

We really do live in a nice area. It’s easy to forget that in the (often) manic crowds of a weekend, but pick your time and place, and you can still enjoy solitude.

And the foot? Well, it’s not totally better yet, but I barely noticed it over the two days. Just the occasional niggle. And that feels very good.