Note: I am writing this blog a few days after being home and is just a quick summary of what I remember from the days with a few pics.
I started the day up nice and early to jump on the train to Ilkley to meet Iain, aka "The Yorkshire Trailblazer"at the train station. Once I arrived we took a walk to Tesco for some food and made our way 1 miles down the road to the bridge which makes the start of the Dales Way. Unfortunately it was a false start....as when I saw the sign and looked to record on the GoPro I realised it wasn't strapped to my chest. I left my bag with Iain and ran the mile back to the train station and Tesco to find it. Luckily Tesco had it at the counter so quickly ran back to meet Iain. already 2 miles down and we hadn't even started haha.
The weather....let's start there....awesome! We expected some clouds and rain however it was cracking the flags which was a welcome sight. We would enjoy this weather throughout the whole 4 days albeit colder on the final day and freezing at night...literally! The river Wharfe would be on our side for the next couple of days too as we walk alongside it and take int he beautiful views leaving Ilkley, which is a lovely place on it's own.
After following the Wharfe for quite a while and taking in the sites like the Farfield Quaker House and the rolling fields and new born lambs, we reached Bolton Abbey which was a welcome sight' I've always wanted to see the Abbey and it didn't disappoint and was a great place to stop for 5 and have a quick drink and to take some pictures before heading off. This also is the resting place of the cricketer Frederick Sewards where Iain paid his respects as he's one of his Yorkshire heroes.
Bolton Abbey In Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England, Takes Its Name From The Ruins Of The 12th-century Augustinian Monastery Now Known As Bolton Priory. The Priory, Closed In The 1539 Dissolution Of The Monasteries Ordered By King Henry Viii, Is In The Yorkshire Dales, Next To The Village Of Bolton Abbey.
We continued back to the trail which meandered through Strid Wood, now a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which was quite busy with a local Eater Hunt by families and children. Few ups and downs through this section to give us a good initial test of the legs as we made our way to the Strid. This is a pinch point in the river where the rocks on either side are almost close enough to 'stride' across. Don't be tempted though, the rocks are slippy and the water is deep and fast flowing with hidden crevices and plenty of warning signs to tell you to stay clear. They believe it's about 65m deep and has caverns below and there are a number of recorded deaths so take your picture and stand back.
The route carries on and we put down some miles eventually hiking through across Hebden Suspension Bridge which is literally a swaying bridge. Bizarre walking over it and definitely a strange feeling as it sways walking over it. After this we hit Burnsall where a lot of people stop for food at the Red Lion. Beers were calling but we resisted and carried on and headed to Grassington as we wanted to try and do 20 miles per day to complete the Dales Way within 4 days.
The Devonshire Pub came highly recommended and although it was pricey it seems the best place to eat. We charged our gear, obviously had a much needed beer and we grabbed some much needed food. Iain opted for a pie, mash and peas and I chose a BLT which was massive and tasted great. I highly recommend it.
Once we ate our food we left with full bellies and more importantly fully charged gear after topping up my phone, battery banks and my Garmin Fenix 6X Pro Watch - my tool of choice for following all hikes I do with mapping.
We then had a long trek out into the hills and some moorland and for first first, and only, time on the trip we would feel some specs of rain in our faces. We pushed on to try and find somewhere to pitch our tent after we knew we had already achieved our goals of 20 miles (32km). Above the village of Ketterwell we found a great location just off the track and relatively flat ground. Not wanting to walk any further and wanting to stay shy of the village so we could grab breakfast there the next day we pitched out tents.
This was a solid first day and our final mileage was 22.75 miles (36.61km) over 9hrs. I was glad to get in the tent and would love to say I took some great night shots in the super clear skies however I stayed in my tent to rest and sleep. I was glad I took my decent sleeping bag as I was warm all night however it was literally freezing out. My tent would end up with ice on the outside AND inside and some condensation even on the inner. Iain regretted saving the weight and taking his lightweight summer quilt as even with all his clothes on he was freezing all night. Don't skimp on your sleep system as you need a great sleep. My bag is rated to -10 comfort rating and my Thermarest XTherm kept me toasty warm all night. Whereas Iain suffered.
End of Day 1.