Day 34- Crowden to Standedge 13 miles

   Today would be less than 13 miles and if the moors were dry should also be relatively easy. The Pennine Way goes up the valley along the Great Brook and up to Black Hill before crossing over the Dean Clough brook and the A635. Within the first twenty minutes of the walk I met four gentlemen also walking the Pennine Way and I joined them for a little while. All in their middle ages, some possibly near retirement, and experienced walkers on their second it third jaunt up the Pennine way.

Looking back to Crowden, along the Great Brook

  I'm not sure about etticate when it comes to talking to groups of other walkers, how long you should walk with them or whether you're intruding or not. They were friendly but after fifteen or so minutes I increased my pace and left them behind. In this way they were very useful to today's walk, having people walk behind you drives you up the hills and stops you taking breaks every ten minutes.

Waking towards Black Hill

  Near the top of Black Hill I met two men searching the distant landscape with binoculars. One asked if I'd seen another Pennine way goer, a women in her 60s. I hadn't but between us we worked out where abouts she was on the map and I left them to it. Soon after, as I stopped for tea at a burger van on the A62, I was rejoined by the 4 gents and we compared notes on the walk so far. If found it hard and was relieved they had as well. My memory told me the next part would be easier, around Bryn Clough Reservoir and over the moors to Standedge.
  There were a few more nasty climbs but I got to the Carriage House Inn by three which meant I'd barely walked six hours that day. Here I had a bath and relaxed, Djokovic, last I heard, was up a set against Wawrinka and figuring he would probably win in straight or four sets I didn't go in search for signal to listen on. Instead i had a long bath and watched an episode of West Wing. As it turned out Wawrinka won in four ending Djokovic winning streak and stopping him from becoming one of the greats who'd succeeded in winning all four grand slams. During Wimbledon there is a danger of this blog morphing from a hiking over into a commentary on the tennis.