Day 41 -Hawes to Tan Hill 18.5 miles

Climbing upto Grand Shunner Fell

Looking back at Hardraw

 The climb up to Grand Shunner Fell is the largest challenge today and, since it's stretched over 5 miles, isn't too bad. The weather however made up for this blowing wind and rain through out. I passed the usual gaggle of Duke of Edinburgh students and one was kind enough to pull by backpack  cover back in position for me.

River Swale just after Thwaits

  At Thwaits they passed me as I ate a bacon bab at the B&B cafe. It worries me that I seem to be going to exactly the same places I visited last time and having exactly the same meals. Says bad things about my adventuring spirit.

Keld Falls

  A lovely clamber onto Keld before the climb up to Tan Hill, the highest pub in the country. They were showing the football so hparking my bum I failed to write any of my blog but spent my time instead defending Rooney against the petty judgements of the group of men on the table beside me.

Tan Hill

  The pub was having an off night, the bar tender rather rubbish forgetting three times things I'd asked for and drinking behind the bar between cigarette breaks. Not the place I'd loved on the last visit. It was however brimming with walkers to talk to and I met a load of interesting people.

Day 39 & 40 - Horton-in-Ribblesdale to Hawes 14 miles

Cam High Road, looking back at Yorkshire's Three Peaks

  Straight forward day walking along the old Roman Road Cam High Road across the Yorkshire Dales National Park up to Cam Fell. You climb for most of the day but only 560 metres in total before descending into Hawes and rest. I enjoyed my carrot cake from yesterday's stay at Horton's Women's Centre as well as jam and peanut sandwiches I'd made for lunch.

  I met two of the ladies I'd met last night half way up. They were cycling the Pennine Bridle Way and dismounting accompanied me for a while. Also further on I met for female hikers on a weeks worth of walking.

Looking across Hawes towards Great Shunner Fell

  Hawes is lovely and full of cafes and shops as well as the great Bainbridge Ings Caravan and Camping Site with cheap laundry and open well groomed fields. The only downside was the campers who parked beside me talked till late. Not the worse crime in the world but I learned way more about them then I'd wished to.


Day  40- Day off in Hawes
  Wrote up blog on the morning while waiting for family to arrive. Spent a pleasant day wondering around town with them before lounging at the campsite in the evening.

Day 26- Hopton Castle to Wall Under Wye 18 miles

Morning light on camp in Hopton Castle Woods

Haven slimmed today's millage by seven

miles I was much more relaxed with setting off from camp, leaving at 8:30 and finding my way through the maze of bike trails back down onto the plains. Once through

Hopton Castle Woods

you join onto Park lane and follow it for 4 or so miles all the way to the town Craven Arms. Here I stopped and ordered myself a decent cooked breakfast even though it was lunchtime.  Then you join the Shropshire Way along the Wenlock Ridge. Having found a kind person to refill my water in Strefford, just after Craven Arms, I was ready for the last stretch to Wall Under Wye and the fabulous Brook Farm Campsite.

  Wenlock Ridge continues for thirty miles, a forested ridge on the middle of the plains and is lovely if undramatic. More importantly, once you've climbed to reach it, the path is flat and easy.  I reached the camp by six and was greeted by a wonderful couple who made me some tea. We talked for a while before they showed me round their campsite. The
lawn here is fit for Wimbledon, not a daisy or weed in site. The whole place is not only clean and well presented but has a feel of a home and of been loved. The bathrooms are roomy, clean and house strong showers.
There's nothing to complain about. I fell in love with the place and the atmosphere created even though there were only three or four occupants in the field.
 I made friends with two caravan people and having been invited spent a lovely evening with them and their dogs drinking copious amounts of tea.

Day 10- Hartland Quay to Westacott Farm, Abbotsham 16 miles

Rain rolling over the fields just before Clovelly

  I woke to the sound of rain, and knowing the weather predicted that there would be plenty more to come accepted the inevitable and began to pack up my things. I remained in the tent for most of this, stuffing my sleeping bag back into its stuffit sack, and deflating my mattress. As soon as there was a break in the rain I hurried to carry everything to the campsite shower block and under shelter. Instead of rolling up my tent I lifted it as one and hurried it all inside before dissembling it. This proved to be the right move since  a moment later a violent downpour came and lasted for quite some time.

Out from Hartland

  Today's walk is another example of bad planning. I thought it was a nine mile jaunt inland to Clovelly where I'd be camping at Westacott Farm and collecting my first lot of supplies. Once again I hadn't really checked where the campsite was. In fact today would be a 16 mile walk, half on the coast path and half inland. First I'd walk past Hartland Abbey and along the Pattard Wood over the top of Harland before crossing Brownsham Woods and heading across the fields into the historical town of Clovelly. Here I wondered around a little looking for a campsite. The woods were pleasant, obvious walking grounds for dog owners and locals rather than tourists. This is a quality very much in their favor. I was by this point sick of tourist focused towns. I did enjoy, however, the manner houses dotted around the place. After passing through the fields you come close to Clovelly Court, before a windy set of paths sent me off course from the village and further inland. There was a man stood at the entrance to the correct path and he was staring at me the entire time I walked towards him,  I smiled and tried a greeting and he carried on staring. Since he gave me the creeps I walked on without consulting my map, eager to be away from him.
  Once I'd gathered the campsite was another nine or so miles from Clovelly I carried on a touch dispirited and soaking wet from the continual rain. The only route I could find also involved walking a mile or so along the rather scary A39, and without pavements I felt myself tensing more and more as cars whizzed past. Finally I escaped back to the shore and began battling the coastal path. This section it woodland, and even though the rain was easing a little the ground remained very slippery underfoot.
  A few gentleman, at intervals, were heading the other way and I stopped and talked to them. I liked the first one particularly, a smaller man in his fifties smoking. He was walking the coastal path and described the land that lay ahead of me. Hard he said, and since he'd just come from my campsite he was able to tell me that it had taken him four hours to reach this point. A little daunted by this I trudged onwards only to find  my companion for the last few days walking behind me. I told him to go ahead as I was taking it easy today. I was also, if I was been honest, listening to a rather good bit of my audiobook and couldn't face conversation when wet and fed up. Jonathan Stroud wrote three wonderful novels called the Bartimaius Trilogy and they are both funny and wonderfully tragic works which I adore. I needed his hum our to keep me going.

Last section to Camp

  Ten minutes later, however, he'd stopped to talked to another hiker and I found myself walking behind him. Regretfully I shut off my Ipod and we talked, once in a while I assured him that when I began to fall behind I would not take any offense if he left me there. As we reached the next hill this happened and it was the last I saw of him.

Westacott Campsite

  Finally I reached the Westacott Farm Campsite. Campsites are both uniform and wonderfully varied. This place had wonderfully flat grass, great facilities including kettle and microwave but above all it had the most welcoming and friendly owners I'd yet encountered. The entire family were lovely and I felt instantly safe and at home to crack silly jokes and ask questions. They showed me their pet owls and we talked for some time on schools and teaching as a profession. They'd also kept some posted supplies for me and I enjoyed a portion of these supplies that nights while cooking. A lovely place to stay.

Day 3 of 3 Crowden to Hadfield

Short walk today, campsite to the Didsbury Intake's disused quarry, then back down to the reservoir and along the path to Had field. It's a day with a stiff climb over the first mile and then easy walking with pretty views.

  The night was cold and I woke several times. In the end I slept in to enjoy the final warmth of the morning. Not eating breakfast I packed up and headed out determined to find a pretty view from which to eat.

View up in the quarry while having lunch

View from the reservoir back to the quarry

The climb was hard but the views were great from the top and the path along the quarry pretty. It's on this path that I stopped and cooked myself some cuscus. It's the first time I'd done this in such a deliberate manner. I should have taken my shoes off and let them breath but worried about time didn't bother. My soles had began to hurt like on the Pennine way, the third day seems to be the painful one.
  The walk along the reservoir is flat and easy although I felt quite tired at this point and was glad to reach the train station and head home for a bath.
  Next hike is the big one!

Gear Review - The Jetboil Zip Cooking System

• Drink-through lid with pour spout & strainer
• Bottom cover doubles as a measuring cup and bowl
• Compatible with all Jetboil accessories
• Weight: 12oz (345g)
• Volume: 27oz (0.8 litre)
• Boil Time for 16oz (0.5 litre) = 2 minutes, 30 seconds (avg over life of Jetpower canister)
• Water Boiled: 12 Litres per 100g Jetpower canister
• Dimensions: 4.1” x 6.5” (104mm x 165mm)

Bought : October 2013 

Cost : £71.95

Meals cooked : 100+   

 PROS

 I've just finished reading 'Wild, From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail' by Cheryl Strayed and while  I appreciate that it was written about equipment in 1995, descriptions of her stove make me appreciate just how clever this device is. I've so far used it in the monsoon season of Australia, in heavy rain, open moor land, sandy and windy beaches as well as the occasional backyard gardens. It has never faltered, possibly because in its design and manufacture its wonderful simple with very few parts that might go wrong. The materials are light and durable, and easily packed away. The insulation Cargo Cozy on the main cup means that the water heats quickly, and stays warm for a while after which means you use very little fuel. Also allows you to handle it without scorching yourself. On my week long hikes where I cooked at least twice a day I'd end with plenty of fuel left in my 100G cans.  I generally ate straight from the main cup, using the measuring cup to drink out of. When I pack things away they all fit together and I slip the matches or lighter between the heating coils at the bottom, trapping them in with the measuring cup. It means my entire cooking system can fit into the side pocket of your bag weighing only 12 oz, I don't understand why people would bring much else if only cooking for yourself.
  While your restricted to single pan meals there is some leave-way since it brings the water to boil so quickly. I was able to heat water for instant mash which I made in the measuring cup before heating the sauce and pouring it on top. Since the whole operation was completed in ten minutes nothing was too cool by the time I got to eat it.

 CONS

I stopped bringing the locking pot support very quickly as it made packing things away hard and served absalutely no use unless you're bringing another pot, which in turn makes the whole system pointless. That said is allows you to adapt the jet boil to accomodate more if you go on a trip with friends. It is simple enough to leave behind and while it hasn't served me any use at all its cetrainly not ruined the devide.
  The ground stabaliser is also a little tricky and unreliably, which is important when you're cooking in the middle of the dry season in Australia and bush fired are a real danger. Again I must temper my criticism since the twice the stove fell it was at least in equal measure my own stupidity and clumsiness. 
  I remember the first time I used it I found the temperature knob very sensitive and hard to use. Since the cup it insulated its hard to have the hob low enough that the contents is allowed to stew. I found I needed to turn it off once in a while to prevent it overflowing, and then you need unscrew the pan to relight it. When it did occasionally overflow its not simply a pan covered in muck but also the insulating material, and if you have a limited water supply (as in parts of Australia) you want stuff to be as easily washable as possible. The heating system, on the subject of cleaning, is also very tricky. Moreover the lid is black and while it may increase cooking speed makes it impossible to monitor any approaching overflows. I see on their website that they have made the lids see through now which would mediate this problem considerably.

Conclusion

Cooking lunch in the Australian Bush

  I've ended up listing quite a lot of faults but they are all with the accessories, and on the whole the Jet Boil is well worth the money. Its durable and reliable. I don't cook elaborate meals on a trail, in fact I limit myself to ten minutes cooking time, often simply mixing cuscus and stock or soup powder and instant mash. What I need is something to heat water quickly, use only a little fuel and provide me with hot chocolate after. For these uses Jet Boil is wonderful and after using it the idea of bringing pans and plates seems ridiculous. I guess the best test of a product is would you be willing to spend the same again on the product after yours breaks. I most definitely would.