Coast to Coast - Day 7

Kirkby Stephen to Keld - 12 miles

I must have been tired because I passed out seconds after crawling into my sleeping bag at 9pm. Rain was threatening in the morning so packing was done in the safety of the kitchen and a quick breakfast was consumed before leaving for the same reason. I said goodbye to the two hikers doing the C2C and set off at 7.30am. The first section was on private tarmac road with some impressive incline, funnily I found this easier than going up steps ... I really dislike them . Just when the road became a path the two hikers caught up with me and I stayed with them all the way to the Nine Standards, aka the highest point. The clouds were low, visibility was absolutely minimal and the high winds quiet strong. I usually spend some time at the top of a hill/pike/ben/mountain but this was impossible this time. Having the necessary layers and using them was essential so after a quick bite I set off. The two guys kindly offered their company as they've already done this trek 5 times and knew the path like the back of their hands. The next couple of miles were flat, mostly dry and only one section gave us a bit of a challenge, where we all sank mid-calf into mud, due to the boggy ground. The weather was very unpredictable and we had rain, drizzle, down pour and a bit of a wet patch with some very low clouds, it was so typical it was actually funny . Having two experienced guides came in handy when we got close to Ravenseat farm. I was told a family with 9 kides still lives there and they used to have their own television show. They usually do cream teas but as we were really early we missed the fun. The last few miles to Keld were a bit painful as I didn't have any breaks at all while walking with the chaps. So when they got a bit ahead I simply had a mini break and strolled into the village with no care whatsoever. Having a nice burger just outside the village with the big duo was lovely and the goodbye luckily was short and sweet. I arrived in Keld at 1pm, pitched my tent quickly and followed it up with a long shower just so I could warm up Having half a day's walk and the evening to myself to enjoy was extremely therapeutic especially by a lovely waterfall... massive AAHH moment. I was very tempted to go for a swim but the occasional rain and low temperatures were a discouragement. Few hours later the sun made an appearance but it stayed well under 17C so the evening activities included sunbathing with long trousers, reading with a view and listening to the sheep. Tomorrow is my last walking day and as much as I'm looking forward to sleeping in a bed I'll miss the daily adventures