Friday 1^st September - Keighley to Langdon Beck (Teesdale)

After a coffee at Skipton. I was delayed by about half an hour helping a woman to get a roof mounted bike (which had been carefully secured by her husband) under a low arch. I was rewarded by some cake and flapjack. It was great to finally enter the Yorkshire Dales via Wharfdale, bringing back some early childhood memories. I stopped briefly at Kettlewell and sheltered from the rain showers before climbing up and down into Wensleydale, my next major cheese stop! I made the mistake of buying lunch at the museum shop, where I tasted just about every variety-samples of Wensleydale they had, before making a final purchase of a wedge of Wensleydale with mango and apricots followed by cheesecake for my lunch.

I felt slightly queasy after this rich menu, not really lightened by the plum bread and flap jacks I had to accompany it. There were several long climbs, and the weather cleared briefly at Kirby Stephen where I stopped for a fruit smoothie and energy bars before the final climb and descent into Teesdale, only to be faced with a long haul up to Langdon Beck which lay at the head of the dale. The hostel was in a wind swept location and was showcasing several environmental features including a wind generator, and I later found out it was the highest hostel in England.

    Distance: 85 miles

Into the Dales                                                          The Wharf was full and fast flowing

The outlook worsened                                                Angram

The Spectacular Yorkshire Dales                                  A great descent

Entering Teesdale                                                     The weather cleared