Day 12/20 The Pennine Way 429km - Middleton-in-Teesdale to Langdon Beck - 8 Aug 2009

11.6km, slight ascent, took 4.5 hours (15min rest)

A very rewarding walk, not difficult. Although sunny (great for photographs), the burning sensation from the sun was toned down from the frequent cool breezes. :) After a comfortable night stay at the B&B and a well-made breakfast, I spent some time shopping around Middleton to stock up food as well as to buy a nailclipper. Haa....long nails had the risk of breaking and causing bleed...some past lessons learnt. I also visited the post office to mail home 3 OS maps which had become unnecessary, having passed those regions.

I was in for one of the best days today. The riverside walk with tedious stiles and vision-hampering woodland. As I continued upstream, the spectacular effect of the river manifested itself as it cascaded over unyielding dolerite sills to create the waterfalls of Low Force. An eye opener indeed! I was also entertained by a brave canoeist who canoed down the waterfall! See video taken. :) ENJOY!

It was soon followed by the mesmerising powerhouse of High Force: an impressive drop of 21m which took the Pennine Way to a new dimension! Quoted from my guidebook: "People have done some strange things here. Some have gone off the top, ending their lives in the torrent. Two boaters were stopped at the last minute from attempting to kayak off the top and a visitor from abroad slipped on the flat shelf at the lip and though saving himself, catapulted the infant on his back over the edge to its doom. There is an odd fascination about raging water which seems to compel people to get just that little bit too close." OMG!














Leaving the thundering falls, I crossed the Tees at Cronkley Bridge where my day ended among the scattered, whitewashed communities of Langdon Beck. The YHA was located in the middle of the beautiful quiet landscape of the North Pennines. I was lucky to be able to check in when I arrived. The late afternoon and evening was spent peacefully - dinner, then sitting by the window in the lounge, reading, ... Lovely. :)