The one with the PUDS, trail magic and true grit.
🥾 DISTANCE: 13 miles
📍 LOCATION: Chollerford to Twice Brewed
🌞 WEATHER: Overcast, but warm and windy. Good walking weather.
⛑ HOW’S EVERYONE FEELING?
We are now starting to see a few more blisters, and painful hips and ankles. Saying that, spirits are high and everyone is soldering on with zero complaints.
SUMMARY:-
Day three of this trail is always my favourite. The scenery throughout Northumbria National Park is just fabulous. We reached the trig point at the highest point of the trail, stopped at Housteads for a late lunch and ended the walk via Sycamore Gap (Robin Hoods Tree). Today the limelight should go to Gwyne & Holly who walked an extra 1.5 miles and got back to our hotel at 8 pm. We all formed a human archway for them to walk under and it was emotional. I’ve never seen such grit and determination to finish a trail like that. Wow!
THE LONG-WINDED VERSION:-
7.30 Twice Brewed Hotel has the best breakfast. The continental had everything you can imagine and then we all ordered a hot breakfast to follow. I had slow-cooked porridge. Yum!
8.30 With full bellies and a bit of apprehension, we clamber into the minibus and set off towards Chollerford.
9 am – Gwyne & Holly stay on the bus as the lovely Keith drives them approximately 1.5 miles up the road to where they were picked up yesterday. They are determined to connect their footsteps and walk the whole length of the country. We wave them goodbye and wish them luck.
9.07 – Everyone knows their check-in places and the first stamp is at Chester’s. Passport time! Soon after, we pass a weird-looking mini maze and some lions in the front garden.
☕️ 11.12 – I’m walking with the front runners, Sue, Steve, Cheryl & Mark. We reach a little van that was in a car park selling hot coffee/tea and blueberry muffins. The four decide to trek on and I decide to indulge in a caffeine hit while waiting for the next group.
😆 Jimmy the Scottish coffee man was a real character. As hikers came down the hill ge would play a game. People were either customers or MB’s. “What’s an MB?” I asked. “miserable bastards” he replied. “You can spot the MB’s before they get here. They usually have a map dangling from their neck and wearing a floppy hat” 😂 The next two people trudging down the hill had a big OS map dangling from their neck. “MB” he said with a grin. Sure enough, they didn’t even give us eye contact and just walked on by! Alison, Len, Dawn, Pat & Gabriele arrived. We stopped for a good 20 mins enjoying a coffee.
11.40 – Not long after the coffee stop we reach our first ruin on the walk. It was a temple and had strange energy about it. I got chatting to father and daughter, Rick & Kim from Colorado, US. Hiking this trail was his gift to Kim for graduating from college. She was studying international affairs and didn’t know what she wanted to do when she got home. He was a commercial lawyer. You meet really interesting people when hiking a National trail.
12.38 – The walk is becoming more and more beautiful. You can see for miles and we keep seeing big sections of the wall. You can easily be transported back to Roman times. I’m still in awe of this magnificent piece of history. “Beep beep” I hear a car horn and look up. It’s Keith! I grin and wave back. 20 mins later I receive a text message from him. “Your two ladies at the end were at the trig point” … thanks, Keith.
PUDS PUDS AND MORE PUDS
(Pointless Ups and Downs!) Some parts of today’s walk is super steep!
2.15 pm – I’m excited as I can see Housesteads in the distance. There is a massive temporary art construction with motivational words all over it which is impressive. I’m walking with Alison & Len. We have about 400 meters to walk but Alison is done and wants to sit down and rest her feet. She was hungry (it was gone 2 pm) and a break was well overdue. “Just a little bit longer,” I said, “it’s literally just around this corner. We can have a loo break and a sit down”. Begrudgingly, Alison put her backpack back on and grabbed a banana before continuing on. Len just laughed and all three of us trudged on a little bit further before collapsing for a well-deserved break at Housteads.
40 mins later the rest of the gang turned up to collect stamps on their passports. Pat lay down on the floor and declared “wake me up when it’s dinner time!” 😂 Everyone is feeling it today. The walk is challenging and it’s now just a mental game until the end.
I leave them all resting and wish them well. I’m going to put my foot down and try to catch up with Mark & Cheryl. AirPods in, I’m like a woman possessed as I march on with urgency in my step. It’s good to have some “me time” and I also know that my favourite part of the trail is not far away.
4.15 My determined mind was distracted by outstanding views of lakes and cliff edges. It wasn’t long before I was descending a familiar section and then it was there…. Sycamore Gap (on AllTrails it says “Robin Hoods Tree”. I give the tree a hug and take a few mins to sit down and take it all in. I’ve never walked this section on my own and right now, it’s just me & the tree. There is no one else here. Recharged, I give the tree one last pat and carry on. From here you can take the easy or hard route. I opt for the easy route and skip/jog my way down the hill towards the pub.
4.50 pm I can see two familiar bodies walking on the road in the distance.. “That’s Mark & Cheryl” Mark has a unique style of walking so he is easy to spot. I caught up with them just as we reached the pub. High fives all around and a big glass of wine was calling!
Sue & Steve were already here. Sue goes for a well-deserved shower and the rest of us enjoy a beer/wine on the bar while we wait for the others to arrive.
5.40 pm – Alison and Len, closely followed by the three amigos walk into the pub with a round of applause. Even the staff joined in the celebrations.
I’m getting a bit worried about our two ladies who walked the extra section today. They have been in contact and I know they have refilled their water bottles (a lovely man from a farm filled the bottles for them). They have food and snacks. I receive various photos and phone calls over the next two hours and I’m so very proud of them. These two ladies are super focused and have such a positive attitude it’s commendable.
8 pm – We have all eaten in the restaurant and I take my beer outside. I won’t rest until they get here. I spot two little bodies turning right and onto the road. “That’s them!!” I run back into the restaurant and shout “they are coming!!”. Everyone gets up and runs outside. We form a human archway way to a tremendous round of applause the ladies walk through our tunnel with lots of oats on the back and a big well done.
This is such a special, supportive bunch of individuals.
We are now halfway there!
Night night. See you tomorrow.