Keld to Hawes
Sunday 9th April 2006
13 miles
Click here for all our photos from this walk.
We woke to another sunny morning, but there had been more snow in the night and the fell-tops all around Keld were white. 'View day' involves climbing up and over two of these fells and we started with an enjoyable climb over Kisdon, with good views down to Muker and then Thwaite.
We descended into Thwaite and shortly afterwards joined the Pennine Way for the climb up Great Shuner Fell. We stopped for a herb tea on 'his and hers' stones either side of the track then continued uphill onto open moor. The stones slabs placed to reduce erosion provided a useful route across the boggy bits and made the path easier to follow.
We reached the snow line and stopped for a snack and photographs at the 'prominent beacon on Shunner Fell Rake', then on to the summit. The weather was clear but there was quite a lot of snow lying (up to 6 inches with some drifting) which made the path difficult to follow in places; we were grateful for walkers going the other way, and their footprints, for helping us to find the way.
The climb to the summit had been very pleasant but the descent across 'a moonscape of bogs and peat hags' seemed to go on for ever. Eventually the features became more distinctive and we walked down a pleasant grassy slope then along a wide walled lane and turned right to leave the Pennine Way which had been our companion since Thwaite.
We cut across to Appersett (managing to avoid the flooding) and then followed a circuitous route to Hawes, by way of a railway viaduct, a very attractive long barn, Ashes Farm - and snow! We walked through Hawes to Fair View House. We had a very attractive large bedroom, but given the weather conditions I would have preferred a bath to a shower - and given that we hadn't had a proper lunch it was unfortunate that this was the first B&B of the Herriot Way not to offer us cake on arrival! We went into Hawes to phone Michael and Helen (there was no mobile signal from our room) and for a lovely meal at Cockett's Hotel.
