Day 00 Start - Edale - OS Grid Ref:- SK 12298 85949 - Height:- 254.13m
Day 00 Route - Edale->Kinder Low
Days Walk:- 3.88 Miles
Days Ascent:- 473.06m
Start Time:- 15:40, Finish Time:- 18:00
Walking Time:- 2hrs 20mins
Average Speed:- 1.66mph
Places of Interest:-
Naggs Head-Edale
Jacobs Ladder
Edale Cross
Peaks visited:-
None
PHOTOS (DAY 00)
Click here to view a slideshow of photos taken on DAY00 23 September 2010DAYS JOURNAL (DAY 00)
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| The Old Nags Head, Edale - Official start point of the Pennine Way |
First job is to load up first few days pages of blog as do not know when I will be able to update again.
Second job is to pack final few things into backpack which is already fully loaded with 56lbs and only top section left for days food.
Thank goodness for Tesco bags for life, though I think this is only putting off the day of reckoning which as it happens is "today".
Caught park & ride to Ipswich station with Gina and saw my mate’s wife Wendy Boother. Also when in Ipswich Debbie Alexander got off. How thoughtful of my friends to get up early to wave me goodbye.
½ hour wait at Ipswich Station and cup of coffee before train arrives, practicing our 'Brief Encounter' scene.
Sitting on the Norwich train reflecting on our emotional farewell looking for solace in my coffee, realised I had left it wedged into a ledge at Ipswich while I had my picture taken. Good start!
Train arrived in Norwich on time, leaving a mad rush from platform 3 to platform 1. Fairly straight forward except my tent fell off my backpack without me noticing. A fellow passenger let me know giving a timely lesson that what is not in the backpack should be both tied and strapped.
What a good start that would have been turning up on first night without a tent.
Anyway I found my reserved seat in the middle of the carriage, managing to clonk everybody as I went past with my backpack which was wider than the aisle. What a good way of starting up a conversation and getting to know people.
One lady asked if I was doing the Pennine Way and then went on to tell me about her friends on a psychic holiday in Denmark. My mind was racing thinking if they had to guess or even look into the future, or even learn and be given tuition on how to know what the next day’s itinerary was going to be. She also mentioned they had tents as well.
It turns out they were on a cycling holiday but I am sure you could find holidays of the other kind if you search hard enough on the net.
How come you can never buy a sandwich on a train when you want one. I had to wait until Sheffield for this treat and saw a meal deal with a picture of a sandwich, drink, crisps & apple for £3.59.
Great deal I thought, I'll have some of that, only problem was I could not see any apples, so I goes to the counter and asks
"Where is the fruit for the meal deal"
"You can't have large water with a meal deal."
OK I thought I'll have a small bottle and returns to the counter.
"Is that a meal deal you're having"
"Yes, but with the apple"
"You can't have apple and crisps with meal deal"
"Oh OK" I thought.
I never did find out where the fruit was.
Great deal I thought, I'll have some of that, only problem was I could not see any apples, so I goes to the counter and asks
"Where is the fruit for the meal deal"
"You can't have large water with a meal deal."
OK I thought I'll have a small bottle and returns to the counter.
"Is that a meal deal you're having"
"Yes, but with the apple"
"You can't have apple and crisps with meal deal"
"Oh OK" I thought.
I never did find out where the fruit was.
At last I arrive at Edale, after loading back pack I exit station and look for sign to Pennine Way. There wasn't one, how embarrassing if I had to get my compass out now. Further inspection revealed only one road from the left so I stroll up here as if I know where I am going desperately trying to get my bearings. For some reason I expected Edale to be near Edale station, but other than the Ramblers Inn there was nothing, continuing north I eventually came across Edale church, followed by Edale Primary School and next door "The Old Nags Head", the official start point of the Pennine Way. At this point the heavens open and I would have been drenched had it not been for the phone box (without a door) providing shelter. Leaving kit in phone box I nip across to Nags Head porch and don waterproofs & gaiters, hoping it was just a shower.
One hour later it is still drizzling heavily but decide to set off on my epic journey - what a start I expected to be rained on at some stage, but not this quickly.
I could have stayed at the campsite in Edale, but really wanted to get a few miles under my belt to give me a head start on day 01.
Setting off through the first gate and seeing the path disappearing into a tree lined tunnel hoping this would provide some shelter. Of course it did not.
Across the soggy paved fields to Upper Booth I was half looking for the campsite which I didn't find, so onwards to Jacobs Ladder, the first climb of the walk with my newly acquired extra weight of 60lbs.
Looking back along the Hope Valley the sun was lighting up the hills to shades of green and brown, it would soon be time to start thinking of where to camp. The next decision was to ignore visiting Brown Knoll, after all it is only a minor peak and it would soon be dark. The plan was therefore to ignore Edale Cross (an optional sight-seeing detour) head past Edale Rocks and on towards Kinder Low.
By now the wind was blowing from the NW and as I caught sight of Kinder Low trig point to my right I decided to look for a spot to wild camp;
· I could see a heavy shower passing behind me and another heading my way.
· It was 6-o-clock and getting dark
· I saw first patch of dry grass amongst the prevailing landscape of peat and large boulders.
As soon as I get my tent out two people appear out of the gloom. "Oh no, I think, the Kinder Rangers"
"Are you coming or going?"
I was not sure but blurted out "coming" nervously at the prospect of being moved on.
"Doing Pennine Way?" one asked.
"Yes" I said, although I had not got used o the idea of what I was taking on.
"Good for you" came the encouraging response and off they went, never to be seen again.
As I finished putting up the tent the wind strengthened from the west and it started to rain. With no further ado everything was thrown into the tent, followed by me head first, allowing me to roll over and take off my boots without bringing any mud inside.
All sealed up listening to wind blowing and rain beating I began to wonder what I had taken on.
No time for self pity, get the sleeping bag out, wet clothes off, get into bag and think about what to eat. Because of the wind I couldn't light up my stove so it was cold boil in the bag pasta and meat balls followed by malt loaf with cheese. Delicious, just what I had planned.
Nothing to do no but settle down for my first night’s sleep in a tent above 2000ft in anticipation of nipping to bag Kinder Scout in the morning before setting off for Crowden Campsite, day 01's end point.
ROUTE CARD DAY 00
| LOCATION | HEIGHT | DIST | ASCT | |
| Edale | SK 12298 85949 | 254.13 m | ||
| Edale->Upper Booth Farm Campsite | 1.43 Mi | 107.9 m | ||
| Upper Booth Farm Campsite | SK 10259 85301 | 277.95 m | ||
| Upper Booth Farm Campsite->Lee Farm | 0.44 Mi | 27 m | ||
| Lee Farm | SK 09644 85528 | 302.75 m | ||
| Lee Farm->Jacobs Ladder | 0.72 Mi | 84.9 m | ||
| Jacobs Ladder | SK 08786 86214 | 384.84 m | ||
| Jacobs Ladder->Path to Brown Knoll | 0.53 Mi | 148.7 m | ||
| Path to Brown Knoll | SK 08078 86109 | 532.82 m | ||
| Path to Brown Knoll->Kinder Low wild camp | 0.75 Mi | 104.6 m | ||
| Kinder Low wild camp | SK 07826 87218 | 626.36 m |
Day00 Day01 Day02 Day03 Day04 Day05 Day06 Day07 Day08 Day09
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