Needless to say we left without having enough breakfast or getting enough food to last us through a wild camp tonight. But I did prepare two hard boiled eggs for the road as I have become psychologically dependent on them.
This was it, our final 29 miles on the Pennine way, the path goes over the Cheviot hills and there are no villages, places to stay or refreshments along the way. We were on our own now until the end. And it felt exciting.
I didn't fall in a bog and for the most part they were paved with flag stones or duck boards.
The views were tremendous and the path took us back and forth over the Scottish border. It was wild but tame; windy but calm; cold but muggy; boggy but rugged. All those contrasts that have become so important to me were right there for me to experience all at the same time. I can't tell you how fortunate I felt to be on the last leg of this amazing trail that had taken me up through the heart of a country I adore.
Cotton grass and the Cheviot hills.
Scots out for a day hike and resting at this mountain refuge.
A Sottish caterpillar
We had planned to camp half way but decided to move on and try and get to the next hut.
We arrived at Hen Hole hut exhausted but happy to have completed 21 miles in one day. This meant we only had a short day tomorrow. It also meant we could be down for lunch which was good as we had little food left.
We sheltered in the hut and ate our delicious Dairylee and crisp sandwiches before putting up our tents. I also signed in the visitors book and searched for entries of any known people that had come by this way before me. So fun to read all their stories. No sign of Sarah.
It was windy and cold but with all my layers on and my summer REI bag I was cozy enough and it was a wonderful way to spend my last night on the trail.
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