A decent breakfast, and our boots having dried out, saw us in good spirits ahead of today’s walk. We were scheduled to walk about 10.5 miles today. Our B&B host started to drive us back to Knarsdale… We just turned out the drive, and I realised I had forgotten my walkers pole. So Tricia jumped out and went and got it. Under the railway bridge in Knarsdale we disembarked, put our gators on and set off.

Not long into the day we got our first soaking. We ended up taking refuge under a sycamore tree…. Then we set off again, and the rain came again. And this became the pattern of the day. The rain came, we would shelter if we could and wait for it to pass, as when it did rain, it was proper full on rain! We were heading for Alston, it was about 6 miles in to the walk, but with the rain, the soggy conditions, progress was slow. It took us nearly 4 hours to do 6 miles, and we were both getting a little frustrated with the weather. Some pictures… First one of the wall with the tree in the background.. That tree saved us from a soaking, and there is one of Tricia under it under it taking cover. There is also a rather overgrown part of the walkway, bit of a surprise when so many people do it. I didn’t get to take too many pictures during the rest of the day as I ran out of memory on the iPhone…

We arrived at Alston around 1:30pm, and sheltered in a tea room for a while. Always a good place :-). We got some provisions in the local Co-Op and set off again. The afternoon relented and didn’t rain on us until we were close to Garrigill…. Again we took shelter. Ironically as we at last walked into Garrigill, the sun shone. It was only 10 miles or so, but had yet again been a slog, and hard work.

The B&B was lovely, with excellent drying facilities… We went to the George and Dragon across the road, a proper old pub, the food was basic, but good.

Today completed a week of walking. Kirk Yetholm to Garrigill = 82.5 miles of the Pennine Way done. Of course we have walked more, up and down onto the way for accommodation…. But nearly a third walked of the official route.