# Pennine Way Walk



## Dave (Jun 20, 2014)

Not a book launch, but I have Brian's permission to put this here. 

If you follow me on Twitter you will have seen that I've walking a lot recently in preparation for walking the Pennine Way. Well, the time has finally arrived and it's too late to back out of it now. 

Starting next Wednesday I am walking the Pennine Way. Partly to get fitter, partly to experience the countryside without any cars, and partly in support of Penge Green Gym® where I've been volunteering as a leader for a few years. I will be away for almost three weeks between 24th June 2014 and 14th July 2014.

The Pennine Way is Britain’s oldest, longest and most well-known long-distance walk. It starts in the village of Edale in Derbyshire and ends at Kirk Yetholm in Scotland, 258 miles later (though everyone quotes a different number of miles.)

The Penge Green Gym® is a Community Group in South East London. It is an independently run group of volunteers who run a weekly practical gardening session in Winsford Gardens, a park in Penge, South East London with the aim of improving both the local environment and the health of their volunteers.

The Conservation Volunteers Green Gym® is a scheme which inspires you to improve both your health and the environment at the same time and is supported by the NHS and by MIND.

Experienced leaders guide you through a range of practical projects, giving you the opportunity to tackle physical jobs in the outdoors - improving your strength and stamina, boosting your practical skills and confidence and benefitting your local green spaces.

You can find out more about the work of Penge Green Gym on their website: Penge Green Gym |Community Gardening Conservation Volunteers

On Twitter @GreenGymPenge or Facebook/PengeGreenGym

I will try to post my progress and photos on Twitter #DavesWalk

If you would like to support the work of Penge Green Gym you can donate money through this link: 
#DavesWalk


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## Mouse (Jun 20, 2014)

I have seen your pics on Twitter. So, do you start walking and do stop overs at B&Bs/camping? 

I love walking (though I seem to have developed the hip of a 90 year old), and would love to do something like this when I'm retired or something.


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## JonH (Jun 20, 2014)

Best of luck with that, and have fun.

My brother and I did a bit of it once (we turned east onto the Coast to Coast) and all I can say is watch out for waterlogged rabbit holes on Great Shunner. I nearly did my ankle in.


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## Juliana (Jun 20, 2014)

Sounds lovely, Dave. I've been following your tweets, but had no idea they were in preparation for this. have fun!


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## Dave (Jun 21, 2014)

Mouse said:


> So, do you start walking and do stop overs at B&Bs/camping?


I'm doing it the (relatively) easy way - I have booked through one of the companies who carry my luggage every day, so I only need carry a day sack. I'm staying at B+Bs and small hotels (all booked in advance so no chance of an extra day off.) Anyway the Tour de France means everything is already booked up.


JonH said:


> ...all I can say is watch out for waterlogged rabbit holes on Great Shunner. I nearly did my ankle in.


Thanks, I'm not looking forward to walking in the bogs although most of the worst parts have been paved with flagstone. I am looking forward to the limestone features around Malham as it is one place I've never properly visited.


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## Foxbat (Jun 21, 2014)

Good luck with your walk Dave.
Hopefully you're better prepared than this idiot.
Tourist in flip-flops rescued from Aonach Mor peak - The Scotsman


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## Mouse (Jun 21, 2014)

Dave said:


> I'm doing it the (relatively) easy way - I have booked through one of the companies who carry my luggage every day, so I only need carry a day sack. I'm staying at B+Bs and small hotels (all booked in advance so no chance of an extra day off.) Anyway the Tour de France means everything is already booked up.



Ah, that sounds good! Do you have to work out how long each part of the route will take you to walk so you know you'll get to the hotel on time?


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## Dave (Jun 21, 2014)

Mouse - I have a good idea how fast I can walk on the flat. The problem I discovered a few weeks ago is that speed can fall to zero when walking in mud on bridleways, or where paths are overgrown and unclear, and where signs have been turned around. It is highly dependent upon the weather conditions. And this is not a flat walk at all!

I'm hoping for warm clear weather and well marked paths without horses. Most of these B+B's are 'one horse' affairs and I was told they can leave my meal in the microwave.


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## Mouse (Jun 21, 2014)

Well good luck! Take loads more pics and share them with us, won't you?


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## AMB (Jun 21, 2014)

Not sure I'd call it the longest long-distance walk in Britain, but good on you anyway.   

I'm doing a 16 mile walk around Purbeck at the end of the month (actually comes in closer to 20 miles) -- was going to be 25 mile but that version of the walk is a lot harder because of elevation and steepness. I was feeling quite good about myself for going for this, and you just have to go and *upstage* me with 268 miles (according to the Ramblers' Association). Bah. You just wait until I'm able to walk the entire South West Coast Path...  

Have fun!


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## PTeppic (Jun 22, 2014)

Have done the first week, though 20 years ago... though I do go out hiking at least onec a month. Which reminds me I'll be in your estimated area in a week's time, i.e. somewhere in the Yorkshire Dales. Will try to work out where you are and maybe sit somewhere and wave as you go by. Or even join you for a mile or two...


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## Dave (Jun 22, 2014)

Someone to walk with would be welcome. I hope to find others on the way and have three or possibly four days when others will join me.My itinerary is here if that helps you:
Fundraising Walk - Penge Green Gym - Pennine Way - #DavesWalk - June


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## Grimward (Jun 22, 2014)

Can't say that I'll be over across the pond to check this walk out any time soon, but it sounds like a great adventure (and for a good cause too!).  My best wishes that it's everything you want it to be, Dave; enjoy!


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## PTeppic (Jul 7, 2014)

Just bumping this thread, because... I've met Dave! We had a mini-Chrons-meet-up, which really just means him and me, near Langdon Beck in the Tees valley. Still plenty of time if you want to help the cause he's putting a lot of effort into fundraising for.


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## Dave (Jul 16, 2014)

I'm back home! (though I'm going away again soon for a few weeks!)

It was fantastic! The weather helped with that. Great experience, even emotional at times. Great views of England and Scotland you cannot see any other way. Made new friends. Total physical exhaustion at times. I lost some weight but not as much as I had wanted due to full English breakfasts, pub food and beers! Still at least I feel fit now.

It was great to meet PTeppic, if only briefly. He was coming the opposite way and still had eight miles to get to his digs. I was almost there that day. He is the first person from Chronicles I've actually met in real life.

Thanks, Grimward, for your welcome donation to Penge Green Gym. If anyone else would like to donate then cause is still open until the end of the month #DavesWalk

I'm certainly going to do more long walks in the future, though probably not as long as this one.


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## Juliana (Jul 16, 2014)

Congratulations Dave! 

I've thoroughly enjoyed your tweets with all the lovely photos.


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## Dave (Jul 16, 2014)

I'm glad you enjoyed them. Twitter won't let you search for Tweets more than 10 days old (I think) but you can see all those I tagged with #daveswalk at https://tagboard.com/DavesWalk/159873

And thanks Brian for the donation!


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## Juliana (Jul 16, 2014)

Great link, Dave, thanks.


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## Grimward (Jul 18, 2014)

> Thanks, Grimward, for your welcome donation to Penge Green Gym.



Congrats on finishing, Dave!  And you really ought to bottle the recipe for losing weight on a diet of pub food; should be worth millions!


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