Day 9: You Take The High Road ...and I'll take the High Road.

Keld to Reeth (12 miles)

Two choices today! The first choice was to go the nice short route along the River Swale to Reeth. The second choice was to go up over the tops of the hills ( adding on an extra 2,500 feet to clamber over. ) No prizes for guessing which route we had to take! Yep! You got it! The  higher, harder route. Dad's main excuse of the holiday is : " If you are gonna do it, you got to do it the 'right way!' ( hmph! you trying to say we are not doing it the 'right way?' )

We walked down out of Keld and followed the road until we came to a slippery side path that led up to the hills and above the Swale. We took the path and started to clamber over to the top, passing eerie abandoned mines, while all the time The Swale was shadowing beneath us.

Leaving Keld

The Swale at Keld

On the way up we passed rusty metal objects that were very interesting!....

Anyone seen the AA man?

As we climbed the hill we passed the 100 mile mark since St Bees Head (it seems a long time ago).

Once we had reached the summit we dipped down into a valley and crossed a bridge running over a stream leading onto the Swale ( way down in the valley below. ) We then started to clamber up to the top of the next peak and passed land that had been eaten away in earlier days by the hushes used to find metal ore seams. When we reached the top  of this peculiar looking landscape it looked  rather like the surface of the moon!

Astronaut Caits ready for space .. but is space ready for HER?!

We walked along a flat terrain for about 2 miles until we reached  an old ore iron smelting mill. We passed this quickly and soon came to a small bridge by the road named Surrender Bridge. We stopped there in  our hats and sun glasses and our factor 50+ slopped all over ourselves thinking we couldn't ask for better weather! Then the rain came down. And boy did it pour! There was a quick flurry to get waterproofs, backpacks, and boots and to get out of this dark raincloud that seemed to of hit us.

The Iron Ore Smelting Mill

We plodded down into Reeth and Dad ( who had walked ahead ) was waiting for us with drinks, crisps, and a ice cream for me!

End of the day on the green at Reeth

One  step closer to Robin Hoods!

Caity :o)

Highlight of the day: Breaking the 100 mile barrier!


P.S Thank you to everyone who has posted comments so far as they really cheer me up. Keep them coming!