Trial Hike

Trial Hike

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I arrived at Edale a little past noon.  I must have been the only American walker expected to arrive today, because the fellow behind the bar recognized me as Mr Miller.  I got settled into a very comfortable room.  I feel almost guilty, because it’s a lot more lavish than where Mom and I stayed in Keswick, but I am here only the one night.  If this pub wasn’t so pleasant (or if my battery starts to go flat), I could even go back to my room and keep typing on a desk.  You who are used to American hotels and motels will think little of this, but I’ve gotten a pain between my shoulder blades from typing earlier numbers of this journal on the bed while sitting on a straight chair beside it or sometimes typing on the floor cross legged because the only plug I could use in the room was too far away for my cord. 

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All of this is the merest piffle compared to how I spent the afternoon.  The weather has gone a bit awful in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region>, and so I was frankly a little nervous about setting off in the morning for a 20 walk through the hills.  I decided I wanted to get out and walk a bit to make sure I was ready to dress properly.  I really didn’t learn much about the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Peak</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">District</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Park</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> in which I now find myself.  I figured I’d be spending the bulk of my time here putting one foot in front of the other and sort of pick up what I could along the way. 

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I already had my map folded with Edale in the middle, so I looked for paths that would give me and my kit (“kit” is <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> for “gear”) a little workout.  At the advice of all the walking guides, I had bought gaiters, rainproof sleeves that fasten below the knee and to the boots below.  I had doubts as to whether these things would really be needed, so I went out for a walk with all my foul weather kit except for them.  Well, I’m going to need them, I came back with my lower pant legs completely sodden and muddy, so I learned that much.  To be honest, the only reason I didn’t try them out is that I thought they would mark me out as an even bigger dork than I already look like.  It will perhaps warm Sara’s heart to know that I am even capable of worrying about such a thing.  Well this was my last sacrifice to fashion.  From now on, I’m going geek all the way and keeping my trouser legs dry.

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I can’t imagine what I was worried about anyway.  I already have the accessory that marks the wearer as completely lost to fashion in the interest of convenience.  It’s a plastic sack sized perfectly to let you shove an appropriately folded map into it with only a modest amount of profanity.  The whole mess then hangs from your (alright, I’ll quit trying to drag any of you into this) my neck where it is always handy to consult the map.  Other people can’t read the map of course, but they can all read the large implied letters that say “The wearer is a goon out for a walk, and he doesn’t care what a twit he looks like, at least he’s probably not lost.” 

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At any rate, I looked at my conveniently available map, and decided to do a little field crossing and hill climbing, perhaps even walking down into the larger village of Castleton in hope of finding a haircut.  I’d made a late in the game decision that this whole walking trip would be easier with hair that needed even less care than I usually give mine.  Well, I walked up to a spot called Hollins Cross where a bunch of paths came together.  From there, one of the paths rose steeply to the top of something called Mam Tor, which my map showed was a hill fort.  I couldn’t resist that, so I kept climbing.  It got pretty easy, since part of the path up Mam Tor is flagged with local stone.  It basically felt like walking up a hilly sidewalk in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:City>.

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I should mention that the weather was cooperating with my plan to test my outfit.  It was sometimes sunny, meaning I felt a little too hot and decided no more long sleeve shirts under my rain jacket.  It was sometimes raining, and everything worked pretty well then.  It was sometimes sleeting, which just seemed ridiculous for May, but there you have it.  These sorts of weather changed over with surprising speed.  I started to feel like there was nothing going on I couldn’t deal with, but I’d be happier if some kind of whistle blew or something like that before the sun was suddenly blocked out and crushed ice started falling from the sky.  Weather changes just pour over the hills into these valleys and change in seconds. 

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Sometimes I even got several at the same time – sunshine and sleet with high winds being the strangest combination.  I was a little put off that simultaneous rain and sun didn’t produce rainbows, but then I finally did see one.  I took a photo, but you have to already believe you’re seeing a rainbow to tease them out of the pictures.

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From the top of Mam Tor, the views were tremendous.  I took four photos in different directions with my back to the trig point at the summit.  If I manage to present them in the right order, you’ll be able to see that the sky clouded up just in the time I was shuffling around and pushing the shutter four times.  You really are unlucky in having me describing all this stuff to you, because words fail.  The land just spills out in front of me full of all kinds of details and sheep, and all I can say is it’s very lovely, and you ought to come see it for yourself.  Perhaps I’ll improve with time.

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I made my way back to Edale by way of another village called Barber Booth (on the off chance that I could get a haircut there, but no dice).  Bought some trail snacks and a long bootlace (to make a strap for my rain hat so it doesn’t blow off) at the post office.  Resisted buying my sister out of law Rebecca a hideous sheep shaped key ring at the national park shop.  Finally came back to the Rambler to get out of my filthy trousers, have a long, hot soak in the tub, code my route for tomorrow into the GPS gizmo, eat some soup, drink a few pints, and write all this.  I’m about ready to take a book to bed.

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Garmin Facts:  5.77 Miles walked in 2:11 walking with :35 resting for an average moving speed of 2.6 MPH.  I’m changing the climbing totals to meters now, because that’s what my maps are in – 413 meters climbed.  Multiply by 3 and give me a little more for windage if you like feet better.

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At the end of it, I wished I’d been wearing my gaiters, but felt like I could easily have done it three more times.  I think I’m ready for tomorrow.

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