Today I was meeting my friends Charles and Sally who were driving over from near Manchester to walk with me to Hawes. Despite the music last night I slept well (apart from the angry voice incident) and woke about six. I had a leisurely breakfast and headed off to the car park to meet them.
It was a 14 mile day. The first half was mainly uphill, the second half mainly downhill. Once more the scenery was bleak although, as Sally pointed out, there were a lot of wildflowers amid the grasses.
We headed up and up into the hills. The path was stony underfoot and it seemed remarkably quiet. In fact there is little to say about today’s walk as it was all pretty samey.
We had a break from the monotony of moorland when we came across along Ling Gill a heavily vegetated stream in a valley and we did walk along a Roman Road. After 8 miles we stop for lunch, safe in the knowledge that we had done more than half the day.
In a more exciting turn of events, we met Raynor Winn who wrote The Salt Path. She and her husband Moth were walking from Scotland down to Cornwall and, were, like me, about halfway. I knew they were doing the Pennine Way (the wonders of Instagram) so I had hoped I might see them at some point. We chatted for a bit before they headed south and we carried on northwards.
Eventually the path turned downhill past ruined farmhouses, through stone-walled fields with stone barns, and hit the road just before Hawes in the hamlet of Gayle. We followed the path through the streets of Gayle and arrived in Hawes virtually opposite the White Hart Inn.
After a cup of tea sitting on a bench (the cafes had closed by now, it being nearly 5pm on a Sunday) we each made our way to our B and Bs before meeting again for dinner. It was so good to see old friends for the day, to catch up on their news, and to relax their company. Tomorrow is a rest day.
Rose's LEJOG 
You don’t sound as if you like the Dales very much!! Fancy meeting Raynor Wynn!! She didn’t like the sight of Mother Ivey’s Bay caravan park very much in The Salt Path!!
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It’s not so much the Dales, more the endless empty moorland I’m not enjoying hugely!
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How wonderful to meet Raynor and Moth Winn. I read The Salt Path last week (and cried) and have just taken delivery of The Wild Silence. Reading The Salt Path in parallel with your blog, I kept getting confused, wondering why you weren’t in Cornwall (addled brain). The Ribblehead viaduct is mightily impressive – I’ve cycled past it and crossed it by train (on a common or garden diesel, not the Flying Scotsman), all on the same day I think.
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It was great to meet them and he looked the picture of health. The Flying Scotsman came over the Viaduct on my day to Horton-in-Ribblesdale but I didn’t see it
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Very impressive Viaduct for sure.
I’d better not share blog with my Dalesman pal Steve as he’s a very sick man, stuck in E London and will most likely never see his beloved Wensleydale again . It might see him off !
I have about 6 pairs of earrings from Hawes
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I never even noticed an earring shop in Hawes-more fixated on the food shopping!
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How lovely to meet Raynor Winn and Moth. It’s good to know that they are still doing long distance walks
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