Day 9 Kirkby Stephen to Muker ( 13.6 miles)

Day 9 – Kirkby Stephen to Muker (the on-going trek of Maurice and Munroe)


After a fantastic breakfast and the promise to Chrys the owner that we would be back to stay again, we set off at 9.20 in a light drizzle, stopping shortly for a compulsory picture of us on Franks bridge!

Then it was up the hill to the Nine Standards Rigg. On the way up we passed two groups that we have been bumping into all the way since the start, the Americans and Jane & Keith, the Dorking couple.  On the way up we had a look back and had our last look of Kidsty Pike, and were suprised as we thought that yesterday would be the last view of it!

We reached the Nine Standards Rigg at 11.18. The Nine standards are manmade cairns of stone, although no-one seems to know what they were built for! At this point we also crossed the watershed, so all the water from now on is copying us and is heading to the North Sea.

Sadly for us at this point the cloud came down, the wind was up and the rain started so on went all the wet weather gear again and the walk across the bogs started. Because the conditions were so awful we teamed up with the Dorking couple, the Americans and also Barry & Sue who had caught us up at this point.

James and Sean loved the bogs! There is no way that any of us could get over them without getting wet. To get over them, we tried running, jumping, walking lightly but to no avail, we all got wet. It was very slow going and the bogs were very deep, some of the gullies were over 6 foot deep, but eventually the cloud lifted and the rain stopped so at least we could see where to go!

We all took a break for lunch at 1.05 at Whitsun Dale Beck and the sun even came out! Then off again toward Keld, stopping at Raven seat farm for some coffee and cake! Julia Bradbury also stopped here when she came through, if it is good enough for her then it is certainly good enough for us. Sadly here, we said farewell to our new friends as we were staying in different locations and from today on we are not likely to see them again.

We set off from Raven seat Farm for Keld at 3.02pm, passing the Wainwath falls at 4pm, eventually reaching Keld at 4.10.

Keld is the half way point of the Coast to Coast and is also where the Pennine way crosses our path. We diverted onto the Pennine Way to head for our destination at Muker, which we reached at 5.36pm.

We stayed at Bridge House, which was a lovely B & B and only 100 metres from the Farmers Arms, where we went for supper. Once again an excellent pint of Black Sheep!