Day 5 on the Pennine Way, Stanbury to Elsack

Day 5 on the Pennine Way, Stanbury to Elslack.

I had breakfast with Brian and Inge but I decided I wouldn't travel with them today as they had a different route than me, were going further, and were anxious about pressing on. I didn't want to spend the day worrying about holding them back or with the stress that they had, and they are faster walkers than me! 

The pub is not far from the resumption of the Pennine way and it begins in a fairly relaxed minute alongside Ponden reservoir.  At the top of the reservoir crosses over and starts to climb. And if there is a story to the day then the day is about going up and coming down, going up and coming down, going up and coming down.... 

Over a few miles the path climbs up to 1500 ft until you find yourself above the green meadows and onto more open bleak moorland. The paths are mostly grass or  peat and very easy on the feet.  It ascends past cat stone and then fairly gently (most of the way) towards the village of Cowley, crossing the a6068 to Colne.  

Almost immediately it climbs steeply back out of Cowley and over Cowley hill which rises to about 900 ft. Then down again into the valley and towards Lothersdale.  I found, to my surprise, that on neither of these long descents did my left knee give me any trouble at all, in fact, I found I was romping down the hill like a young 55-year-old! This was a great joy and meant that I could enjoy the benefits of coming downhill. After having slogged uphill. It felt like on the long uphill sections spring was being wound, and then the kinetic energy was unleashed as I flew downwards.

I was over halfway by now, but I knew I had to make a rendezvous with a taxi to take me into Skipton at 4:30 p.m. so I pressed on a bit. I spotted a river, which turned out to be the Surgill Beck. I decided I would find a spot by the River for lunch. When I got to the river I spotted Brian and Inge just finishing their lunch, so I joined them and we swapped Pennine way stories. Inge has a mortal fear of cows, but we haven't had to walk through any yet.... 

Brian and Inge pressed on and I followed shortly afterwards.  The path continues all the way down into lothersdale and then back up the other side over Elslack Moor, steeply!  It is a long, but not to arduous climb, though it does go on much longer than you might expect.

A TOPOSCPE (orientation table) has been erected by next to the trig point at Pinhaw Beacon on Elslack Moor.

Its creator, Douglas Goode, said it is in memory of all who died of Covid-19 and with grateful thanks to all NHS staff and care workers for their unselfish dedication during the pandemic.  This was a lovely surprise to find. After that it is a long downward romp into elsack to make my rendezvous with the taxi driver at 4:30 p.m. this took me through a huge field full of cows many of them standing on the path, and as I slalomed between them, I noticed one wasn't a cow but a big muscular bull. I wondered how Brian and Inge had coped!

Very proud of myself. I arrive at the pub in elsack at 3 minutes to four, only to find the taxi driver already waiting for me as he had been told 4:00.  He was there to drive me to Skipton, the Woolly Sheep Inn, and on the way there he was telling me all about his family gathering for their Eid celebrations today. 

Either I have now got my walking legs. I am now eating and drinking enough to keep my energy levels up or my knee protector and stick have made a huge difference or a combination of all three meant that today felt much easier and it felt like I had more miles in my legs and was walking much more strongly. It made the day a joy rather than a slog. A further joy was to find that my room has been upgraded into a deluxe!

I'll now attach a dump of pictures. Some of which depict things I have mentioned and others are just views that I found attractive..

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