DAY 8…….KELD TO KIRBY STEPHEN

 DAY EIGHT-KELD TO KIRBEY STEPHEN

Today’s hike was somewhat of a milestone on the Coast to Coast for us as not only had we passed the half way point on the hike, we crossed the Pennine mountains, the so-called backbone of the British Isles at the watershed, where all rivers flow either eastward to the North Sea or Westward to the Irish Sea.  Until now we have been hiking westward through the county of Yorkshire but today we have entered Cumbria.  The hike started out in farmland and quickly moved into the boggy moors on the trek up the Pennine mountains to the “Nine Standards,” nine large Cairns at the top of the mountain with fantastic views of both Yorkshire and Cumbria.  The bogs certainly slowed down our pace but it was a relatively dry day so managed to hop through the boggy fields without getting to wet.  Read….mucky wet only up to our ankles!

We stopped for lunch and took in the spectacular views from the top of the hill with the Nine Standards under sunny skies, then made our way down to Kirby Stephen to find our hotel for the night.  A few pub stops, dinner at an Indian restaurant and we were back to the hotel to prepare for our longest day yet,  Kirby Stephen to Shap. Tomorrow will be the first of two stonkers.!

Stats today; 14 miles, 1450 feet ascent, no injuries, nobody was sucked into the bog!

Our Official Half-Way Point


Guest huts on the road out of town from Keld











The girls at a Cairn on the way to the 9 standards


They look like fields but are actually miles of Bogs to slog through




The so called, “Nine Standards” at the top of the hill overlooking Kirby Stephen and fantastic view of the Pennine Mountains

The nine standards again and views from them



Bogs, bogs, and more bogs











Oops!  The bogs are flooding the bridges.  Better find another way around!

The town of Kirby Stephen, our destination for tonight



On our way to our hotel for the night in Kirby Stephen


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