Sixty Years of the Pennine Way

On April 24^th 1965 the Pennine Way, the first long-distance path in the UK, was officially opened at Malham Moor. The idea for it came from journalist, walker, and campaigner Tom Stephenson who wrote a newspaper article in 1935 calling for a ‘long green trail’ in England. Thirty years later he was at the opening as secretary of the Ramblers’ Association.

The idea of a long foot path over mountains and moors was a challenging proposal back then as much of the countryside was closed to walkers. It took much campaigning and the passing of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 before the Pennine Way became possible. We have much to thank those who worked for its creation.

The battered copy of Wainwright's guide to the Pennine Way I carried in 1976

The Pennine Way is special to me even though it’s many years since I walked any of it as it was my first ever long-distance walk. This was in April 1976, eleven years after it opened. I encountered bogs, rain, storms, mist, and snow and I relished it all. This what I wanted to do. After I finished I wrote in my journal “this is not the end, this is just the beginning …” and so it has proved.

At the time I was a student, studying for a postgraduate certificate in education. I got the certificate but never used it. The Pennine Way had changed the direction of my life. I didn’t yet know I would make a living writing about the outdoors but I knew I needed to find some way to do many more long-distance walks. Two years later I walked most of the Pennine Way again as part of a Land’s End to John O’Groats walk that became the subject of my first magazine article. I was on my way, on foot and on the page.

Camp below Rakes Rocks, April 7, 1976

When I walked the Pennine Way I was not a photographer and had no thoughts of becoming one. I did want some snaps of my walk though so I took a Kodak Instamatic point-and-shoot camera which used the now long gone 126 film. This produced 26mm square images and I took several rolls on the walk. To describe the results as poor is an understatement! Neither the operator or the camera was up to the dull, dark weather conditions I encountered. But I’m glad I have some pictures from the walk, even if I have to grit my teeth at the quality!

Camp at Top Withens, April 9, 1976

Information on the sixtieth celebrations of the Pennine Way can be found here.

In The Beginning: First Long-Distance Walk & First Cairngorms Backpacking Trip

Camp below Rakes Rocks, Pennine Way, April 7, 1976

Going through more of my boxes of old photos I found an album with photos from my first backpacking trips in the 1970s. I'd forgotten I had this. The photos were taken on a Kodak Instamatic, a basic point-and-shoot camera. I wasn't a serious photographer back then and knew nothing about cameras or photography. I took snaps as momentos. I'm glad I did.

Having undertaken a number of one and two night backpacking trips and enjoyed them I was keen to try a longer one. I settled on the Pennine Way and the month of April because I was a student and most of the month was in the Easter holidays (we didn't have vacations back then, just holidays!).

On the train to Edale before the walk started I wrote in my journal: "Anticlimax and anticipation. The doubts. Is the pack too heavy? Can I do it in 15 days? Am I healthy enough? Most important, can I mentally cope? Well, there's only one way to find out".

Camp by Top Withens, Pennine Way, April 9, 1976

Fifteen days I arrived in Kirk Yetholm and wrote "This is definitely the way to live! I'm glad I did it. I expect I'll do it again and lots of different walks -Everest Base Camp, Land's End to John O'Groats, Appalachian Trail, Munros - what a future. I know now I can handle 2 weeks backpacking solitary. This is not really the end, this is just the beginning ... "  

It would be two years before my next big walk - Land's End to John O'Groats - but the next year I made a shorter backpacking trip with some friends that would be as influential as the Pennine Way as it was to the Cairngorms, a place I fell for immediately and which has been my home for the last thirty years.

In the Lairig Ghru, July 14, 1977

I had no car or much money so I hitch-hiked to Aviemore from Manchester, where I was living. That took a day and a half and I spent a damp, misty night in a plastic survival bag somewhere outside Perth. Then it was into the hills for a week.

Outside Corrour Bothy with my friend Alain

 
We went through the Lairig Ghru, up to Loch Etchachan, down to the Shelter Stone, into Gleann Einich, and climbed Cairn Gorm, Ben Macdui, Braeraich and Cairn Toul. The last two were on "one of the wettest days on the hill for ages .... went up Braeriach, wandered about in the storm getting slightly lost but eventually finding Cairn Toul from where I took a compass bearing onto the Loch Einich path and walked directly at it - & came out only 100 yards away". All those place were new then. They're very familiar now, visited every year, often many times. The magic has never gone though. I'm still as enthralled by them.

Looking over Loch Etchachan, July 15, 1977

Down in Edale for the Spirit of Kinder Day

Edale and Kinder Scout

Last weekend I was down south in the Peak District for the annual Spirit of Kinder Day, which commemorates the Kinder Trespass of 1932. I gave a short talk as BMC Ambassador for Hillwalking then acted as Master of Ceremonies for the rest of the afternoon.

The first two speakers looked back at the fascinating history of walking in the area, a history that is important for access and outdoor recreation. Ann Beedham gave a talk, based on her book Days of Sunshine and Rain: Rambling in the 1920s, about George Willis Marshall, a keen walker in the 1920s and 30s, who certainly didn't allow fear of proscution for trespassing stop him enjoying exploring Kinder Scout. The talk was illustrated with many interesting archive photographs of Marshall and his friends.

Chris Sainty then gave an illustrated talk about the history of the Pennine Way, which is fifty years old this year, and how it was conceived as part of the struggle for access back in the 1930s. This important story about Bntain's first long distance path is also told in Chris Sainty's new guidebook The Pennine Way: A Walker's Guide. I found the talk very interesting and it brought back many memories as the Pennine Way was my first long distance walk, at a time when it was only eleven years old.

The final speaker was Dave Morris, for many years Director of Ramblers Scotland and one of the leaders of the campaign that led to Scotland's excellent access legislation. Bringing the access debate right up to date he discussed how to gain such access rights for England. Start, he said, by stepping off rights of way and walking where you like. By doing this 'as long as you take responsibility for your own actions, respect the interests of other people, and care for the environment, you will eventually demolish the concept of trespass.” Secondly Dave suggested that an English version of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code should be produced.

Dave's challenging and provocative talk was followed by an open forum and a singing of 'The Manchester Rambler', led by a local Woodcraft Folk group.

Mam Tor

Many years ago when I lived in Manchester I visited Edale regularly to walk on Kinder Scout, Mam Tor and the other hills, usually camping on Cooper's Camp Site in the village. Although I hadn't been to Edale for well over twenty years it felt familiar as soon as I stepped off the train. I recognised the hills instantly and the village itself had changed little, though I noted that there were now three campsites and a few new buildings. There was no time to climb any of the hills but I was able to spend a few hours wandering round Edale marvelling at how green it was compared with home and determining to return for a longer visit.