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Langdon Beck to Dufton

The River Tees near to Cauldron Snout
The River Tees near to Cauldron Snout

The biggest problem with walking a track for the second time is the lack of punchlines. The last time I walked from Langdon Beck to Dufton the wind howled straight into my face all day, and I remember it being wet underfoot, freezing cold and one of those days where I was too tired to be happy when I reached the end; instead, I remember falling into the Stag Inn at Dufton in a state of exhaustion that even a couple of pints of Bass failed to cure. But ignoring the physical demands of the day, I remember the River Tees being beautiful, I remember the climb up past Cauldron Snout being interesting, and I remember the sight of High Cup Nick being incredible. Unfortunately, because I remember them all so clearly, it rather took the thrill out of today's walk, because although the sights were as good as I remember them, they just weren't as interesting second time round.

Across the Pennines

Cauldron Snout
Cauldron Snout

It's at Middleton-in-Teesdale that the Pennine Way takes a sharp turn west; this is where the Way crosses the Pennines to Dufton before switching back the following day to go northeast over the highest point of the Pennine chain, Cross Fell, and then to the little town of Alston. As far as heading from Land's End to John o'Groats is concerned this is a detour that adds an unnecessary day to the schedule – a more sensible approach would be to head straight from Langdon Beck to Alston in a day, cutting out the switchback – but this is the section of the Pennine Way that broke me last time and I want to conquer it before moving north.

High Cup Nick
The stunning sight of High Cup Nick

End in Sight

High Cup Nick
High Cup Nick

The first time you see it, High Cup Nick is astounding, and even second time round it's impressive, even though there's no sense of surprise as you gingerly walk up to the edge. It's hard to describe what you can see as the Way gently rises over High Cup Plain and approaches High Cup Nick, but this is what I thought I saw, anyway...

A sign warning that Maize Beck can flood
A sign on the way into Dufton
The descent into Dufton
The descent into Dufton