A Brief Introduction
If you don’t know my background, read these brief biographical notes.
I was born in 1946.
My parents were Madge and Charlie Stott.
We lived at the corner of Leeds Road and Fairfax Street in
Otley, West Yorkshire, at the foot of a steep hill called The
Chevin which divides Wharfedale from Airedale.
Now read on………
Pete Stott
January 2008
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January 2022 Update - Ashgate Hospice Winter Appeal
Virtual Pennine Way, January 2022 - Collected Facebook Postings
31st December 2021 Jen and I will be starting our one-month "virtual" Pennine Way (254 miles & over 36000 feet of climbing) on 1st January.
We'll be walking the roads and lanes and bridleways within 6 miles of Cutthorpe. Funds raised will go to Ashgate Hospice via Peter Stott on Just Giving
Give us a wave if you see us, and if you'd like to donate, throw cash, hurl insults or give us a round of applause, JUST DO IT!
Happy New Year to you all!
2nd January 2022 We've been blessed by 2 days of excellent weather, and we've walked a total of 28 miles. We've made a height-gain of 4416 feet, slightly higher than Ben Nevis. We've chatted with a few people, and we've seen generous donations on the Just Giving website. The distance we've walked would take us on the Real Pennine Way to Standedge, on the summit of the A62 road between Huddersfield and Saddleworth, but we need to do an extra ascent of the Oxton Rakes bridleway to match our height-gain to the Real Pennine Way. That's part of tomorrow’s walk, when we hope to advance our Virtual trek to the Calder Valley near Hebden Bridge - a longish haul, but not too much climbing for a change. After that we have a deceptively tough day or two, crossing several minor valleys and the intervening ridges as far as the A58 at East Marton, followed by a steady day to Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
3rd January 2022 We have (virtually speaking) crossed the Calder valley just west of Hebden Bridge. Again, we've had good walking weather. Today involved less height-gain so we've not tramped any of our circuits, taking instead a more natural route through the countryside while using only roads, lanes and bridleways. We passed through Barlow, Holmesfield, Horsleygate, Smeekley Wood, Bar Brook, Ramsley Moor, Moorhall, Wilday Green, Wilkin Hill and the dreaded ascent of Common Lane. Huge thanks to all our donors!
4th January 2022 The Virtual Pennine Way Walk has moved north to Ickornshaw, a place few have heard of, on the A6068. It's as near as the Way gets to the Timothy Taylor brewery. It's Day 4. It's been tough (29km with 865m of ascent). The Way took us across the grain of the country, over repeated valleys and ridges, passing the ruin of Top Withens, a location associated by some with Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights". We've completed 4 days in superb January weather. Tomorrow we should reach Malham, making 121km in 5 days. We've registered 3425m of ascent, which is more than the combined heights of Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike. We're doing this without using vehicles, accommodation or cafes or pubs. We're actually loving putting in a lot of effort. We're working some long shifts. So are those who work at Ashgate: thank goodness for them and their dedication. Again, a huge THANK YOU to our generous donors for supporting the Hospice.
5th January 2022 As we hoped yesterday, we did indeed make our triumphal entry to our virtual Malham this afternoon. Today’s walk was 16 miles with 2461 feet of ascent. Jen and I have felt fitter than we could have expected, which might what happens when 70-somethings have learned lessons from their experiences in earlier decades! Other business requires our attention in the next couple of days, but for the purposes of this ongoing narrative you might imagine us relaxing at the Buck Inn or the Lister’s Arms at Malham. I rather like to imagine that myself!
8th January 2022 A big day, including Malham Cove, Malham Tarn, Fountains Fell, Penyghent, Horton in Ribblesdale, then rising steadily towards Old Ing. We’re in our virtual bivouac now, having used up all the daylight. This has been Day 6 for us, and despite a wet morning we’ve enjoyed every minute. We’ve registered 26.22km (16.4 miles) with 743m (2438feet) of ascent. Total distance so far is 149.4km (93.4 miles). As on all the other days so far, we stopped for a quick lunch at my house. Tomorrow we’ll probably have a steady day, spending time in Hawes (Neil Spencer, remember 1963?) and at Hardraw before tackling Great Shunner Fell on Monday. However, when the Pennine Way demon gets into your bloodstream it’s hard to slow down, so who knows where we’ll lay our heads twenty-four hours from now...? Many thanks to all our donors on Peter Stott on Just Giving
10th January 2022 This was our 8th day of walking, taking us from Hawes in Wensleydale over Great Shunner Fell to Thwaite in Swaledale, across Kisdon and on to a virtual overnight in Keld. Altogether, we've walked 191km (119 miles) with over 5000 metres (16405 feet) of ascent. We're hoping to pass the halfway point (both distance and ascent) tomorrow, somewhere on the bleak and boggy moors beyond Tan Hill Inn and north of the A66. To celebrate passing these "milestones", we'll take a day off on Wednesday.
11th January 2022 *We just passed the half-way point*...Yes, so far so good. A steady 22.5km (14miles) today past Tan Hill, soggy Sleighthome, A66 and then the easy but wet ups-and-downs to Baldersdale Reservoir, just across the valley from High Birk Hat Farm, where Hannah Hauxwell lived. She became a much-watched TV character in her old-style farmhouse with her traditional animal husbandry. Total distance so far 213km (133miles) and total ascent 5835m (19144feet). Tomorrow's a special day: would have been my Dad's 106th birthday, and he's the one that got me started on the hiking thing. Thanks Dad!
13th January 2022 The weather is doing its best for us, and today we've moved from Baldershead Reservoir through Middleton in Teesdale and along the bank of the River Tees past Low Force and High Force. We're just beyond Langdon Beck, where there's a YH and a pub, so we'll pop back there for the night. Distance walked today 23km (14.4miles), ascent 605m (1985feet) in the gentle landscapes around Cutthorpe. Many thanks again to the many generous donors, whether on https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Peter-Stott3 or by cash or cheque. The combined total is nearing £2000, which Ashgate Hospicecare sorely needs, having been unable to hold some of its big fund-raising events during the COVID years. Tomorrow it's up the valley and across the moor to High Cup Nick, arguably the most spectacular viewpoint between Derbyshire and Scotland, with a pause in Dufton before the Big Climb over Cross Fell and the long stony track to lovely Garrigill in the South Tyne valley.
14th January 2022 A steady day to Dufton, with great weather. Fabulous views from High Cup Nick for anyone on the real PW. Eleventh walking day. Total distance so far 252km (158miles). Total ascent to date 6887m (22596feet). Tomorrow it's Cross Fell, highest Pennine hill. Hmmm...
15th January 2022 Thirteenth day on the Virtual Pennine Way, and we've climbed Cross Fell and are heading downhill on the stony old Corpse Road. A big day, with 980 metres of ascent (3215 feet). Yes, in the real world we've been up and down the Oxton Rakes bridleway more times than I care to remember!! Just ahead in the virtual world is the village of Garrigill, where the "George & Dragon" is being redeveloped. We won't get a pint there on this trip, but for me it's a "must-visit" when it reopens later this year.
16th January 2022 Day 14. A steady day along the valley of the River South Tyne, with an overnight break at Slaggyford. The morning walk from Garrigil to Alston is fine, but the next few miles are unexceptional compared with what went before. Tomorrow we plod northwards to meet the undulating course of Hadrian's Wall near Greenhead, with an overnight stay at Once Brewed YH before the slog through pasture and forest to the delightful little town of Bellingham.
17th January 2022 A short day's walking down the valley of the South Tyne River to Greenhead, where tomorrow we'll tackle the undulations of Hadrian's Wall. Statistics for those who like them: total distance to date amounts to 310km (194miles) and total ascent is 8387m (27518feet). Total number of days with significant rain: one! Not many icy patches, and no more than a sprinkling of snow. Unbelievable!!
18th January 2022 We’ve now walked 327.4km (205miles) on our Virtual Pennine Way and are heading yet further east along Hadrian’s Wall. This diversion is forced on us by Storm Arwen which last December felled so many trees in the border forests that the PW has been diverted for safety reasons. We’ll re-join the usual route near Bellingham, and after that we’ll find out what damage the storm caused in the Redesdale forests. We’re able to reduce the pace a little, having exceeded our expectations earlier in the walk, and we’re keeping fingers crossed that this astonishing January weather stays with us. The total raised for Ashgate Hospice, on Just Giving and by cheques, is close to £2000. We're delighted, and we thank all who've donated.
19th January 2022 We hiked eastwards on the temporary diversion beside Hadrian's Wall and are settled down (virtually) about a mile to the north at Greenhaugh. We'll take a couple of rest days, and we should be back in business by the weekend. We’ll spend time in Bellingham before we tackle the final three days across the moor to Redesdale and along the Cheviot ridge. Wish us luck. Ashgate Hospicecare needs the money we raise through your generous donations. We are delighted to say we've already raised £2000 so THANK YOU to all who've given.
21st - 23rd January 2022 We pottered about in and around Bellingham. Well, it’s a nice spot, so why not? We wanted a rest before committing to the moors, the Redesdale forests and the Cheviots.
24th January 2022 Diverted again because of the damage caused by Storm Arwen, we nevertheless made progress onto the Cheviot ridge and spent the night in a mountain refuge hut just below Lamb Hill at a spot called Yearning Saddle….no, I’ve NO idea where the name comes from.
25th January 2022 Knowing we’re near the finish, we sauntered along the high and exposed ridge, over Windy Gyle, and bedded down in the heather near a path called Clennell Street. This Virtual Pennine Way allows us to do such things, but I can tell you we wouldn’t be doing that on the Real Pennine Way, especially in January.
26th January 2022 Our penultimate day of walking took us up Cairn Hill, onto the Cheviot plateau and across to Auchope Cairn. From there it’s mostly downhill, apart from a stubborn little climb up The Schill, after which we pressed on to bivouac at Old Halterburn Head, a deserted farm. It was so peaceful that we spent two nights there…..virtually, of course…
28th January 2022 We took the short walk to the Border Hotel at Kirk Yetholm, the official end of the Pennine Way. A reception committee of friends and fellow walkers welcomed us into Cutthorpe. We’d walked the equivalent distance (over 260 miles) and the total climbing (over 36000 feet) on the Pennine Way in the month of January. We did it on lanes and bridleways within 6 miles of home. We never went higher than 300 metres above sea level. No transport involved. No expenses. We enjoyed it, thanks to the amazing weather - one rainy day in twenty-eight.
Beneficiary of donations: Ashgate Hospicecare. Many thanks to all donors.
Thanks too to the reception committee.
Be happy and help others.