Pennine Way day 13 (wed 30th april 2014) - Alston to Greenhead (17 miles)

The weather report for today doesn't look great so we're eager to get going before it gets really bad, we have an early-ish breakfast and set off at 9am. My knee is really sore from yesterday, think it was the corpse road that did it but after a few ibuprofen it seems ok and we pick up some sandwiches at the garage before heading towards the train station for the start of our walk.
We've decided to follow the south tyne trail as far as we can as it follows alongside the pennine way route, which doesn't sound too appealing to be honest, comprising mostly of lots of boggy fields!! It's easy walking if a bit dull and we knock off the miles really quickly reaching first Slaggyford and then onto Lambley viaduct where we head through the village and up onto the main road to rejoin the pennine way path.

We stop for a sandwich and try to call Chris' dad who is meeting us tonight and tomorrow but can't get through before turning the corner and literally bumping into him walking his dogs!
We head back onto the fields and it's immediately pretty boggy and horrible and we send most of the afternoon in this manner, schlepping through fields in the driving rain and getting hopelessly lost for a good hour trying to find our way across Bleckinsopp common and up onto Black Hill. It's all pretty miserable to be honest and we're relieved when we make it down to the main road and cross over the A69 arriving in Greenhead soaked through and absolutely shattered!

We get all our stuff on the radiators to dry and the staff at the Greenhead hotel are really helpful putting our sopping wet boots in the kitchen by the cooker to get them dry for us, it turns out yet again we're the only people staying tonight…i've been surprised by how few people seem to be walking the pennine way, i know it's early in the year but thought more people would be doing the same as us and taking advantage of the bank holidays. 
Chris' dad comes to meet us for tea, enormous portions again! The very worst day on our pennine way so far…glad it's over and done with and looking forward to a short day on hadrian's wall tomorrow!!