James and Kat had got up early to start the Pennine Way. They had taken the bus to Edale and congregated with some friends outside the local pub. It was a case of lacing up the walking boots and finally packing up the rucksacks. Moods were high—four friends venturing out on the first day of a 268 mile hike.
The weather was moody with intermittent sun and spitting rain as they worked their way down the valley and started up the switchbacks to Kinder Scout. Along the way Kat had been fussing about her boots being a bit tight around the heel. She didn't foresee how much they would become worn in and snug like gloves by the time the intrepid team wound their way to Scotland and completed the final 28 mile section down into Kirk Yetholm.
Reaching the top of Kinder Scout moor the walkers checked their maps. The mist had come down and they meandered amid the peat gruffs and wind-blown outcrops, surprising occasional sheep.
Kinder Downfall turned out to be a good place for lunch, and by luck the sun suddenly emerged, giving a grand vision of the beauty of the whole valley beneath them.
Then the hard part began—a good two hours slogging through wet peat bog on Featherbed Moss over to the Snake Pass. Moods were still buoyant and James found himself getting into the rhythm of stepping and jumping from one outcrop of grass to another.
Over the road the last section was a desolate maze of head-high tufts of grass with valleys of brown peat on the path over to Woodhead. Kat's boots had settled down, but one of their friends had quite a blister.
Descending into the Woodhead valley they crossed the railway track, weary but elated. Kat's father had already arrived in his car and parked on Woodhead Road and they all crammed in, rucksacks on laps, with the thought of a good meal ahead, and the walk up Black Hill on their minds for the next day's adventure.
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