Читать книгу The Pennine Way - the Path, the People, the Journey онлайн

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I had all these thoughts swirling round in my mind as I packed my rucksack for the start of the walk at Edale in July 2015. I would walk continuously for 17 days from Derbyshire to the Scottish border, up the backbone of northern England, and try to understand the Pennine Way phenomenon – how it came into being, its evolution over five decades and why it has endured for so long, despite all its problems. I would talk to as many different people as I could about the path, especially those, like me, who were walking it in its 50th year, and would try to make some sense of why and how a mere walking trail could develop such an identity. This is the story of a most remarkable path.

1

EDALE – CROWDEN

‘The cockpit of the battle for access’

It was a low-key beginning to the walk, which despite all the build-up felt appropriate now that the moment of departure had finally arrived. There was no great fanfare, no speeches, just a buzz of nervy anticipation at the prospect ahead and an eagerness to get away. I went through what would become the familiar routine of shouldering my pack, checking that nothing had been left behind and confirming which direction to set off in, then waving goodbye to anyone who happened to be standing nearby and looking in my direction. In this case it was my wife, since she had driven me to Edale.