17.5 miles/28 km

Total miles: 123 miles/197 km

Today started off easily enough with a gentle walk out of Hawes across the River Ure and some gentle farmland. The weather was forecast for rain again but the day started off nice and dry.

There was an optional detour today to see Hardraw Force, a large waterfall featured in several Hollywood films but, given our mileage today we decided to press on.

The trail began to climb here up High Abbotsford and towards the Great Shunner Fell summit. Looking behind us, we could see the last of the three peaks visible to us, Ingleborough, gradually fade away.

The path was incredibly boggy in places and involved extensive detours around the worst sections only to move forward a few metres. They are lifting paving stones up here by helicopter to try and improve the going but this is still incomplete.

After a few hours of this, we climbed the last part of the ridge and made the summit of Great Shunner Fell at 2,350 feet or 716 metres. We had extensive views all around and even to the Lake District in the west.

We then began a long descent down from the summit towards Thwaite, We had extensive views of the village as we made our way down but unfortunately it never seemed to get any closer. The descent was steep in places, although not too bad, and was quite boggy.

From Thwaite, it was a long climb and traverse around Kisdon Hill. It started off nicely enough but became a unpleasant slog through rocks, poor footing and endless mud. We both agreed it was one of our least favourite parts so far of the Way.

Our reward was reaching the tiny town of Keld which has some beautiful waterfalls. Keld is also where the Pennine Way and Coast to Coast path cross. We spent a nice break here admiring the views but sadly it was soon time to press on again.

Now it was time to push on to our final destination for the day, the Tan Hill Inn. This involved a very steep climb out of Keld and up onto Black Moor which eventually transitioned onto Stonesdale Moor. The place was wild and remote yet really beautiful.

We were now pretty tired with every km seeming to take forever but eventually the Tan Hill Inn came into sight and we reached our destination. The Inn is the UK’s highest pub, a fact which is prominently displayed everywhere just in case you missed it. It is also highly atmospheric and it must be an incredible place when snowed in during the winter months. It is the first place I’ve stayed at with a snow plough outside my window.

This marks the end of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the border of Yorkshire itself. Tomorrow we leave the Dales behind with their extensive beauty. As we cross the the road tomorrow we enter County Durham and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.