Day 31 - A nice piece of Wensleydale

 

Frost was still on the ground as Phil dropped me back in Horton and the sky above was cloudless. There is an immediate climb up Harber Scar and this whole stage was really on rocky paths in between the drystone walls that are such a feature of the Dales. The higher you climb, of course, the cooler it becomes - woolly hat and thick gloves were soon the order of the day, despite the sunshine.

It was an hour and a half before I came across another human, when Stewart emerged from a footpath across my route. He was a Trig Point Bagger and had just been ticking another couple off. I've seen many trig points on this walk, including the photo from yesterday of the one atop Pen y Ghent, and always assumed they were at or near the top of hills. It transpires they were built in the 1930s by the Ordnance Survey for mapping purposes, with each point visible to another two. This often means they are at higher vantage points but not necessarily so - Stewart advised me there is one by the River Ouse that is actually below sea level. Over the years, vegetation between the points has hidden the view so the original purpose is no longer valid.

I did give Stewart my usual spiel about raising awareness of diabetes but it turned out he used to work at Hope Hospital and it was pretty clear he knew more about the condition than I did!

At Ling Gill, I crossed a packhorse bridge over the beck with an old stone inscription saying it had been repaired in 1765. I think that was around the same time they last repaired the swing bridges in Warrington.

I was lunching alone as there were no roads across my path today, so Phil could use the extra hours to give the motorhome a good dust. I found a nifty shelter behind one of the ubiquitous drystone walls - the wind wasn't too strong and I wasn't at the same heights as yesterday, but I've been warmer. It was then only two hours down to Hawes, all of it spent along Snaizeholme Valley. The view was magnificent but photos don't do the scenery justice. The sheep and buildings at the bottom were no more than little dots and the walls separated fields that were all different shades of green. It looked a little like one of those patchwork quilts your grandma used to knit, only if she had a green obsession.

I was back in the van for 2pm, which has allowed a little stats time. The other option was a visit to the Wensleydale Cheese Museum.

• Miles Walked - 616.9 (Avg per day - 19.9)
• Miles Still to Walk - 589 (Avg per day - 20.31)
• Steps on route - I've given up counting for now
  
• Avg Blood Sugar Reading over last 7 days - 7.9mmol/l (34 tests)
• Avg Blood Sugar Reading over last 14 days - 7.9mmol/l (67 tests)

The important halfway mark has been passed and the averages of 'walked' against 'to walk' are pretty similar. My readings have raised slightly this week and I have no real excuse other than I've been eating more to try and stabilise my weight loss, which seems to have been successful. As I have been throwing the calories down my neck, I should probably have been reacting with more insulin; this balance is a daily issue people living with diabetes have to consider. Some will rigorously count calories whilst I take more of a 'rough assessment' approach. 

Given the physical exertion I am undertaking, I have been more concerned about avoiding hypos (when my levels are too low) than I am about my levels being a little higher than I would normally want them to be, hence why I have been a little conservative with my insulin use.

We're off for fish and chips tonight, washed down by a couple of pints in Hawes: the fish and chips will lead me to taking a larger shot of insulin than a normal evening meal, whilst a couple of pints will spike me a little but then bring me down quite quickly. You can really only learn how your body reacts with a bit of trial and error. 

Off to Tan Hill tomorrow, the highest pub in England. That'll mean a climb...