TL;DR: We’re walking the Pennine Way. It’s 268 miles, and we plan to do it in 14 days. Please help us raise some money for a fantastic cause by donating.

In December 2020, the three of us were leaving work discussing the past year and what was to come in 2021. Like many others, COVID-19 had cancelled a lot of our plans and left us craving the freedom of the outdoors. We talked about walks in the Peak District  and camping trips further afield. Being keen hikers, we discussed challenges like the Three Peaks but, perhaps foolishly, set our sights on something more enduring, that would challenge us physically & mentally. We decided we would walk The Pennine Way, self-supported, carrying everything we would need along the way (if you're interested, a kit list is at the bottom of this page).

The Pennine way is a trail stretching from the English/Scottish border at Kirk Yetholm to Edale in Derbyshire. It’s 268 miles long, passing through Northumberland National Park, The Pennines, Yorkshire Dales, and the Peak District. Traditionally it is completed South to North (Edale to Kirk Yetholm), but with the three of us all living in the midlands and having spent a lot of time hiking in the Peak District, it just made sense to treat this as “a long walk home” and start in the North.

Given the unprecedented times we currently live in, it was difficult to know when this long walk home would take place, but we had set our hearts on it being 2021. So, on a cold winter's morning in January, our training began. The best way to train for a 268-mile walk is, funnily enough, walking. National restrictions made this difficult, but we had to make sure our feet could hack long days on tough ground. With bags loaded up with dumbbell weights, we set out on our merry little ways exploring the highs and lows of our local areas. The weather was awful at times. However, as well as helping to develop some rough calluses, strengthening joints and breaking in boots, these local walks helped shape our determination and “one step at a time” attitude we will need on the Pennine Way. 

With BoJo announcing plans for restrictions to be lifted, we set the dates. On the 2nd July 2021, we depart for Kirk Yetholm. On 3rd July 2021, our long walk home begins. We’ve got all the gear, we’ve got a bit of an idea, what could go wrong? 

The three of us know there will be some suffering along the way and there will be times when we feel like giving in, but that suffering is only minor compared to what some children, and their families go through, which is why we want this journey to help do some good. 

Rainbows Hospice provides specialist respite, palliative and end of life care to children and young people with life limiting or life-threatening conditions and support to their families and friends. The hospice offers patients and their loved ones the care they need in a comfortable, friendly environment. At any one time, Rainbows are helping over 400 children and young people, as well as their loved ones. 

This care comes at a cost. It costs approximately £6million per year to run Rainbows Hospice, and despite some government funding, the hospice relies on donations to be able to provide their high level of care and compassion to all those in need of it. 

All donations will help to make a difference for a child, young person, or their loved ones. We want to help make this difference by challenging ourselves. These donations will be the motivation we need to keep going when our bodies want to give up.

If you’d like to follow our long walk home, follow us @penninewaytrek on instagram. 

Thanks,

Adam, Ben & Tom

Kit List:

Rucksack

Ground Mattress

Pillow

Sleeping Bag

Tent

Stove + Pot & Gas

Spork/Knife thing

Multitool

Clothes

Waterproofs

Dry Food

Powerbank

Water (Lots of it!)

Water filtration system

Environmentally friendly soap

Sunhat

Warm Hat (it still gets cold at night in july)

Sun protection

Nighttime cold gear

Toilet roll

Pillow

Phone(s)

Wallet

Maps

Compass