Day 7 was our halfway day, both in terms of distance and time, an important milestone. That day was a shortish walk (13 miles) up and over the moors, cotton grass like stars in the heather, and the Nine Standards stones standing sentinel over the valley.
At Keld we had a quick explore of the lovely River Swale and its waterfalls cutting through the red sandstone, and then spent a truly cold night in our tent, which got us up and out at sunrise.
Day 8 (nearly 23 miles) took us up to the old slag heaps and lead mines above Gunnerside, a bleak landscape, but with some interesting heavy-metal-tolerant plants. We came down into Richmond footsore, but through some pretty chalk grassland under rocky slopes, and yew woodland, then stuffed ourselves with Italian food.
Day 9 was our longest walk so far at nearly 25 miles. Though the route was flat, the landscape was dull intensively-farmed lowlands: a different kind of fatigue. A lot of alphabet games were played. We could see the long, hazy line of the North York Moors ahead, which promises more interesting things - and not long until journey's end. Tomorrow is thankfully a rest day, but after that we have only three days to go.
Interesting species: mountain hare, golden plover, ring ouzel, dipper, round-leaved crowsfoot, sandwort (spring?), scurvygrass, pink purslane, wall brown, heath tiger beetle, green hairstreak.
