Dufton is a lovely liittle quiet town with its main cmaim to fame being in the shadow of Cross Fell the highest peak in England outside the Lake District.

After an evening of working with other people on the campsite to sort out some of the IT problems with the blog (mainly associated with the system being unable to download our photos) Mol and I set off on Saturday morning.

Immediately the wind is blowing from the west, but it is gale force and chill factor was below zero - at least it is not raining!

Mol and Iclimbed steadily, 2 1/4 miles and 530 ft in the first hour and 1800 ft and 4 miles after 2 hours, but the wind was tempestuous. We reached the top of Knock Old Man but I could hardly stand up! A quick drink and off to Great Dunn Fell with its bizarre "golf ball" radar mast, but still the wind was gale force and freezing.

Eventually we made it and even managed a bananabefore we pressed on to Little Dunn Fellwith still the same relentless icy wind.

Our hands were so cold that I could not take any more photos. We spoke to some peoplewho said "We have had enough of this, forget Cross Fell". But we southerners are made of harder stuff! We continued to the top and reached it at about 1.15. I am sure the views were fantastic but when your hands are that cold, who cares.

After another sandwich and a drink it was off to find the way down. The first section lined with cairns was straightforward, but it was not easy to pick up some of the side paths. Two miles later we managed to find Greg's hut, a bothy from the elements so we knew we were on track.We also had picked up someone who was lost and despite arguing thaty I was going in the wrong direction eventually decided to follow us. He finally accepted that we had been right.

The rest of the way down was less challenging although as the wind subsided, the hailstones started. Three times!

Made it to Garrigill to see a succession of taxi drivers waiting to pick up people who were meant to be coming down there from Cross Fell. We resisted the temptation to avail ourselves of a lift.

Mol and I walked along towards Alston.Soon we encountered another new-born lamb complete with its umbilical cord, etc. Mol who is a midwife, somehow found these things a little unpleasant.

Made contact with Annie and Alan who said they were walking the last couple of miles to meet us.I said we were on the east bank of the river and they said they were as well.Suffice it to say that when we passed them they were on the other side.Arguments that it is different if you are facing upstream or downstream, were not accepted.Eventually met up when almost in Alston and retired for a "winter warmer" in the pub after freezing all day long.

One word of advice, if you want to camp in Alston, do not. Only one camp site and it was dreadful. Sleep on the river bank, or in a bus shelter, or anywhere.

Went to sleep thinking those conditions of gale force winds and a chill factor of well below zero without gloves made it the worst I had known. Last week was a heatwave. Tomorrow on towards Hadrian's Wall.

Another 20 miles and 3,497 ft.