Sat 22nd May - Day 36, Wessenden Reservoir to Todmorden (17 miles)

Today is my psychological halfway point and to mark the occasion I was being met by my brother Mick, his wife Karen and son Chris, from Lincoln.

We were to meet between 11:00 & 12:00 on the A62 Standedge, I was camped only 7 kms away so I didn't need an early start but the habit was hard to break and I left at 07:30.

Through the night the cold had woken me up and I put a shirt on, a while later I needed to put a second one on top. Todays dawn chorus had been the geese on the reservoir and they were pretty loud!

It was a cold NE wind and I needed my gloves on as I set off down past the second reservoir then up around Black Moss then between two more small reservoirs before getting to the A62.
I had been trying to walk slowly and I reached the car park that was shown on the map at 10:30 hoping Mick would turn sooner rather than later, fortunately I only had to wait 5 minutes.

Mick and their dog, Roxy, joined me for the rest of the days walk while Karen & Chris went to find a campsite, no wild camping for them.

The sun came out as we set off over the moors, crossing 2 roads and the M62 before stopping for lunch just before the high point on Blackstone Edge.

After that it was more or less level, passing 3 more reservoirs, a total of 7 for the day, and continuing along the top for another 3 kms before turning off the Pennine Way before we reached Stoodley Pike.

We dropped back down into the valley at Todmorden where Karen picked us up (we'll be returned to the same point tomorrow) to take us to the campsite near Haworth.

It had been a welcome change to have company on the walk.

I was treated to a meal to round off the days 17 miles. Mick also brought £10 donation from 2 of his friends. A good end to the day.

594 miles completed.

There's no turning back now!