Day 18: Reeth to Barnard Castle

Today we awoke to a mild warmth with dry air and a 3-4 mile climb ahead of us. Feeling the heat as soon as we hit the road we headed up the steep path as cyclists waved as they sped past. Several times it seemed as we where almost at the peak but each time we where faced with another hidden climb. Eventually however we reached the top and stopped for a short rest enjoying the views before heading on down through a wonderful pine forest. Over the past few days my knees have been playing up and today they where beginning to push me. My left knee especially was beginning to become excruciating in the last few miles into Barnard Castle. Megan's feet where also taking quite a battering with several blisters and heat rash playing up making it extremely uncomfortable simply to stand on them, let alone walk miles over steep terrain with a heavy weight on her back. Despite all this however we did make it to Barnard Castle, however not in great shape. We settled in a small pub to make a very difficult decision hanging over our heads...