Thank you. I lost so much fitness in lockdown and never fully regained it. I started new job after a long period of unemployment and that takes quite a lot of my time, plus I do charity work, fully enjoy it but it only leaves me one free day a week, which means I don't get to hike as much as I would like. Plus, I lost a lot of strength with HRT, I knew I would lose some but never in my wildest dreams thought it would impact me as much as it did and that takes some getting used to. But, I get out when I can. I took up hiking to try and improve my mental health but now, I am in a very good place mentally. I don't need to get out to try and stop feeling dead inside anymore, but I want to finish the Grand Tour, I don't think I will be able to finish the Lake District which is sad, but you need good weather days for big walks in the mountains and having only Sundays to hike most of the time means I am extremely restricted. Plus, I need to get these videos edited. I am sitting on a lot of footage.

@robinanoble4664 this one was just blowy at the end. It was a nice winter walk, a bit muddy though.

that was a tough hike, I actually took a wrong path on the Ulswater Way too... I was trying to take a shortcut but because of the dark, I was unable to see properly and ended up in a field full of cows and had to backtrack back to the road and just follow the road where it was easy to follow but slightly longer. Learned a few lessons on this walk. Thank you for watching.

This was a beautiful walk. Definitely in my top 5, Simonsburn is possibly my favourite place, although I also really love Berwick but I split Berwick into two sections that I've not yet released. So far, I would say my top 5 sections in order are: Ep 15, 12, 6, 32, 35 (not yet released)

@SloopyDog there was a mine just at the edge of the wood where the road leading eastwards out of Prudhoe crosses the Stanley Burn, where they sell the Christmas trees. Then there was another set of mines at the otherside of the wood below the airfield where the gliders are. There was a mine more or less opposite Dukes Hagg Farm (a tiny bit northwest) on the otherside of the road which connected with West Wylam Pit.

@@NorthernWayfarer-Alice You are right I had forgotten about that place. a builder bought it years ago. The wastewater from the pit would have to run into a stream. It's not far from Willie's Well and there is a stream that runs through the woods there. We used to call it paradise as it was a lovely place. When I was a child Prudhoe was a lovely place, everybody knew each other. I go through Prudhoe now and I don't recognise anybody.

it is a beautiful hill and would be a wild camp heaven if it were not on MOD land... but then, I think it would be too popular and some people sadly leave their rubbish behind, so perhaps better to be on MOD land. But good going trying to camp there.

it is the tale for the hill's name but how much truth is in it, is anyone's guess. It is plausible that the Covenanters crossed the border to preach. The hill is not that far away from the modern Scottish border.

I have fond memories of staying at the castle

thank you

thank you. This was a nice day to walk and take a dip at the end.

were it not for the bog, this would've been a great walk, but that bog was challenging.

when you hit the weather perfect... I've always been lucky at Cow Green reservoir but then I try to go to this part of the Pennines when there's been a drought.

on a sunny day this area is really beautiful but not so much when it is raining

I wished I could get out more... but really busy with work. I keep saying I need a better work/life balance but then end up volunteering for everything because I am bored 😅

Thank you for watching. I really loved the bronze age settlements on this section. It is another one of those places people don't realise exist and they're really special. And of course, it was lovely to bump into Emz.

It was a really nice walk this one, it took me by surprise at how stunning the views were from the fort and the level of history. Thank you for watching.

thank you

Thank you

interesting choice of ice cream. I am moving away from hillforts and onto castles from the next one. I am at Berwick currently, looking to try and get down the coast over the summer months. I have another 3 episodes to edit and then I am back up to date with where I am on the walk. Difficult to choose just one flavour of ice cream... probably cherry for me.

Thank you. It is a bit tricky getting down the bank now unless there is another route which we missed. It is a nice waterfall, might be easier to just park at Ford and walk to the waterfall and back rather than walking along the road from Doddington and back. It would be quite a nice walk from Ford. www.plotaroute.com/route/2608726?units=miles

Thank you Mark, it was a magical little stream that, especially after coming off the moors. I was actually a little off route and happened on it by pure accident and then changed the route when I got back to include it for anyone following in future. I love wide open spaces but that little place made me want to kick off my boots, lay back and dangle my feet in the stream. The waterfall is fiercely guarded by the owners of the land. Walking into Chatton there were a number of signs saying there wasn't a waterfall there and directing people to a different waterfall that I visit in the next episode. I believe some others who have attempted to film the place have been chased. It is a magical spot though. All the bluebells reaching the place made it even more magical. I definitely hit lucky on the time of year. Take care, Alice.

@@NorthernWayfarer-Alice Hey, worth the chase Alice. I reckon you gotta break rules for beauty sometimes.

he would that, and without any harness. I doubt I have the strength to make it that high on a ladder, my legs would be like jelly, never mind my head. That cottage had incredible views. Wouldn't like to try and reach it in the winter though.

Ha ha, yeah I agree. What a dude he was.

@@WyeExplorer your not kidding mate 🤣 they don't make them like him anymore a one off 💪

@@thegeordiefellwalker8878 No, they don't. I am a self confessed fan of many years.

Thank you. That bluebell path was surreal. It was truly beautiful. Getting across the stream was difficult though. Coming back, I walked a bit upstream to find a place to cross and bashed my way through some overgrowth. That view at the end was amazing, I actually took the wrong path, I shouldn't have followed the fence line and it became a bit difficult towards the end and added a bit to my total distance. But the view kept me in a cheerful mood. The worst part was the walk back to Chatton on the road, I dropped my phone when trying to take a photo and smashed the screen.

This little walk is a lot of reward for little effort. However, if you go further onto Kielderhead Moor it becomes extremely isolated and some tough walking. Beautiful but also a true sense of being completely on your own should anything happen.

thank you

Thank you for the kind comment, did you notice I uploaded another episode of the Grand Tour also... finally found myself with a bit of time to do some editing. Although I have to admit it has taken feeling under the weather with a lot of pain from toothache of all things to get me to switch off from work. I'll try and get some more done when I can though. I am working hard to try and get promotion at work so that I can fund my surgery but it feels like an impossible dream. But like every big hike, you just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you reach the goal and then you look back at what you achieved.

no I wouldn't still cook it. Someone else mentioned putting the rice inside a sock which seems like a good idea. The trouble with blow drying your boots or putting them next to the heater is that it cracks the leather.

Thank you. Edinburgh is a nice city to explore. I visit every 3 months but always seem to manage to find something new each time.