Nice hard slog

 Distance 18 miles

During half term Darren's dad David asked if we wanted to go for a walk so we said yes and off we went. I had no idea where we were going or how far it was going to be and I'm kind of glad I didn't.

We set off from Cutthroat Bridge (!?!?!) and walked up (the long way) on to the ridge. It was dry but cold and as we got higher and higher we started to come across snow! We headed along the ridge which was a long way but I liked it because every so often there was an outcrop of rocks so I could aim for each one as we went along, making it seem like less distance.
When we got to the highest point of the walk I got a bit distracted by the snow and nearly got myself into a snowball fight with Darren (which I would never have won). We pressed on and soon we were in what David called The Wilds. This was the worst part of the walk for me as it was long and flat and we could see for miles around us. It felt like I was walking for ages and not getting anywhere. It was made worse by the amount of mud and wet peat underfoot which made it much harder work than if it had been dry. My boots were picking up so much my feet were starting to feel heavier than when I put them on!!
When we eventually got to the end of this section we sat down for lunch. It was nice to get some fuel and have a quick rest. While we were sitting we watched as a section of land was burned on the hillside. They do this for the grouse population as it encourages new shoots to grow. It looked quite spectacular when it got going.
We carried on once we had finished and headed downhill towards the reservoir. This was much better for me as there were trees and other landmarks to break up the length of the walk. When we got to Agden Bog we had another quick break as we noticed someone had put loads of bird feeders on some of the trees and there were a lot of birds feeding. We sat for a while watching them and I got a lesson in bird breeds!!
After this we continued up and towards the Agden Reservoir. There was a plaque about the disaster that occurred there in the 19th century when the dam burst and killed many people. We gave it a quick read and carried on. The next part of the walk was my favourite as the path we took went along the side of the reservoir. It was very pretty and flat so I had chance to appreciate it.
When we reached the end of the reservoir we had one last uphill section to complete before a straight walk back to the start. This was hard! I was very tired, my legs were aching and I had lost a bit of motivation. But I knew I had to carry on so I did. It took me quite a long time and I stopped to rest a few times but I got to the top and felt much better.
This was the point when I dared ask how far the walk was in total and David said it would be 18 miles by the time we finished. The longest walk I had done up till now was 10 miles so this was a big leap forward in mileage. At this point we were well over 10 miles already so this helped spur me on a bit to the end.
We walked past a large tower and then started dropping down towards where we started. My legs were aching but I knew we were on the home straight which made me feel a bit better.
When we got back to the start I was relieved we had finished but I was proud that I had managed such a long walk.
This was the first time since I decided to do LSW that I have realised what I have let myself in for. I realise now how hard its going to be but I am determined to carry on training and do the walk in June!