Adventure Plans
Herriot Way Over Four Days, 13–16 May 2022
Herriot Way Over Four Days, 13–16 May 2022
Four days on the Herriot Way, stitched together from three recordings after the watch saved one activity overnight. Across the full trip we covered 82.68 km with 5305.2 m of ascent, with plenty of variety, a few memorable food stops, and a wet start to the final morning.
Quick Summary
This post covers one four-day Herriot Way trip from 13 to 16 May 2022. The files are slightly untidy, but the walk itself was a straightforward multi-day round.
What We Got Up To
We spent four days walking the Herriot Way, with the first two days ending up in a single file after the watch saved the activity while I was asleep. Recording quirks aside, it was a really satisfying few days out, with each day feeling a bit different from the last.
The first part of the trip had a bit of everything. We stopped for cake in Askrigg, which was exactly the kind of break that makes a long day feel lighter. We also ended up rescuing a sheep and a lamb that had got stuck in a feeder. That definitely was not part of the plan, but it is one of the moments that has stayed with me.
Day 3 sounds like one of the best stretches of the whole route. The paths from Keld to Muker were lovely, and the section after Muker included a river crossing that was fun in the moment, even if taking the bridge would probably have been the wiser choice. We also picked up traybakes from the tea room in Gunnerside, which felt like another very solid decision.
The final day began with rain. It cleared before we set off, then came back for the last few miles, which felt like a fairly fitting finish. By the end, it also felt like the kind of route I would happily return to, especially around Apedale.
Conditions and Gear
The clearest weather note from the trip was that final morning: rain first thing, a dry enough gap to get moving, then more rain later on. It was manageable, but it was a good reminder to keep waterproofs easy to reach rather than buried in the bag.
A few practical things stood out over the four days:
- Easy access to snacks mattered on the longer stretches.
- River crossings are only fun when they work first time.
- Food stops and a proper sit-down do a lot for morale on a multi-day walk.
- If neat activity files matter, it is worth checking recording settings before setting off.
Highlights and Learnings
The standout parts were mostly the simple ones: cake in Askrigg, the good paths between Keld and Muker, traybakes in Gunnerside, and the unexpected sheep rescue. Those small moments gave the trip its shape more than anything else.
A few lessons came out of it too:
- If there is a bridge option, it may well be the better option.
- A multi-day walk does not need big dramatic moments to feel full.
- Rain at the edges of the day is easier to deal with if we do not rush.
- Messy tracking does not mean a messy trip.
Photos
The photos work best as one set rather than split by day: long stretches of path, changing skies, food stops, riverside sections, and that steady sense of moving through the route over several days.
