With just two days left of our holiday in Rothbury, we were desperate to get out for a walk. When we arrived on Christmas Eve the snow was thick, and the temperatures well below freezing. But for the last two days the temperatures had risen, and we were hopeful that the hills above Rothbury would be walkable.
But once out of the village we found that the paths leading uphill were hidden by deep snow. We knew the route well, so we found our way to the top. The strong winds had blown the loose snow away, leaving a thick layer of hard ice on the paths.
In the woods we found that the heavy snow in December had brought down a lot of branches, making frequent detours off the path into the deep snow necessary
Once clear of the woods and onto the open moorland at the top of Craigside there was not much snow. The paths were covered in hard ice, but we could walk on the heather either side of the path
It was much too cold to sit for long, but we were tired after our climb. We only had a couple of sandwiches, we had left our flasks in Spain and we really missed a hot drink
We had planned to do an eight mile walk, but the cold and difficult terrain made us abandon the walk after three miles.
The paths were even more dangerous going downhill, and we had to take it slowly. We had left old walking boots in Rothbury to use in the summer, and they were no longer water proof. Our feet were soon soaked, which added to the general misery of the walk.
Not one of our most enjoyable walks, and we arrived home cold and wet. But it did get us out of the house for three hours, and it certainly made us appreciate our walks in Spain.
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