Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost: Bellingham to Byrness

The boggiest of bogs!
And we thought the section after Tan Hill was bad.... While it was clear first thing this morning, as we meet up with George for breakfast, it quickly began to drizzle as we started walking, and developed heavier as we hit the hills. This promoted a brief discussion on English terminology for rain, with the consensus that currently it was raining, certainly more than drizzling, but not so far as "pissing down", and definitely not "raining cats and dogs".
The track became less clear over the moors until we hit a section where the path disappeared altogether. Relying on the compass bearing, and gps, we had to strike out across heather and bog, aiming for Whitley Pike. In the end I think it was only a kilometre that we had to fight through, but it seemed much further. Deceptively solid-looking green areas should be avoided, as more than once I plunged my foot ankle-deep in peaty water, through the sphagnum moss.
The route then follows forest roads down to Byrness and our campsite - easy walking after the moorland and steep climb that morning. There is nothing in Byrness, no shop, and the Inn is full so had already told us we couldn't eat there. That being the case we had stocked up in Bellingham, and George, Adam, and I shared a pasta dinner cooked in batches in our little camp stoves.
This is the last we'll see of George on this trip, as he is powering through 42km to get to Kirk Yetholm and the end of the Pennine Way tomorrow. I am less ambitious, so Adam and I are camping in the hills, hopefully in the mountain bothy near Cheviot, and then descending the last 12km the next morning.
I will have to conserve battery until we get to the other side, so unlikely to be a post tomorrow!