The Dales Way - Day One - Ilkley to Addingham

"I hope you haven't got far to walk with this," the helpful guard commented as he helped me lift my rucksack off the train. "Oh, not really," I replied. "Only 80 miles". I don't think he believed me. At 21lbs my rucksack did feel very heavy, until, that is, I was wearing it, when it actually didn't feel too bad at all. It was a little after 2.30 p.m. when we got off the train at Ilkley station and went in search of a toilet. There hadn't been one on the train from Leeds and now, it seemed, there wasn't one at the station either. At least if there was I couldn't find it. I spotted a pub across the road and Tom and I dashed over. Let's start as we mean to go on, I thought. With a beer! The bar was dimly lit and the only customers were a handful of men gathered around a large screen TV watching a football match. "Are you going for a walk?" the barmaid asked as we ordered a pint of Tetley's (definitely no...