D.J. Smithers

There have been many authoritative books written on the Pennine Way but hardly any that put into detail the hardships and the humour endured along Britain's toughest long distance walk. This book hopes to redress this imbalance towards the plethora of guidebooks written by hardened fell walkers extolling the walk in all its glory. Mine is a story of a complete novice who, after many aborted attempts at finding a walking partner, decided to give it a go on my own. I was overweight, unfit, under-prepared and over-kitted but determined, after one dismal failure, to beat it and my demons. This is a tale of beating the odds, the walk and myself. There was plenty of pain along the way but plenty of laughs as well. So come and join this intrepid but amateur backpacker as I muddle through 270 miles of the backbone of England