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I was dying....

Not in the physical sense you understand, but the past 2 years of work, long hours and the love of a good woman would have put Alexander The Great into a hospice.

Opting for change rather than rest, in September 2005 I ordered a mid-life crisis, self-imposed exile from my life and responsibilities, mobile phones and 24 hour news and headed for the hills.

The Pennine Way is Britains Oldest and most infamous Long Distance Trail. A challenge of upland walking along the backbone of England's Pennines, the walk begins in Edale, a pretty Peak District Village, and finishes at Kirk Yetholm 268 miles later just inside Scotland.

It is a bloody long way in 15 days with three pairs of underpants.

Scroll down for Day 1.

Day 1 - Edale to Torside (16 Miles)

I arrived in Edale on the Wednesday afternoon via train. I chose a mid week start as I had heard that the route stages and stopovers become very busy if one follows a Saturday/Sunday start. I had no problem with accommodation along the route as a result and I also had the solitude of the route for the vast majority of the time. I stayed at the recommended Mam Tor Guesthouse and awoke to a ghost town - great, I was alone, just what I wanted.

I would avoid the Nags Head for anything other than the photo opportunity, unless your injections are up to date.

With much excitement and gloomy skies I strode out and onto The Pennine Way, desperately trying to forget the outside world.

It doesn't take long, by the time I got to Upper Booth I had forgotten what I did for a living.

Leaving Edale with 268 miles ahead is quite moving, the Bard was right when he wrote "the future is an undiscovered country".

A gentle climb out of atmospheric Peat Lane and the first of the slabs appear. This year is the 40th Anniversary of The Pennine Way and the route is well marked by paths, slabs and feet as a result. The descent to Upper Booth after an hour gave me the first self-timed image of my soaking wet (only on the outside!) situation.

Past the small Kinder display at Lee Farm, the gentle climb to the base of Jacob's Ladder appears quite quickly. I was surprised how unassuming it appears after watching the aerial DVD of The Pennine Way. It is a very pleasant part of the morning, that is until you start to climb...

At the summit the beachscape with boulders makes any path difficult to find so the compass came out for a while. So too did the Tony Hopkins 'Pennine Way South' as I wanted to know what views I was missing in this 50 metre visibility whiteout.

There was not a sound, the air was still, and I was yet to see a single soul. Out came the personal radio for the Ashes and the reception was good as I searched along the path for any signs of Red brook and Kinder Downfall. The Downfall in cloud is unspectacular but I did meet my first walker going the opposite way. He was one of many I encountered that had done The Pennine Way already and he waxed lyrical about the ups and downs to me for 5 mins while the cloud broke for about the same length of time and I caught a glimpse far off of Mermaid's Pool.

The walk to Mill Hill was monotonous but well defined with a steep descent and ascent which staddles an east-west path at its base.

The view of Featherbed Moss on the sunny DVD snaking along the baked upland made me smile as I forced-marched the never-ending but highly desirable slabs to The Snake Pass crossing. It was at this point I looked round after meeting a couple of lady walkers to see a red coated, pole striding adonis of a walker some hundred metres behind me who was now chatting to the aforementioned ladies. More on this mystery man later....

Convinced I might have a walker stalker behind me :)) I carried on over the road and into the Devils Dike which was a contrast to Featherbed as now I could only see 10 metres either side within the dike itself.

Out came the compass again because Bleaklow is what we used to call in Mountain Rescue a "Nav Mare" (a navigation nightmare). Finding the path alongside Wildboar Grain the cloud began to lift a little so I was able to take my attention from the steep peat cuttings and erosion to the little streams and clefts of the surrounding hills.

Fording the brook and climbing up along Clough Edge I spotted the mystery pole wielding redcoat again some distance behind me; was this another End to Ender?

My first view of Torside and the reservoir was something of a relief as the path was narrow and the drop to the right was sharp. Getting down from the ridge was steep and hard on the knees to Reaps bungalow.

When I reached the road I turned left along it and risked life and limb to reach The Old House B&B about half a mile up. This was one of the friendliest places on the Way and I highly recommend it. Joanne had me in stitches as she brought me some tea when she recounted the sad and stricken cases that would greet her at the end of this first day. The room was good and the offer of a free lift to The Peels Arms in Glossop for food was very welcome.

On my return in a taxi I reminded myself that 75% of people quit after the first day. Conditions had been rough, but that was not going to happen to me. I also reminded myself that of the people that begin the walk, only 1% make it to Kirk Yetholm; with 14 days to go, the Pennine Way seemed longer than it had done yesterday !