True, the fence won't do serious damage, but the impact of the zap depends entirely on how hard the day's walk has been. And I'd had a hard day and was fed up. The impression I'd received at the Cumbria end of the trail was that walkers are not welcome in that part of the countryside. Waymarking was obscured or vague, and electric fences were put on top of other fences at stiles. There was already an existing, solid fence there. The electric wire was placed on top of it, right where a walker's hand would reach for it while stabilising while sinking in mud. I'd initially wondered about the kind of dangerous animal that they had in the next field that needed such fencing in. Compare my description of where this happened with the announcements on the Dales Way Organisation site about incidents of loose dogs. I didn't come across any loose dogs, but I did come across an electric fence. Have since heard tell of tractors being placed in the way to block the route as well. Reflecting on it all, I heartily encourage as many people as possible to walk this route, in fact, am tempted to do that one particular leg myself every weekend now. But would also just warn those doing it to watch out for nuisance factors like electric fences.