Overall statistics
Dates: 21st July to 2nd August 2019
Distance: 204 miles
Elevation: 28,959 ft
‘Challenging weather that strengthened the mental robustness
over 13 days’
The
Wainwright's Coast to Coast walk is a 192-mile (293 km) unofficial
and mostly an un-signposted, long-distance footpath in Northern
England. It was devised by Alfred Wainwright and passes through three
contrasting National Parks: The Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and the North
York Moors.
The 2019 team details
The team consisted of 3 people: Samuel, father and myself.
Samuel had never completed the Coast to Coast before and had minimal
walking/backpacking experiences apart from the Duke of Edinburgh award which he
completed at school. However, we had completed the Lands’ End to John O' Groats
challenge the previous summer which meant he had a level of endurance under his
belt. But his expertise is at short, fast 10km road running; he finished 3rd in
the Derby 10km race, won multiple, short races and has a small sponsorship
deal. Dad had completed the walk three times before and had been nursing a knee
injury over the year with regular exercise on the cross trainer and mountain
bike. Finally, myself, I had significant endurance experience which is
highlighted through the various blog posts as well as I had completed the Coast
to Coast walk in 2017 with Dad and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience
and challenge. Thus, I persuaded Samuel to give it a go after he expressed an
interest in adventurous holidays after our successful completion of the LEJOG
trip
There are multiple methods at completing the walk:
Backpacking, having your kit transported each day, completing sections over a
period of time and running. We chose to backpack the walk-in one complete
stint. We carried our tent, clothes and the rest of the kit we needed in our
rucksack; we were almost self-sufficient. The only added luxury we chose was to
eat meals out in the evenings rather than doing it in a complete purist fashion
of cooking everything on a little burner. This approach allowed us to reduce
the weight we were carrying, have a substantial meal to fuel us for the next
day rather than eating basic food for two weeks as well as being able to talk
to fellow coast to coasters in the evening. The latter reason was the most
valuable experience as the walk attracts people from all over the world, which
provides a variety of conversations that other adventures don’t include.
Day 1 - St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge
Statistics
Distance: 17 miles
Elevation:2375 ft
We set off from the campsite (A back garden) in St Bees at
5:45 and headed to the sea to dip our boots in the Irish sea as well as search
for our obligatory stone that we have to carry for our journey to then throw into
the North Sea once we arrived at Robin Hood's Bay. It seems a strange tradition
to carry something all that way only to get rid of it; thus, I kept mine as a
momentum!). We slept well considering the surprising lively, nightlife the
small coastal village of St Bees became; we even had a drunken lady try and
sleep in our small one-man tent!
 |
| Camping in a garden |
We climbed up the first hill and traversed the coastline
passing the lighthouse; it seemed a longer stretch than I could remember as we
walked for 5 miles. The rationale behind this route choice compared to
choosing a direct alternative that could
be taken on the map, is Alfred Wainwright (the route creator) wanted to
replicate walking along the coastline on the last day when you arrive at Robin
Hoods Bay; at one point we were further away from robin hoods bay than when we
started!
 |
| 5 miles along the coastline |
Samuel soon began to doubt his ability when he had early
signs of blisters and achy shoulders from his fully laden rucksack. Sam made a quick stop to apply some
blister plasters on his heels as well as retighten his boot laces. We then
preceded along the alternative route on the Whitehaven Rowrah cycle trail which
avoids Cleator and goes past a lovely village cricket ground.
We then approached a significant detour once we got to
Briscoe road (over a 2 mile diversion), it avoided the direct climb up dent and
traversed around the bottom of via a long road. However, I still wanted to go
up Dent to get the final glimpses of the Irish sea; my proposal of a further
extension was declined by Samuel and father, hence they continued to Nanny
Catch while I ran up the hill solo and back with my heavy rucsack.
Once I caught Father and Sam on the descent towards Nanny
Catch, I came bounding past them; Samuel was struggling and began to count down
the distance towards camp at Ennerdale bridge. At this point, I had flashbacks
of the previous year's adventure I did with Sam: Lands' End to John o Groats.
It resembled a replica of the first day of the ride as he struggled then.
Hopefully, his mind and body will adjust to the walk, or it is a long way home.
We were delighted to reach Ennerdale: we had a pot of tea
and a slice of homemade cake in the community-run café called the Gathers; the
cafe even presented us with a quaint timer which results in a perfect brewed
pot of tea. (Part of the trips routine: refuel as soon as possible after a walk
in a café or a shop as we don't eat breakfast in the morning as we decided just
to get up and go in order to aim to arrive at campsites during midday to allow
for recovery, a proper lunch and time to sort our feet out if required and
tent). Once refuelled, we preceded down the road to the Fox and Hound pub where
we pitched our tents just in time before we encountered the preeminent spell of
rainfall for the trip. We had our fingers crossed that we didn't get any more
rain or have weather like the attempt in 2012; we had to cross streams with
water as high as my neck…unfortunately our fingers weren't crossed enough which
resulted in some challenging weather over the trip.
 |
| The perfect brew in the Gathers cafe |
 |
| Camping beside the stream on the Fox and Hounds garden |
Accommodation: The Fox and Hounds pub, Ennerdale
Evening meal: The Fox and hound pub, Ennerdale: Sunday roast
dinner (delicious!)
Day 2 - Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite/Borrowdale
Statistics
Distance: 15 miles
Elevation: 2464ft
After a perpetual night of hard rain, I discovered a small
window of opportunity at 4:45 am to wipe my wet and saturated tent down with
Dads’ magical leather that absorbs water
better than a sponge and put it away promptly in my rucksack before darting to
the toilet/shower block to wait for father and Sam where another heavy downfall
soon commenced. We were in our full waterproof clobber including gaiters and
headed for Ennerdale water.
The walk adjacent to the water became challenging; the constant rain throughout the night meant
we had to pass over a number of streams that fed into Ennerdale water.
The rocks were slippery, and the route was deceivingly undulated as we closely traversed the water.
 |
| Following Ennerdale Water |
Once we reached the end of the water, we followed a gravel
track on the right side of the river towards the end of the valley that joined
the remote and hospitable Black Sail Youth Hostel. The section towards the
hostel required to switch off oneself brain and remain plodding forward along
the monotonous path.
Once arrived at Black Sail, we met a few hikers setting
off for their adventure, we were offered a cup of tea and shelter out of the
rain, but we politely declined and set off up the abrupt climb to Loft Beck.
 |
| A dog at Black Sail Youth Hostel |
The visibility was poor, but I soon sped away and waited 5 mins near the summit for Samuel and Dad. I took a risk on purchasing a pair of Solomon fabric boots
which felt like trainers, but hopefully my feet would maintain feeling great as
customarily walk in a pair of heavy
leather walking boots which Samuel and Dad was wearing; Samuels boots, in
particular, were more like mountaineers boots as they had no flex and made a
very loud sound once his foot struck the floor with every step he took. I was
appreciative that most of my adventures are supported by utilising a GPS for
navigating compared to the purest of navigators who use a mere map and compass;
this section was an enormous relief to follow a screen with a route displayed
on the unit because we could barely recognise what was 5 metres ahead of us.
Fortunately, there were numerous cairns on the route towards Honister Pass,
which allowed for speedy walking over the fells without minimal stopping to
look at the map. We had a lovely descent down the slate path towards Honister
pass car park (The start of leg 5 of the Bob graham fell running route). We
rehydrated and refuelled in the café with a cup of tea and a breakfast pie; it
was well needed, we temporarily hid away from the foul weather before we
finished the rest of the walk.
We continued to descend to the bottom of the valley towards
Borrowdale (The wettest place in the United Kingdom); it was towered over by
copious striking and rugged Lakeland fells.
We then arrived at the campsite at
1 pm to meet the humorous site officer who offered us a chair to accompany our
compact tents. He discussed that Borrowdale had been flooded the previous night
from the 7hrs of rain that we experienced at Ennerdale; it resulted in the road
closure due to 3ft of water and swept away cars. Fortunately, the water soon
drained once we arrived. However, he concluded on a positive tone and presented
us with a revolutionary, optimistic weather forecast prediction; he alluded
that we would have 26 degrees of the sun for the rest of the week. We were in
serious doubt as the sky didn’t look to be clearing and the rain we experienced
last night just didn’t change our mindset.
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| Relaxing in the tent during the afternoon |
Accommodation: Chapel Farm Campsite, Rosthwaite
Evening meal: The Royal Oak Hotel: Gammon, Pineapple, chips
and vegetables
Day 3 - Rosthwaite/Borrowdale to Grasmere
Statistics
Distance: 10 miles
Elevation: 2552ft
Having heard Samuel rustling in his tent; he was putting his
blister plasters on and packing his bag, the race began to pack away my tent
and rucksack first…and I did…I won (not that we are competitive). We
precariously put on our gaiters and waterproofs as we expected a few stream
crossings and bog trotting’s; fortunately, we remained relatively dry!
The clouds were moving fast, and visibility was
ever-changing as we followed the valley up Greenup Gill and Galleon waterfall.
I soon broke away from father and Samuel (not that it was a race) and I began
to scramble to the top of Eagle Crag. The views were surprisingly stunning as
the clouds cleared and the rain stopped, we were that high up, you could see
Scotland and glimpses of the sea.
After regrouping, Samuel was flagging behind due to a minor
cut on his heel. We snaked over the top of the fells trying to find the best
line choices without losing a leg in a deep, wet bog! I was feeling fresh and
totally absorbed in the scenery; fortunately, my proposal of the alternative
high route was accepted (Previously I proposed an alternative high route on day
two; it goes up haystacks, but it was promptly rejected).
The undulated high
route passed over Helm Crag; it had brilliant views which outweighed the
additional effort that was required. We leisurely strolled over the tops taking on numerous snacks, and photo stops before we descended towards Grasmere.
I marked this walk as a rest day due to the short distance; the
Coast to Coast route tends to be completed in 12 days though we chose 13 to
provide two short days over the rugged lake district; it also enabled a luxury
accommodation stay in Thorny How’s independent youth hostel. Once we reached
Grasmere at 10:45 am, we relaxed in the local park while indulging into pasta, a
yoghurt and a milkshake before we strolled around the local town while
providing Samuel time to restock his blister plasters at the local pharmacy; it
seemed to stock every type of blister plasters and tablet ever available to
buy. Once it turned 3:30 we were allowed to enter the youth hostel; we relaxed
in the snug for the rest of the evening (it allowed us to recharge our
electricals, read magazines and wash our kit as it had a drying room; however,
it disappointingly didn’t dry my clothes).
Accommodation: Thorney How independent youth hostel,
Grasmere
Evening meal: A scrumptious beef stew and chocolate pudding
Day 4 - Grasmere to Patterdale
Statistics
Distance: 12.1 miles
Elevation: 3671ft
After a relaxing evening in the Youth Hostel, we had a
leisurely morning; we even had breakfast for the first time. We commenced the
day with a clamber up the valley towards Tongue Gill, where we passed a
pleasant waterfall. We were sweating buckets as the valley was covered in
bracken which trapped the heat in; unfortunately, the fog was down but due to
the short route to Patterdale I re-proposed an alternative extension which had
plentiful dramatic scenery (the extension was originally declined by Samuel and
father). The route was slightly further but exceedingly interesting compared to
going down the valley from Grisedale tarn. Fortunately, Samuel said yes, and
Dad was happy to follow.
Thus, once we reached Grisedale tarn, we followed part of
the Bob Graham route in reverse; it began with a steep climb to Dollywaggon and
over the top of the fells towards Helvellyn. However, the fog/clouds still
didn’t lift; at most, we saw glimpses of the rugged scenery and the occasional
walker/runner. We surprisingly met a young group of adults who were part
outward bound scheme doing a 21-day expedition; it was surprising as we were
very remote, and the weather was unpleasant.
 |
| The climb towards Dollwaggon |
I then guided Samuel and Dad over
the iconic Striding Edge which was more challenging than my usual attempts when
fell running as we were carrying our rucksacks; this meant we had to be a
little more cautious on where we would place our feet otherwise it was a sheer
drop either side of the edge.
Once we conquered the edge with ease (apart from a minor
graze to my leg), I took another diversion to Birkhouse moor which I had done on
a previous visit to the lake district a few months before on a wainwright
bagging trip. The views from this Wainwright top remained stunning; it looked
over Ullswater and High Street. We were lucky enough that the fog had cleared
once we were further down to sea level. After being absorbed into the Lakeland
scenery, we finished the long rocky descent into Glenridding where I refuelled
with a steak bake at the local shop.
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| Birkhouse moor |
We then had the final plod to Patterdale campsite where the
views are quite bewildering over Helvellyn, Catsycam and Ullswater. To
conclude, this was my favourite day of the walk as the landscape of the Lake District
is just impressive; it is currently my favourite place in the United Kingdom.
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| My favourite campsite; great views |
Accommodation: Side Farm campsite, Patterdale
Evening meal: White Lion, Large Yorkshire pudding with
sausage and gravy
Day 5 - Patterdale to Shap
Statistics
Distance: 16.1 miles
Elevation: 3796 ft
Once the regular morning routine was completed: tent packed
away, teeth brushed, cereal bar consumed during breakfast, we began our walk at
6 am. The beginning of the day instantly started with a long climb up to Kidsty
Pike that passed the glorious Angle Tarn; it is a regular wild camping spot.
The view was astonishing at the top of Kidsty Pike; it looked over High street,
Helvellyn and even the sea as the sky were cloudless. It was 27 degrees, and my
fluid intake increased rapidly, Samuel was still struggling with fatigue and
ground his way through the day. After taking in the views, we had a tough,
steep descent towards Haweswater. This was a hot slog for 4 miles, where we
began to leave the Lake District behind us. This was a relief for Sam as the
hills and terrain became more forgiving (the rest of the walk was more about
distance than an elevation challenge).
We were then rewarded by a splendid donation box that was
set up by a child called Thomas; his box was full of cold, fizzy drinks and
chocolate. It was an excellent treat to have a can of coke in the heat of the
day before we powered on to Shap Abbey and then Shap.
As accustomed to, we refuelled at the CO-OP with pasta
before pitching and drying our tent midday (it was the hottest day of the walk
and year!). It was a lovely, relaxing evening as we could unwind inside the campsite’s
hotel, which remained significantly cooler than our sweaty tent.
Accommodation: The New Ing, Shap, camping
Evening meal: Barbeque pulled pork on chips- special of the
day which I doubt another chip shop sells
Day 6 - Shap to Kirby Stephen
Statistics
Distance: 21.1 miles
Elevation: 2228ft
After a stormy night’s sleep, I scrunched my wet tent
in my bag, had a few cereal bars to fuel me for our longest day: 21 miles (the
contrast of weather for the coast to coast this year varied massively:
scorching hot to storms and continual wet weather).
Samuel was nervous for the day as he had been struggling
each day; mentally and physically. We crossed a motorway, along a few fields
then over the moors towards Orton where this is a small chocolate factory.
However, we arrived too early to sample any of the local delicacies.
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| A 13-year-old boy called who was walking the coast to coast; every 10 miles he would plant a flag along the route |
The
terrain was significantly forgiving compared to the lake district, but the
distance remained long included several gates and stiles to go through which
broke up our rhythm. Samuel summoned us to stop for a break due to he was
experiencing some unbearable pain caused by his mountaineering boots; ‘the
worst pain I have ever experienced in my life’ (Moakes, 2019).
After this, we
didn’t have any more stops and plodded towards Kirkby Stephen via a lovely
bridge and viaduct.
Kirkby Stephen was the largest town we had come through on
the trip, which allowed for a different choice of nutrition for the evening; a
pizza. It was lovely to have something simpler than a traditional pub meal
which you soon become jaded with after having it each night.
Accommodation: Pennine view campsite, Kirkby Stephen: a
lovely site and facilities (it had a reading room and music in the toilet
block!); expected from a camping and caravanning organisation
Evening meal: Santorino, fast food, Kirkby Stephen, Barbecue
pizza
Day 7 - Kirkby Stephen to Muker
Statistics
Distance: 16.3 miles
Elevation: 2287ft
We woke bright and early at 4:30 am and quickly packed our
tent away under an outside shelter. The rain continued through the night and
remained as we ascended towards Nine Standards Rigg (part of the coast to coast
where most people have challenging memories from it due to its boggy terrain).
We were wet; although we had our waterproofs, the humidity wasn’t helping our
coats wick the sweat away fast enough.
Once we reached the impressive Nine
Standard, the fun commenced, we followed the correct direction for the time of
year. I then had to devise a route over the open-access land that was damage
limitation over the peaty, boggy moorland. We were hopping, skipping and
jumping to avoid a waist-deep disaster in the unforgiving bog. Fortunately, we
set off early before the rain really began to come down (other coast to
coasters were up to their waste once it turned midday). I had one soggy boot at
the end of this section; it was a success considering the rain, conditions and
the low cut boots and small gaiters that I chose to bring on the trip.
We then passed a lovely bothy which temporarily sheltered us
from the rain; we consumed a snack before we continued trodding through puddles
towards the shepherdess farm. The Coast to Coast route tends to end at Keld on
this day, but we powered on adjacent to the fast-flowing and deep river towards
Muker. We saw a few excellent waterfalls and a talented farmer herding his
sheep; these were only a few positives we could think of during the foul
weather.
The rationale behind camping at Muker rather than Keld is, Muker
has an increased amount of provisions, including a drying room, which was a
necessity after this days walk. The rest of the afternoon we dried our gear,
sheltered in the toilet block with a few other sodden walkers for 8 hours and
hoped that our tents would not get washed away as the rain was coming down
hard.
The weather predictions drastically changed since we were at
Borrowdale; it suggested solid rain, and we were beginning to ponder how we may
cope with west gear for the rest of the trip as tomorrow, and a few other sites
are somewhat basic. Once we decided to dive into our tent and attempt to get
some sleep for the night during the heavy rain, Samuel had to move his tent to
a different location on-site as he was at risk of being flooded away due to a
burst manhole cover and sodden ground. The weather was horrendous, and we were
expecting our tents to let water in at some point, so we left the majority of our
kit in the toilet block in case this happened; I was just cautious about
destroying my down sleeping bag due to wet (fortunately, we remained dry, but
the rain still continued).
Accommodation: Usha Gap Campsite, Muker
Evening meal: Farmers Arms, Pie and chips (one of the top
pubs during the trip- massive portions and quality!)
Day 8 - Muker to Reeth
Statistics
Distance: 10.6 miles
Elevation: 495ft
We didn't intend to wake up at normal time due to the short
distance walk for the day, but we magically had a spell of no rain, so we
scampered out of our tents and packed it away. The rain was forecast for
another 24 hours; thus, we put all of our waterproof gear on and set off for
our' rest day' walk. Fate was in our favour, and the forecast couldn't be any
more wrong; it was completely dry with even more surprising spells of sun. The
route closely followed the river to Reeth, which had a fast flow, which
resulted in us cautiously walking near it at times because the path was
effectively at the same level to it.
It was lovely to arrive at the site at 10 am and have
breakfast from a traditional 25-year-old bakery; we had a gigantic teacake that
was even buttered for us. If we had started the Coast to Coast one day later,
parts of Reeth and surrounding villages became significantly flooded which
would have put our trip to an end! It was a memorable experience; such
unpredictable weather including both of the extremes in a very short period of
time: heatwave to floods.
Accommodation: Reeth Caravan site
Day 9 – Reeth to Brompton upon Swale
Statistics
Distance: 15 miles
Elevation: 1375ft
Our normal routine was slightly different this day as we saw
another living human being awake as early as us. He was also a coast to coaster
with a similar mentality of setting off early to allow a long recovery in the
afternoon. He was aiming to complete the walk in 9 days and was carrying
expensive, flashy lightweight gear which resulted in a mere 9kg backpack which
was impressive!
The first part of the walk was relatively flat as we
followed a valley. Then it remained undulated towards Richmond. Once we reached
Richmond, we had breakfast at a Greggs (fuelled with a hot cup of tea and
a sausage and bacon cob; it was delicious).
We then filled our rucksacks full
of food for the evening as we were self-catering in a bunkhouse. However, our
bags weren’t evenly carrying the load as I seemed to be carrying a ridiculous
10kg extra (almost double my load)! It consisted of 6 pints of milk, 2 litres
of milkshake, a bottle of beer for dad, tins of food and snacks. My rucksack
looked ridiculous but I deduce it was some sort of payback as I was carrying a
significantly lighter load for the rest of the trip compared to Samuel and
father as I repacked my rucksack numerous times before starting the Coast to
Coast and became rather obsessive at reducing every gram that I had to carry (toothbrush
being cut in half, buckles and labels in clothing cut out etc.)
However, I quite enjoyed carrying a stupidly heavy bag for
the rest of the distance to the bunkhouse (3 miles). It made me realise the
impact the weight had on your muscles joints and stability. I struggled to
comprehend how soldiers carried 80lb rucksacks plus 30lb rifles during the
Falklands war
Once we arrived at the independent bunkhouse at Brompton
upon swale, we dried our tents outside in the lovely sun and took photos of the
traditional farm animals and the peculiar peacock. Later in the afternoon, we
were accompanied by a family of 5 who was also doing the Coast to Coast. They
looked rather crippled from the walk and had a strange way of undertaking it;
they would catch public transport if their feet hurt and not walk parts if they
didn’t feel like it.
Accommodation: Brompton upon swale bunkhouse; part of the
independent youth hostels
Evening meal: A ready meal: stew and dumpling with cake and
custard including many cups of teas
Day 10 - Brompton on Swale to Osmotherley
Statistics
Distance: 20.5 miles
Elevation: 1089ft
We had the luxury of beginning the day for the second time
of the trip with breakfast; we had cereals and toast. It is astounding what
simple things you begin to appreciate when doing an endurance event: washed
clothes, food, dry tent, shelter and warmth. This day was all about covering
distance; it was flat, rather un-scenic and predominately on roads. The speeds
we were averaging at times were incredible; Dad was pacing ahead at 4mph, and
it became difficult to catch him up if I ever decided to grab a snack from my
rucksack. But it was entirely understandable as it was just an A-B route
that required to switch off the brain and power to the campsite.
We did have one stop at Danby Whiske where we had a
leisurely couple of minutes where Samuel and I ate some Jam sandwiches. We tend
to eat on the go and never eat food that substantial either during the walk;
hence, this was another luxury for the day that we greatly appreciated.
After a lot of powerwalking on the roads, we reached an
unpassable, overgrown woodland which meant a few off-piste diversions that
required some fence hopping over the neighbouring fields. We then reached the
most dangerous section of the walk; even more dangerous than the Striding Edge
and Lakeland fells. It was the stupendous A19 dual carriageway crossing.
Despite the fact that the Coast to Coast gets approximately 10,000 participants
each year, there is still no footbridge or safe option. It requires you to run
across four lanes of 70mph speeding traffic; fortunately, we had a central
reservation which allowed us to break up the stupendous crossing whereas
further, up to the road, it requires you to cross four lanes in one go which seems
impossible when you have been waiting over 10 minutes.
Once conquered, we brought our heart rate down with a steady
plod towards our campsite at Osmotherly, which was the beginning of the North
York Moors. The site for the night was luxurious; it even had a bath which I was
tempted to try. Fortunately, my body wasn’t in pieces that I needed to
soak the muscles; however, it may have been beneficial for Samuel as he was
again feeling very tired and fatigued and soon had a long sleep once his tent
was erected.
Accommodation: Osmotherly Campsite
Evening meal: lasagne, chocolate fudge cake (Samuel even
asked which portions were the biggest in the pub which was humorous as the
person serving looked like a scary giant; he was large in height and diameter)
Day 11 -
Statistics
Distance: 19.8 miles
Elevation: 3461ft
This was an eventful day: rain all day, thick fog and broken
equipment. The route followed part of the Cleveland Way which usually has
beautiful views, but all we could see was 10 metres ahead of us. It was
undulating for the first 10 miles that went over some very slippery flagstones.
I was surprised to see another walker on the moors; he was
doing the Lyke Wake Walk. It definitely wasn't the day to be completing a
40-mile challenge in the rain and fog. Samuel found it as the hardest day,
which was an alarming statement as he had been struggling every day, so I
throttled back on the pace to try and keep his morale up.
We then reached the disused railway track, and this was a
long section that led us to Blakey ridge; it is where we would wild camp. I
powered ahead (40-minute lead over Samuel and dad; I even powered a 12-minute
mile!), due to the monotonous terrain for this section it required us to go at
our own speed and mentally battle our way through to the end.
To add to the challenge, the driving rain was heavy, and we
were completely soaked once we reached Lion at Blakey. All we wanted to do now
was hideaway in the local pub because we were in the middle of nowhere and the
weather was horrendous. Thus, we erected our tent as fast as we could in 50mph
winds and headed for the warmth of the pub; Samuel was tiered and slightly
neglected his tent pitching, which soon resulted in a disaster.
We then wiped ourselves down in the pub porch, rung out my
soaking wet socks (my boots disappointedly began to let water in due to the
constant rain) and tried to look a little more presentable as we were ditched.
We then indulged into the best bowl of chips for lunch; the portion was
massive, and our morale was significantly boosted! We spent the rest of the
evening hiding away in the pub drink tea (I am the least likely candidate to
spend time in a pub as I am completely T-total). This night was a wild camp which was located
on a very bleak moor; thus, we were not looking forward to our night's sleep as
the weather did not look to be clearing.
Samuel checked on our tents to see if they had not blown
away and he reported back with bad news; his tent pole had snapped and
punctured holes into the outer. This may have been down to poorly pitching the
tent in the direction of the 50mph gust of wind as well as not using all of his
pegs. Nevertheless, I re-waterproofed up and fixed his pole as his morale was
down; the luck hadn't been in his favour for the trip as he had a ripped coat,
broken tent, blisters and heavy, wet boots.
Accommodation: Wild Camping near the Lion Inn, Blakey
Evening meal: casserole in a giant Yorkshire; large portions
(the best night for calorific benefits and quality of food)
Day 12 – Blakey to Intake Farm
Statistics
Distance: 18.7 miles
Elevation: 1742ft
The poor weather remained, and we set off walking for our
penultimate day in the thick fog along the road towards Fat Betty; it was a
human-shaped stone where people left snacks on the rocks for other walkers to
eat. It was a lovely gesture; father contributed one of his cereal bars whereas
Samuel and I took advantage of the gesture and indulged into a better cereal
bar than we possessed in our rucksacks. It was a little morale booster as the
weather still 'didn't improve, and the rain remained to blow into our face from
a northerly direction, which became another battle for our mental robustness.
We then arrived at Grosmont train station where we had
another morale booster at a small café; we could hide away from the foul
weather. We could also see numerous steam trains past. A woman volunteering in
the café said the previous week was 37 degrees, which was hard to contemplate
considering the foul weather we had experienced over some of the days during
the trip.
After a lovely cup of tea and sizeable homemade ham and cheese
quiche, we climbed out of Grosmont up a 33% road climb and continued to the
final coast to coast accommodation. This was unique to normal as we were
camping in a farms garden. The evening's meal was provided by Judith, who owned
the farm; we ate around a large farm table with nine other coast to coasters.
It was a brilliant experience discussing the walks high and low points
throughout the night. The amount of food Judith cooked was incredible; Samuel
and I had 2nds and 3rds!
Accommodation: Intake Farm, Judith’s back garden
Evening meal: Lasagne, cauliflower cheese, chicken casserole
Day 13 – Intake Farm to Robin Hoods bay
Statistics
Distance: 12 miles
Elevation: 1424ft
Our final day was relatively short; my father was up at 4:45
and we quietly packed our tents away without trying to wake any fellow campers
on the back garden. It was a surprisingly tricky day for navigation; we had to
go through some woodlands that closely follow Little Beck river; it eventually
led to a lovely waterfall called Falling Foss. We even passed a blogger who was
speaking to a camera at 5:15 am; we still couldn’t understand why he was in the
middle of nowhere and who would be listening to him at that time of
day. Later on, we had to create a path through some overgrown bracken that
was higher than us.
Then dart over some peaty moorland before we reached the
coastal path that followed the Cleveland Way towards Robin Hoods Bay. Our
adrenaline was pumping as we speed-walked the remaining few miles and jogged
the downhills.
We had made it, dipped our boots in the sea and watched
Samuel flung the stone that he carried from St Bees in the North Sea whereas Dad and I kept ours for a memento.
Conclusion of the Wainwrights Coast to Coast
The Wainwrights Coast to Coast walk was a truly marvellous
adventure and achievement to walk the entire width of the country. We soon
experienced the holiday blues, and I struggled to settle back to normality;
especially after having a simplistic and relatively technologically free
fortnight away (However, I did listen to a few inspiring podcasts about Killian
Journet breaking the Bob Graham round record).
My Dad completed the walk with ease, and his knee held up
remarkably well. Despite Samuels insane results for 10km running, it
continually surprised me with the lack of transferability of fitness and
strength it has on endurance events. I believe Samuel was quickly shocked by
the difficulty of walking; a stigma often perceived by young people that
walking is easy but with carrying a significant amount of weight on your back
continually for two weeks you soon begin to realise it definitely isn’t!
I cherish the simplicity of my adventures. Carrying my home
and all the kit on my back and exploring a fantastic variety of scenery with a
great team has been a brilliant way to spend part of my summer. I look forward
to next summer’s event, which we soon began to throw ideas back and forth;
maybe the coast to coast to run in 4 days is another event to go on the bucket
list!
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