At 17 miles out of 21 miles to go, in the Yorkshire Moors along the Rosedale Ironore dismantled railway. 
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Along the dismantled Iron Ore Track
At 17 miles out of 21 miles to go, in the Yorkshire Moors along the Rosedale Ironore dismantled railway.
Coast to Coast Completed
We finished the Coast to Coast on Wednesday, a strong finish with a 17 mile walk to complete the last stage (including a 33% climb that lasted for about 45 minutes at the start). It's been a challenging walk, much more so than I would have thought or planned for, but once the North Sea came into sight our steps quickened and our spirits lifted and we finished with no problems at all.
Yesterday and today, we're exploring York, and tonight we'll be in Manchester with a flight home tomorrow.
Yesterday and today, we're exploring York, and tonight we'll be in Manchester with a flight home tomorrow.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Danby Wiske to Osthmotherley
A fairly easy and straight forward day today --- we made the first 6 miles in a little over 2 hours, and arrived at Osmotherley in time for lunch at 2:00pm. The terrain was flat and farmland, with hazy views because of the heat. We could see the hills going into the Yorkshire Moors National Park in the distance, but the sun was quite oppressive --- to give you an idea, the forecast is for isolated thunderstorms tomorrow. We've been very fortunate with the weather.
Finally, we passed into the Arncliffe Wood and linked up with the Cleveland way before entering the village for the evening. Tomorrow's going to be a tough day, a 21 mile day. We'll see how I do. Lisa's opted to skip this stage by riding along with the lugguage van, but I'm optimistic that I can make it in before the forecasted rain showers.
Finally, we passed into the Arncliffe Wood and linked up with the Cleveland way before entering the village for the evening. Tomorrow's going to be a tough day, a 21 mile day. We'll see how I do. Lisa's opted to skip this stage by riding along with the lugguage van, but I'm optimistic that I can make it in before the forecasted rain showers.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Richmond to Danby Wiske
We got off to an early start, and left while the air was still cool. We enjoyed very much the walk alongside the river, and then past the sewage plant and into the woods, but very quickly got lost on the way to Colburn, ending up at Walkerville. Fortunately, the main road led us right to Catterick Bridge, the next major intersection, so while we ended up with a lot of road walking, we did not actually lose very much time or a lot of distance.
There, we met up again with Andy and Bey, the two Canadians with a GPS unit, and were happy to follow along with them until we reached the second long road stretch. There, we met more Australian visitors, and reached the hamlet of Danby Wiske at 3:30pm, easily one of the fastest 14 mile days we've done so far.
It's been another running shoe day for me as well. It looks like I have one more day in boots, as there's a forecast for rain on Tuesday, but other than that, I should be good to go. The end is now in sight!
There, we met up again with Andy and Bey, the two Canadians with a GPS unit, and were happy to follow along with them until we reached the second long road stretch. There, we met more Australian visitors, and reached the hamlet of Danby Wiske at 3:30pm, easily one of the fastest 14 mile days we've done so far.
It's been another running shoe day for me as well. It looks like I have one more day in boots, as there's a forecast for rain on Tuesday, but other than that, I should be good to go. The end is now in sight!
Retro post: Patterdale to Shap
We left Patterdale early in the morning, and climbed up a nearby ridge to see mottled morning light cover Patterdale like little spotlights. On the way over the ridge we met Peter and Margaret, two walkers from Australia. Demonstrating the small world that we're in now, it turned out that Peter knew Tristan Lawrence from work, and we had quite a good chat as we walked along --- Peter and Margaret pointed out the 1500 year old Roman road that we saw as we went along.
After some pictures, we got separated from them and got ourselves lost. We did find ourselves down to Hawsewater reservoir, however, by following some sheep-trails towards the water. Hawsewater itself was a boring up and down again with stone-strewn trails but the woods along Hawsewater Beck after the dam was nothing short of beautiful --- bluebells lay alongside trees with a stream running through it, with sheep grazing peacefully alongside.
The last bits of farm trekking was wearing, however, and we arrived at Shap Abbey tired and cursing the last driveway out of the Abbey towards Shap. We reached Shap to run into Peter and Margaret on the way to dinner, and we joined them before going on to our guesthouse, the Brookfield Guest House at the end of Shap.
Our hostess there, Margaret Brunskill was extremely helpful, and offered to do our laundry the next morning! When she could not dry the clothes in time, she hand-delivered the laundry to our next B&B in Orton the next day! We cannot recommend the Brookfield Guest House enough --- the facilities are amazing, the breakfast she made for us amazing, and her company was excellent.
After some pictures, we got separated from them and got ourselves lost. We did find ourselves down to Hawsewater reservoir, however, by following some sheep-trails towards the water. Hawsewater itself was a boring up and down again with stone-strewn trails but the woods along Hawsewater Beck after the dam was nothing short of beautiful --- bluebells lay alongside trees with a stream running through it, with sheep grazing peacefully alongside.
The last bits of farm trekking was wearing, however, and we arrived at Shap Abbey tired and cursing the last driveway out of the Abbey towards Shap. We reached Shap to run into Peter and Margaret on the way to dinner, and we joined them before going on to our guesthouse, the Brookfield Guest House at the end of Shap.
Our hostess there, Margaret Brunskill was extremely helpful, and offered to do our laundry the next morning! When she could not dry the clothes in time, she hand-delivered the laundry to our next B&B in Orton the next day! We cannot recommend the Brookfield Guest House enough --- the facilities are amazing, the breakfast she made for us amazing, and her company was excellent.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Reeth to Richmond
It would hit 84 degrees F today, prompting British authorities to declare a severe weather emergency: a heat wave. Wanting to see the castle in Richmond, we asked for an early start and got underway by 8:45am. The hike in the early morning light was beautiful, nothing short of gorgeous, and the walking easy. Given how dry it had been recently, I opted for running shoes over boots, which would work well for a 10 mile, 1200' climb walk to Richmond.
We made excellent time over hills and dales, and then ran into Andy and Bey, who had a GPS united which meant that I didn't have to navigate any more.
Happily, we made it to our B&B by 1:30, and since Richmond does not have a laundromat, were very thankful that our hostess agreed to do our laundry for us. We spent the afternoon shopping for nutrition bars, visiting the castle, eating, and hunting down Aloe Vera cream for sunburn and more moleskin for Lisa's blisters and in case my heels act up again. Weather allowing, though, I should be able to walk the rest of this trip in running shoes.
We made excellent time over hills and dales, and then ran into Andy and Bey, who had a GPS united which meant that I didn't have to navigate any more.
Happily, we made it to our B&B by 1:30, and since Richmond does not have a laundromat, were very thankful that our hostess agreed to do our laundry for us. We spent the afternoon shopping for nutrition bars, visiting the castle, eating, and hunting down Aloe Vera cream for sunburn and more moleskin for Lisa's blisters and in case my heels act up again. Weather allowing, though, I should be able to walk the rest of this trip in running shoes.
Keld to Reeth
The book describes this as an easy day, and it was indeed easy at first, a gentle descent into Swaledale from Keld. We opted out of the high route, which took us over lead mine country, and then saw beautiful buttercup and grass fields next to a stream. By lunch time, however, things had heated up dramatically, and we were baking in the heat.
The climb out of Gunnerside and the descent into Kearton through an unmarked footpath, however, was more taxing than expected, and to walk into Reeth at 5:00pm after a 10:00am start was a relief. We definitely considered this not an easy day, beautiful views notwithstanding.
The climb out of Gunnerside and the descent into Kearton through an unmarked footpath, however, was more taxing than expected, and to walk into Reeth at 5:00pm after a 10:00am start was a relief. We definitely considered this not an easy day, beautiful views notwithstanding.
On top of Richmond Castle looking at the Market Square
Richmond's market square is supposed to be one of the largest in England, but we were there on a Friday, not a Saturday, so it wasn't filled with stalls...
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Kirkby Stephen to Keld
We went over the Penines today, up to the nine standards, over the hills, and down into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The route wound its patient way up a completely unshaded hill, with moorlands over the top, and lots of peat bogs that normally would be really nasty to walk through, but it had been dry for almost a week now so we only had to tip-toe around a few spots here and there.
Yorkshire Dales is beautiful, with yellow buttercups and lovely barns. Again, lots of sheep, but we got to Keld at 4:00pm despite several breaks, and our cell phone didn't work. We resorted to a payphone off the main road to call our Inn for a pickup (we were staying at the Tan Hill Inn, the highest Inn in the entire U.K.), and since that was the only phone box in town they knew exactly where to pick us up.
Lisa got a case of sunburn on her legs where we forgot to apply sunscreen because we had umbrellas up. Sunburn in England! Nobody's going to believe her.
Yorkshire Dales is beautiful, with yellow buttercups and lovely barns. Again, lots of sheep, but we got to Keld at 4:00pm despite several breaks, and our cell phone didn't work. We resorted to a payphone off the main road to call our Inn for a pickup (we were staying at the Tan Hill Inn, the highest Inn in the entire U.K.), and since that was the only phone box in town they knew exactly where to pick us up.
Lisa got a case of sunburn on her legs where we forgot to apply sunscreen because we had umbrellas up. Sunburn in England! Nobody's going to believe her.
Stonethwaite to Grasmere
We woke up still footsore but surprisingly refreshed and ready for another day. A typical English breakfast followed (recommended only for people who are doing hard exercise—the same fare would probably provide a heart-attack for anyone else), and then we were on our way. I discovered that sock-liners made my boots feel too small, so resorted once again to moleskin to reduce contact with the sore part of my ankle (which was still unblistered)
A bridge crossing later, we were on the official trail route again, which passed waterfalls and then started climbing quickly in the beautiful morning light. After a false summit, the path led us through some boggy areas—so far, there’s never been a day here that I hadn’t ended up being grateful for my waterproof hiking boots.
The hike up to the top was uneventful, but the scenery was gorgeous as was the light—the Lake district mountains have a distinctive talent for appearing to be much taller than they have a right to look, despite none of them being higher than Mt. Hamilton in the Bay Area.
The book noted that today had the most accessible of the coast to coast’s high ridge walk, so despite our lingering soreness, we decided to take it. The views were again outstanding, with visibility being good enough for us to see both Grasmere and Windermere lakes.
The descent from Helm Crag, however, was steep beyond belief—the bottoms of my feet were again pulsating by the time we hit the bottom, and it was to our relief that the hotel we’d booked was the first one we encountered in town.
Grasmere was a picture-perfect little town—so small that the nearest Laundromat was a bus-ride away. Fortunately, the bus comes by every 20 minutes or so (at least, that’s what we were told). We wandered around, found dinner, booked dinner at the Jumble House for the next night (yes, things were so crowded we couldn’t have dinner there that night!), and then found the Wordsworths’ graves at the Church of St. Oswald.
A bridge crossing later, we were on the official trail route again, which passed waterfalls and then started climbing quickly in the beautiful morning light. After a false summit, the path led us through some boggy areas—so far, there’s never been a day here that I hadn’t ended up being grateful for my waterproof hiking boots.
The hike up to the top was uneventful, but the scenery was gorgeous as was the light—the Lake district mountains have a distinctive talent for appearing to be much taller than they have a right to look, despite none of them being higher than Mt. Hamilton in the Bay Area.
The book noted that today had the most accessible of the coast to coast’s high ridge walk, so despite our lingering soreness, we decided to take it. The views were again outstanding, with visibility being good enough for us to see both Grasmere and Windermere lakes.
The descent from Helm Crag, however, was steep beyond belief—the bottoms of my feet were again pulsating by the time we hit the bottom, and it was to our relief that the hotel we’d booked was the first one we encountered in town.
Grasmere was a picture-perfect little town—so small that the nearest Laundromat was a bus-ride away. Fortunately, the bus comes by every 20 minutes or so (at least, that’s what we were told). We wandered around, found dinner, booked dinner at the Jumble House for the next night (yes, things were so crowded we couldn’t have dinner there that night!), and then found the Wordsworths’ graves at the Church of St. Oswald.
May 31st: Ennerdale Bridge to Stonethwaite
Unfortunately, Ennerdale View’s hot-tub (its selling point, as far as we were concerned), was turned off, so we couldn’t use it. Their internet connectivity worked just great, however, so we made phone calls back home.
The next morning started with a gorgeous setting and an excellent English breakfast. Then Tony provided the packed lunches, and announced that since he had no driver today, he was unable to provide a lift back to Ennerdale Bridge. This added 1.5 miles of downhill to the walk, so I was unhappy, but there was nothing to do about that at this time.
The walk down to Ennerdale Bridge had to be interrupted a few times for Boot adjustments until I figured out that I should mole skin my heel vertically. We reached Ennerdale Bridge slowly, and then headed for the Lake. The walk there took more than the twenty minutes the book stated, so I knew we were going to be on a leisurely schedule today. The high route was out of the question, given our soreness and Lisa’s objection, since even the Ennerdale lakeside trail was giving us trouble on account of the previous day’s activities.
The lake was beautiful, with the ever changing light giving us new views from the same scene seconds apart, showing us the glorious English country side in all her beauty, homes, squared off fields with their fences, and lush greenery everywhere in sight.
Past the hike, we had a choice between the Bridle track or the “official route”, which was warned to be hot and dull. Given the general coolness we were experiencing, we had no fear of the heat, and after all that excitement yesterday, a little dullness would not be unwelcome. The reality, though, was that the official route was only dull compared to the high route --- the trees alongside the road were beautiful, and the views of the surrounding value in the areas that had been clear cut provided a backdrop that made the dullness fade. Still, our condition made the route slow going. A tailwind provided a little support, but the road was a gentle and relentless uphill, which slowed us down more than it should have.
By the by, we arrived at the Black Sails youth hostel, where we met a woman named Rafael and Richard. They were doing a long hike in the opposite direction, doing all the high ridges that are part of the coast to coast. Rafael was an experienced hiker (no, she did not have brothers named Michaelangelo or Donatello) and pulled out a topo map that showed the way. I would have been better off keeping my counsel and following the book, however, since her directions ultimately confused me. Lisa had tea and potato chips while I had an apple.
After we were done we headed up the hill, which after meandering for a bit, became a steep climb. We took the climb slowly, one step at a time, and soon were in sight of the cairns at the top, which arrived far rapidly than I anticipated. Over the sheep fence, I got confused and saw another cairn off in the distance. The detour to check and make sure it wasn’t the path Rafael described cost us half an hour. Fortunately, there was signal at the top, so I called our Inn to make sure they didn’t give away our beds. Ann, the owner of Knotts View informed us that it was a busy night at the town so we should have dinner before arriving at the Inn.
A dark cloud came in between us and the sun, lending the afternoon a brooding, dark mood. We were both tired and footsore, and our speed was a mile and a half an hour, if that. The trail was inlaid with rocks to prevent erosion, but that made our progress even slower. Surprisingly though, any pain in my ankle was gone --- it was as if 10 hours of walking in those boots finally melded them into my body. Two couples passed us as though we were standing still, and though the dark cloud eventually passed, we only made it down to the Hornister Youth Hostel at 6:00pm. At that point, hungry and worn out, I realized that we would make it to Knotts View only by 9:00pm. Fortunately, a couple had just pulled into the parking lot and finished shooting pictures, so we asked for a ride to Seatoller and they accepted.
Once in the car, they found out that we were staying in Stonethwaite, and made up an excuse that they were going there to eat anyway, and coincidentally happened to pass Knotts View and drop us off. We must have looked a sight when we arrived at Knotts View, since the owner immediately ushered us into our room, told us to take a shower, and then she’d drive us to Rosthwaite at the Scarfell Hotel where we could have a bar dinner.
She could not drive us back because she was expecting more guests (who never did show up), so after dinner we walked the 15 minute walk back in about 25 minutes, aching and with feet throbbing. There was no question that we would sleep well that night.
The next morning started with a gorgeous setting and an excellent English breakfast. Then Tony provided the packed lunches, and announced that since he had no driver today, he was unable to provide a lift back to Ennerdale Bridge. This added 1.5 miles of downhill to the walk, so I was unhappy, but there was nothing to do about that at this time.
The walk down to Ennerdale Bridge had to be interrupted a few times for Boot adjustments until I figured out that I should mole skin my heel vertically. We reached Ennerdale Bridge slowly, and then headed for the Lake. The walk there took more than the twenty minutes the book stated, so I knew we were going to be on a leisurely schedule today. The high route was out of the question, given our soreness and Lisa’s objection, since even the Ennerdale lakeside trail was giving us trouble on account of the previous day’s activities.
The lake was beautiful, with the ever changing light giving us new views from the same scene seconds apart, showing us the glorious English country side in all her beauty, homes, squared off fields with their fences, and lush greenery everywhere in sight.
Past the hike, we had a choice between the Bridle track or the “official route”, which was warned to be hot and dull. Given the general coolness we were experiencing, we had no fear of the heat, and after all that excitement yesterday, a little dullness would not be unwelcome. The reality, though, was that the official route was only dull compared to the high route --- the trees alongside the road were beautiful, and the views of the surrounding value in the areas that had been clear cut provided a backdrop that made the dullness fade. Still, our condition made the route slow going. A tailwind provided a little support, but the road was a gentle and relentless uphill, which slowed us down more than it should have.
By the by, we arrived at the Black Sails youth hostel, where we met a woman named Rafael and Richard. They were doing a long hike in the opposite direction, doing all the high ridges that are part of the coast to coast. Rafael was an experienced hiker (no, she did not have brothers named Michaelangelo or Donatello) and pulled out a topo map that showed the way. I would have been better off keeping my counsel and following the book, however, since her directions ultimately confused me. Lisa had tea and potato chips while I had an apple.
After we were done we headed up the hill, which after meandering for a bit, became a steep climb. We took the climb slowly, one step at a time, and soon were in sight of the cairns at the top, which arrived far rapidly than I anticipated. Over the sheep fence, I got confused and saw another cairn off in the distance. The detour to check and make sure it wasn’t the path Rafael described cost us half an hour. Fortunately, there was signal at the top, so I called our Inn to make sure they didn’t give away our beds. Ann, the owner of Knotts View informed us that it was a busy night at the town so we should have dinner before arriving at the Inn.
A dark cloud came in between us and the sun, lending the afternoon a brooding, dark mood. We were both tired and footsore, and our speed was a mile and a half an hour, if that. The trail was inlaid with rocks to prevent erosion, but that made our progress even slower. Surprisingly though, any pain in my ankle was gone --- it was as if 10 hours of walking in those boots finally melded them into my body. Two couples passed us as though we were standing still, and though the dark cloud eventually passed, we only made it down to the Hornister Youth Hostel at 6:00pm. At that point, hungry and worn out, I realized that we would make it to Knotts View only by 9:00pm. Fortunately, a couple had just pulled into the parking lot and finished shooting pictures, so we asked for a ride to Seatoller and they accepted.
Once in the car, they found out that we were staying in Stonethwaite, and made up an excuse that they were going there to eat anyway, and coincidentally happened to pass Knotts View and drop us off. We must have looked a sight when we arrived at Knotts View, since the owner immediately ushered us into our room, told us to take a shower, and then she’d drive us to Rosthwaite at the Scarfell Hotel where we could have a bar dinner.
She could not drive us back because she was expecting more guests (who never did show up), so after dinner we walked the 15 minute walk back in about 25 minutes, aching and with feet throbbing. There was no question that we would sleep well that night.
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