Day 16 Manchester: A Reflection on the Walk

Highlights of 13 Days on the Coast to Coast:We walked 309 K from St. Bees to Robin Hood Bay, ascended/descended over 6500 M, in 13 days, walking from 12.5 K to 32.5 K a day. At the end no blisters, no twisted knees, just a bit stiff in the joints. The hikers we met covered the route from 7 and 21 days (others were doing 1/2 the route). It challenged our stamina, endurance and way finding. A highlight of walking for both of us was experiencing the "micro environment". Rather than feeling like tourists, we became part of a community of hikers. Nothing is nicer than arriving at the only pub in the village and being greeted by fellow walkers and sharing stories of the day. Locals would also chime in with advice. And nothing gives you a sense of the country better than walking through it. Some special things: Starting in the aftermath of a hurricane; scrambling up Loft Beck to Grey Knotts at the top of Honister Pass; scrambling up the waterfall created by Greenup Gill; finding a chocolate factory and the best ever hot chocolate on a rainy day followed by a community knitting co-op; walking through the wild beauty of the Lakes and the flat, fertile farmland of the Vale of Mowbray and the distinctive nature of each district. Whether we ate at a village pub, a youth hostel, or a family farm we ate very well (and had great coffee on at least 3 occasions). What We Wish We Knew Before We Started:We were prepared for wet weather but we under estimated the ground saturation and did not expect to walk ankle deep in bog or up trails that flowed with water, making you think you were walking up a stream. We learned the value of waterproof socks (a bit hot but our feet stayed dry as our waterproof boots did not). We wish we had understood we were walking a non official route and some areas, particularly the Lake District, had no Coast to Coast signage. Our map was 1:40,000 and in certain areas we needed finer detail. Not always knowing local terminology impacted the value of our guidebooks. Until the next long distance trail adventure, we will sign off. Anita and Jane