A Coast to Coaster

The alarm went off at 6.30am this morning as we had intended to set off on today's final stage at about 7am, to ensure that we reached Robin Hoods Bay by mid-afternoon (in time for the minibus back to Kirkby Stephen).

Unfortunately, Leonie's ankle ligament damage was too much for her to come today. I know that she will feel frustrated at not being able to walk those last 16 miles but, as I made reference to in yesterday's blog, her achievement to get this far has been absolutely phenomonal and it simply means that she has an excuse to come up to this lovely part of the country next year to complete it.

I set off at about 7.20am in a sombre but defiant mood and as I headed uphill out of Grosmont, I was determined to enjoy this last stage as much as posible.

I made good time, but as a result of walking on my own and trying to get to Robin Hoods Bay as soon as possible, my shins soon began to ache and I had to slow down. Thankfully, there was a stretch along some moorland which softened the pounding on my feet - pounding which was softened even further as I took a running jump and ploughed knee high into an area of bog.

I took the last 3 miles around the coastline at a leisurely pace, hoping that some philosophical thoughts would come into my head which would ultimately lead me to a life changing decision. As it was, I just kept thinking about whether Tony Pulis would play Tuncay against Bolton this afternoon!

I arrived in Robin Hoods Bay at 12.50pm and was happy to see Leonie and her boyfriend Andy sat outside Wainwrights Bar. Leonie had got a taxi from Grosmont and Andy had driven up from Stafford early that morning.

As I dipped my toe in the North Sea and Andy kindly took the required photo, I turned around to see my Dad and my Sister, Sharon, walking towards us. They had driven up from Stoke on Trent this morning to meet me. I was lost for words really, as it was a really lovely touch. Leonie and Andy headed back to Stafford and the remaining three of us enjoyed a chocolate milkshake before my Dad and Sharon headed back and I got the minibus back to Kirkby Stephen.

Luckily, Leonie had insured me on her car before we left so I was able to drive back to Stafford and made good time - especially after I discovered 'The Motown Show' on 100.4 Smooth FM!

And so ended my 15 day/192 mile walk from St Bees Head to Robin Hood's Bay. I'm really glad I did it and do have a great sense of achievement, dampened to a degree by the last couple of days. Nevertheless, the countryside that I have seen and the people that I have met made this experience more of a holiday than I thought it actually would be.

A big thank you to all of you who have wished me well throughout the Walk, to those who have helped me raise money for Douglas Macmillan Hospice and to all other Coast to Coasters who I met on my travels - especially Jill, Tim, Michael, Rob, Evita, Rich and Nicola. Also thank you to Martin and Neil for joining us for part of the C2C.

Finally, a big thank you to Leonie for agreeing to take up the challenge in the first place, for putting up with my snoring, teeth grinding, singing and dancing during the last two weeks. I'm surprised, given the pain she has been suffering with, that I didn't get a walking pole wrapped round my neck.

And before you ask, no, I won't be doing it again - not for a few years anyway!

Jon
The Bearded, Sunburnt, Hobbling but Happy Rambler

Not Alot To Say

I could say alot of things about today but I will try and keep today's blog update as brief as I can.

In short, we had 23 miles of road and other hard terrain walking to do - including 2.5 miles of road walking just to get us back on the C2C path from where we had stayed in Great Broughton.

Leonie has been walking with ankle supports for the last 10 days and was walking from about 8 miles into today's walk in real pain. I could see that she was visibly limping with every step she took, and I knew it must be bad as she isn't the kind of person who makes it obvious when she is suffering.

We arrived in Glaisdale about 5pm, with 3 more miles to Grosmont but Leonie's ankle had had enough and she could walk no further. Neil, a friend who I met in China last year, had come to meet us in Glaisdale to walk to Grosmont with us and had luckily parked his car in Grosmont. So, Neil and I walked to Grosmont, collected his car and went back to Glaisdale to pick Leonie up.

At this stage, it isn't clear whether Leonie will be able to walk tomorrow's 16 miles to Robin Hood's Bay. It now seems that she has been walking for the last 10 days with ever worsening ankle ligament damage and she is in tremendous pain.

I don't have ankle ligament damage and my feet furt like hell so I dread to think the pain that she must be going through.

Whatever happens tomorrow, I would like to say that Leonie has demonstrated courage and determination that I have never seen before. Only today have I realised the true pain that she has been suffering for the last 100 or so miles. For her to come so far as she has (mentally and physically), she deserves the upmost respect and I doff my dirty, sun-bleached cap to her. I would like to know of any other Coast to Coasters who have gone through so much pain for such a long period of time just for the sake of walking from one place to another - which is, at the end of the day, what it is.

With hindsight I now think that I made a mistake in having two long days to finish - I mistakenly thought that our bodies would get stronger as we went on when in fact they are both beginning to show real signs of breaking down after 14 days and 170 odd miles of walking in all weathers and on all manner of surfaces.

Spirits are low tonight so we shall see what tomorrow brings.

Finally, just a special big thank you to Neil (aka Finners), who was our Knight in Shining Mini Cooper today.

The Good Samaritan

Today was back to what I would call 'proper walking'. The last couple of days through the Vale of Mowbray (Richmond to Danby Wiske and Danby Wiske to Ingleby Cross) were pleasant enough but it was all very flat. As we left our B&B, we immediately headed uphill through Arncliffe Wood onto Scarth Wood Moor, seeing countless Pheasants and even a lone deer.

I've received plenty of constructive feedback on my blog updates from you all (for which I am grateful - I think). As a result, today's blog is going to be food reference free.

So, I shall simply see that after crossing Scarth Wood Moor, we headed down to Lord Stone's Cafe which is a lovely little place set into the rock. It's well hidden and not something you would be able to find without a map.

After leaving the Cafe, we climbed further onto Kirby Bank where there were great views for miles around. We thought that we could even glimpse a ship of some kind in what must have been the North Sea.

As we hadn't got lost yet, it was clear that some minor event was bound to happen and sure enough, after placing my Coast to Coast book (complete with map) on the top of a signpost in order to get my mp3 player out and despite (i) Peter, a chap who we have met several times during our walk; and (ii) Leonie, both reminding me not to forget it, I absentmindedly wandered off and completed the next steep climb without it. Only when I reached the top did I realise that whilst I was holding my walking pole in my left hand, my right hand felt surprisingly redundant! The gods were smiling however as another chap who we have met several times along the way passed us bearing the said book. He had picked it up on the basis that the numpty who forgot it probably wouldn't be bothered to return for it. After learning that he was not staying anywhere near us that night, and realising that there were only two days to go and the chances of running into him again at a pub were very slim, I offered to buy him a pint for his samaritan-esque qualities!!

We headed down into Great Broughton with Rob and Evita who had caught us up and arrived at our destination about 4.30pm.

My delight at having completed day Day 13 was increased at finding out that not only did our room have a television in it but that it had Sky Sports! Whilst Leonie had an hour's kip, I had a lovely hour watching the cricket.

Tomorrow we have a long day ahead as we walk to Grosmont - home of the railway station where the Harry Potter films are filmed.

A Guest Coast To Coaster

I love hash browns. Whoever first made them needs some kind of honour - posthumous if necessary. As you are by now aware, I had a hash brown for breakfast. Not just a hash brown of course. To prevent it feeling lonely on the plate I had a fried egg and tomato as well! Martin arrived at about 9.30am and we were on the road just before 10am. Today was probably the easiest walk so far,just under 10 miles along more flat fields and road. It was great to catch up with Martin and we had a good old natter about football and Stoke which Leonie,bless her,has been unable to engage in! Even allowing for a few rests,we chalked off the miles really quickly and we were sat in the Blue Bell Inn at 1.50pm with Martin tucking into a portion of lasagne and chips. Martin then left us to get a taxi back to his car in Danby Wiske and Leonie and I carried on for a further mile to our accommodation for the nightm We are staying in the heart of Arncliffe Wood which is a fantastic setting. I have just dined on the finest salmon and had a great few hours at the table chatting with Rich and Nicola and Evita and Rob, two couples who we have got to know and who we have stayed with the last few nights. Tomorrow we enter our third national park, the North Yorkshire Moors, as we venture to Great Broughton.

Today we headed out of Richmond back into the wilderness of villages and hamlets. Before eaving however I made sure that I paid a visit to the pasty mecca of Greggs! Continuing my reborn health obsession-I had again given the fried breakfast a miss-I purchased a tuna sandwich instead of the sausage and bean melt that usually tugs at my heartstrings! We headed down through the town and once again followed the River Swale. We walked with a couple of South African girls for a few miles which was very enjoyable - I shall say nothing more on the subject! We left the two girls just outside Bolton on Swale as we stopped for lunch. Even female company comes second to Greggs!! The second part of today's walk involved quite a bit of road walking which was quite tough on my knees and ankles but it did mean that we clocked off the last few miles in good time,arriving at Danby Wiske at about 3.30pm. The one pub in the village closed-until November-so we went into nearby Northallerton with Paul for some tea and in mine and Paul's case,two fine pints of Timothy Taylor. Tomorrow we will be joined by my mate Martin who is driving over from Manchester to walk with us to Ingleby Cross.

Making A Meal Of It

Today saw the return of the fried breakfast. My arteries seemed sufficiently clear to merit another plate of cholesterol. We set off at about 9.30am and headed back onto the C2C route through the village. The countryside followed the same format as the last couple of days; rivers,fields,farms and most importantly,flat! The walk down into Richmond was lovely,not just because it signalled the end of the day's walk - at 2pm - but because of the view of the town itself and in particular the Castle. After having our now customary post walk showers and brews, we headed into town and had a walk around the Castle. I like medievel history - excuse the spelling - and I shall bore those of you who are interested in the history of the Castle and the town when I get back. For tea we headed to Richmond's premiere Indian restaurant where we arrived earlier enough to take advantage of,indeed.some would say abuse,the all you can eat buffet! The food was lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed my favourite meal.......seconds! You will all be pleased to now that I left room for my bag of liquorice allsorts which I had bought from the shop and consumed when we returned to the B+B!

A Big Decision

I made a big decision today. Some would say a life changing decision. It was a decision made by my head not my heart; a decision that caused me a sleepless night. I decided not to have a fried breakfast. Today was an ideal Sunday stroll of 11 miles through the heart of Swaledale. We set off at about 9.30am and made such good time following the River Swale that I rewarded myself with a chocolate milkshake and an apricot and ginger scone at a tea room in Gunnerside. Well, I hadn't had a fried brekkie had I?! We headed up onto the moor for the second half of the walk before dropping down into Reeth. Leonie and I had separate rooms for the first time on the trip. Her mum had been due to join us for a few days walking but unfortunately has recently ruptured her achilles. The lengths that some people will go to in order to avoid doing some of the C2C with us. Leonie had her mum's room though so I was able to revert to slob mode which was well needed! Tomorrow we have another short day of 10 miles, to the comparative metropolis of Richmond.

No Mans Land

I have decided that my body needs a day without a fried breakfast. 8 days of fried eggs,bacon,sausage,beans,mushroom,black pudding and fried bread have taken their toll. I need a break. We left Kirkby Stephen at about 8.45am. We had decided to go to Keld via road rather than over the official route which involves crossing peat bogs. Although the last few days had been good,we calculated that the last few months of rainfall would mean that there was an odds on chance of at least one of us ending up waist high in mud. After heading up to Nateby,some 15 minutes into the walk,our navigation skills were again found wanting as we ignored the turning we should have taken and ploughed straight on. We realised our error about a mile later.Let's just say there wasn't much talking as we turned round and headed back towards where we had come from! Once we were back on track my mood lifted and we clocked off the 10 miles of tarmac to Keld by 2pm. There is literally nothing to do in keld-population of 25- so we sat out and caught a few more rays before enjoying a fantastic evening meal laid on by our hosts.It's a good job that I'm doing all this walking because the amount of food I am eating certainly is preventing me wasting away. We are now half way to Robin Hoods Bay and I'm really enjoying it now. The tough walking in The Lakes is over and we now have relatively short days over rolling dales ahead. Fingers crossed the weather holds up as I found a small rip in my boots today which explain why my right foot nearly turned into a flipper during the first few days.

And On The Seventh Day I Did Rest

After waking up,inspecting my sunburn from the previous day which had got just one side of my body,I headed down to breakfast at 9am looking like a Neopolitana ice cream. We had done 82 miles in 6 days and a rest day was just what the doctor ordered,to allow our aching bodies to recover from blisters and sunburn. We wandered slowly,very slowly,into the town centre and had what my nan would call a 'mooch' round the shops before resting from the sun in the Black Bull. After purchasing some essential items-two ankle supports and a copy of the Daily Express-we headed back to the B+B. It was Siesta time. We dined once more in the Black Bull that night and sat out at the B+B with the owners Denise and Mike and their friends for an hour or so. As it was Friday night I treated myself to a couple of Thorntons chocolates as they were passed around. I needed to increase my sugar levels for the following day as you all no doubt realise!

Cheats Do Prosper

After struggling to finish the largest fried breakfast I have ever had,I squeezed into my 30 inch walking trousers and we set off on our 21 mile trek to Kirkby Stephen. Our mad landlady had told us a short cut to take which would get us back onto the trail without having to walk back through the v illage and before too long we arrived at the M6. The footbridge over the motorway is strangely one of the most well known landmarks of the C2C. It was strange seeing all of the cars rushing by,even at 9am, as there have been days where we have only seen stationery vehicles parked up at our destination village. The next few miles were spent chatting to various Coast to Coasters which helped the miles go by quite easily. We met up with Jill,Tim and Michael who we have got quite friendly with and Tim kindly lent Leonie an ankle support. The amount of Sterling Smooth Superkings in her day pack was finally taking its toll! We were making really good time and the sun had made what turned out to be more than a guest appearance. We arrived at Sunbiggin Tarn in the early afternoon and decided to head onto the road for the next 3 miles rather than taking the alternative route through the fields. We thought that this would be 'easy' miles under our belt but it was a dramatic change from the terrain we had been used to and I was glad to be back on the knee friendly surface of grass after an hour. The last few miles were tough,given the heat and distance and my frame of mind wasn't helped as we approached the B+B when I realised that we could have taken a short cut which would have saved us about 30 mins. We arrived at our B+B at 7pm and quickly showered before getting a taxi into the town centre for tea. Our aching limbs were soothed by winning a tenner on the pub quiz with Tim and Michael-by correctly answering that Salem was the location of the New England Pirate Museum. God bless internet availability on mobile phones!!! We retired to bed very much looking forward to our rest day.

The Chap In Shap

Even by my pathetic standards, I excelled myself in the short amount of time it took us to take a wrong turning. We left Old Water View at 8.15am and promptly turned left out of the driveway rather than rightm Half a mile later we realised our error and turned round. We knew today was going to be a tough day of walking and straight away we had to start a steep ascent up towards Kidsty Pike. The sun was shining though and this could only mean one thing - out came the chicken legs! We got to the top of Kidsty Pike by lunch despite suffering our second casualty of the walk - my walking pole. It obviously wasn't made to take the full weight of my 9 stone frame! The climb up had been physically tough but the descent down towards Haweswater was probably harder because it was just as steep and really put pressure on my knees. I thought that the next section,around Haweswater, would be nice and relaxing. I was wrong. It involved more ups and downs than an Eastenders Christmas Special and by the time we got to the end of the reservoir we still had 5 miles to go. This last section was a real drag and was brightened slightly as we passed Shap Abbey which at least provided a welcome break from fields and mud. After finally reaching Shap I tried to avoid informing Leonie that we were still about a mile away from where we were staying. She soon figured it out though! We finally got there at 7pm,10.5 hrs after we had left Patterdale. We quickly showered and headed to the nearest pub where I was looking forward to watching the England game. It wasn't on. Never mind I thought, as long as I can avoid finding out the result I will be more than happy watching the highlights.Texts from my mates Paul and Scott put paid to that! Today was the toughest 16 miles I have ever walked but it was also some of the most enjoyable. Another big day from Shap to Kirkby Stephen tomorrow-21 miles.

River Deep, Mountain High

After a good 12 hour kip (and a good session of teeth grinding according to Leonie), I ordered the full monty at breakfast and we were ready to go by 9.30am. We had opened the curtains when we woke to be greeted by the sight of rain which I must admit didn't do anything to improve my spirits. As I put on my still wet walking boots, I was grateful that today was only 8.5 miles and should in theory only take us 5 hours. I say, in theory, because yesterday's 8 mile walk from Rosthwaite to Grasmere took us 6 hours walking time.

We headed out of Grasmere and up Tongue Gill. We then went up and over Grisedale Pass to Grisdale Tarn. The rain was unrelenting and as we reached the top of the Pass, the wind got worse and worse (no jokes about me eating too many beans for breakfast please). At Grisedale Tarn there are 3 possible routes which you can take and we would have probably taken the easiest route anyway. The awful weather conditions however made our minds up for us. As we passed Grisedale Tarn, the water resembled the North Sea rather than a usually sedate area of water. The wind was by now gale force and Leonie simply plonked herself on a rock and dug her walking pole into the ground at one point to avoid being blown off her feet. I climbed Snowdon a couple of months ago when the weather was horrendous but I would say that today was even worse.

Despite being soaked to the bone, I remained surprisingly upbeat. I think I have now got to the point where I'm past caring what the weather is like. The walk down Grisedale Pass into Patterdale got easier as we got lower, although the rain didn't ease up.

We arrived at our b&b at about 2.30pm and although our luggage hadn't arrived, our landlord Ian kindly helped us out of our clothes (not literally you understand) and showed us to our room where we donned our bath robes, had a well deserved brew and a nice afternoon kip!!

Our bags arrived about 5pm and after a much needed hot shower, we headed down to the local pub for something to eat. A little C2C community has now developed and we again met up with the now familiar faces who we have seen throughout the days and nights since we started. It was good to catch up on how others have found the last couple of days. There's a definite C2C 'community ethos' amongst Coast to Coasters.

We then headed back to the b&b and had a great chat with Ian, the landlord. He told us all about the history of the house, about how Patterdale was the first place in he country after the Houses of Parliament to have electricity,how there are two Coast to Coasts (and how Wainwright ripped the original one off when doing his) and how he fell off a mountain in America, caused a landslide, broke both his wrist and leg and was rescued by a man with no arms who used his toes to phone for help!!! I've seen the newspaper article and it's true! I've only just stopped laughing now.

Early night tonight with breakfast ordered for 7.15am. We head to Shap tomorrow, which is a 15 miler and a tough day apparently.

Many thanks for all the texts of support. I have amended the settings on the Blog so you should be able to post comments now - any rude or insulting messages should be sent by text instead though!!!

A Fractured Ankle

This section of the Coast to Coast was probably the one part which I was looking forward to most. Grasmere and the surrounding area is in the heart of Lakeland and I was anticipating a nice relaxing two days of walking through from Rosthwaite to Patterdale (with an overnight stop-off in Grasmere).

We set off from Rosthwaite yesterday (Monday) at about 9.10am and the rain had cleared. As we headed along the track to Stonethwaite the sun even made an appearance to such an extent that the trousers were converted into shorts and the chicken legs made a welcome appearance. We kept an eye out for Red Squirrels which are common around this area but didn't see any.

The gentle meandering got more difficult as we headed up Greenup Gill and the sun disappeared to be replaced by cloud and rain. To help me get up this next section, I needed a musical 'boost'. The generic mp3 player therefore came out and I flicked through to see what music would get me in the most appropriate mood to conquer this stage up to Lining Crag. I skipped past Kings of Leon, Oasis, The Killers, even Level 42 and the Beautiful South before settling on a genre of music for which I am well renowned amongst my Sandbach mates. I won't disclose the exact music which I plumped for but for those of you who are well versed with your musicals, the names Sam Carmichael, Bill Austin and Harry Bright may give you a clue! And I don't care what mickey taking I receive, it worked and after a hard slog, we made it to the top of Lining Crag, wet but in one piece.

As we started to descend the Valley towards Grasmere, we came across a small party who had gathered around a 'mature' Australian lady. She had fallen over and had a suspected broken ankle. A couple of chaps went off to try and get a phone signal in order to call Mountain Rescue which thankfully they did. Leonie and I hung around until we knew Mountain Rescue were on their way and then we left. Even though we didn't do a great deal, the lady and her 3 friends were very grateful for our 45 minute stop and offered to buy us a drink if we saw them that evening. As it turned out, we did stay in the same hotel as them but didn't see them to claim our free drink. I was quite disappointed really, not because I missed out on a free drink but because it would have made a nice change having an Australian buy me a pint rather than serve me one!

The walk down the valley into Grasmere was long and I got quite frustrated at times. The tracks and paths ever since Ennderdale have essentially been turned into small streams - that's what 13 inches of rainfall in August does. It is almost impossible to keep your feet dry - especially if you have little or no patience when trying to navigate a dry route through the water and mud.

By the time we got to Grasmere at about 4.15pm, my feet were in bits and our spirits were not helped when we walked past where we were staying as a result of my insistence that we were staying at somewhere which it turns out doesn't even exist!!! That will teach me to leave our accommodation details in the hotel at Rosthwaite!

After filling our stomachs, we returned to the hotel and watched Gavin and Stacey in the tv lounge before heading off to bed, ready for the next stage to Patterdale.

Smoking Is Good For My Health

We were up and on our way by 8.20am yesterday morning and headed to the shores of Ennerdale Water. This is described in the guide books as being very picturesque but I spent most of the 2 hours it took us to walk its length looking at the ground to meke sure I didn't trip over. After leaving the Lake we headed across some fields. At this point it is worth mentioning that Leonie gave up smoking at 8pm last night, a brave decision given that she was about to put her body and mind through 14 days of potential physical torture. As we headed across the fields, I became a bit unsure of the exact direction we needed to go in-surprise surprise! Leonie's patience was not in abundance and a few sharp words were exchanged about my navigational skills,resulting in us turning back on ourselves a bit and heading up to join a track. Both off of didn't talk much for a bit and I decided against pointing out the point at which my route would have brought us out on the track! A job in the diplomatic corps is still a possibility! The next hour was quite a haul up to Black Sail, a youth hostel that is supposed to be the most picturesque place to stay in The Lakes. I respectfully disagree,there wasn't a McDonalds for miles! As we started climbing up to the top of Loft Beck the weathe deteriorated and the next two or so hours were the most depressing I have ever spent walking. The wind and rain were ridiculous and by the time we reached Honister Slate Mine I had a sock change and the best mug of tea I have ever had. Whilst it would exaggerating to say I felt like giving up, I did spend a lot of time thinking how nice the Algarve would be at this time of the year! Spirits improved as did the weather as we headed down into Borrowdale,which is just beautiful. We arrived in Rosthwaite at 5pm and had a great 4 course meal at the hotel complete with cheese board. Just what the doctor orddered! Leonie started smoking again at 6pm. I don't know who was more relieved,her or me! I fell asleep about 9.30pm,looking forward to what I thought would be a shart easy day to Grasmere.

Ennerdale-not Emmerdale

"I'm a commercial artist" replied the bloke from Chicago sat opposite me at the breakfast table this morning.Barbara,the landlady,had asked him what he did for a living.When he finished talking,I nodded knowingly,pretending that I knew what the heck a commercial artist is. I was tempted to ask him if it involved painting pictures of offices but at 7.30am I was unsure as to whether that joke was actually funny and even if it was funny,would he get it. As I was unsure on both counts,I decided to just act like I knew everything there was to know about commercial artists. We arrived at St Bees at about 10.15am and after the obligatory dipping of the feet in the Irish Sea,we set off. It seemed slow going at first as we followed the coastline but by 1.30pm we were already half way to Ennerdale Bridge.This was despite a small extension to our route after we took a wrong turning.Navigation still isn't my strong point. The toughest part of the day was a 50 minute climb up Dent Fell,but the views at the top was worth it. Aided by a fair wind,we arrived in Ennerdale at 5.15pm,luckily just in time to watch the England gamem Leonie was delighted! I actually only watched the first half before we got a lift to the pub where I refuelled with some great food washed down with a pint of Ennerdale Copper. We were very lucky with the weather today,only brief showers.For our next stage to Rosthwaite tomorrow,I don't think we will be so lucky. In honour of Harry Hill's TV Burp,here is a new feature to the blog........C2C random brief conversation of the day!Jon (as we passed St Bees lighthouse): When you see a lighthouse,what film do you think of? Leonie: Err,The Fog.What about you? Jon: Pete's Dragon. On that note,I shall depart and prep my feet for tomorrow's 14 miler.

One Sleep To Go

Well,here I am in Kirkby Stephen.Leonie and I are in our single beds watching television like Bert and Ernie off Sesame Street. We got here at about 8pm and headed straight out to The Black Bull for something to eat-recommended by our landlady Barbara. I decided to integrate myself fully into Cumbrian life by having the Cumberland sausage and mash,washed down with a pint of Cumberland ale. Start as you mean to go on,that's what I say! I have just finished repacking my daypack,my big rucksack and a holdall that will stay in the car here in Kirkby Stephen until we arrive here again next Friday. For those of you who have travelled with me before,you will be pleased to know that I have reduced the number of carrier bags I use to store my various items of clothing. The minibus picks us up at 8.30am and we should be hopefully walking by 10.30am. Given that tomorrow is our first day,I have ordered a full english breakfast for tomorrow morning.I have got to keep my strength up haven't I?!?! A big thank you to Paul and Diane and Beth,Gordon and Thomas for the good luck cards and to everyone else who has wished me luck. I look forward to receiving as many messages of support-and sarcasm-as possible as I know that they will keep me going over the next two weeks.

Return Of The Blog

Well, it's been all too long since my last blog - the reason for this being that I have not been walking for over two weeks and whilst I am happy to write inane nonsense on all matter of topics, it seems wrong to have a walking blog containing alot of stuff about everything except walking.

However, this afternoon I have managed to get out and had a very pleasant 'stride' around Cannock Chase. I parked up at The Cutting in Brocton and did about an hour. I would have done longer but I didn't know what time it was and I had forgotten my sundial so was unable to utilise my astronomical knowledge. Also, I had failed to pack appropriate clothing for my afternoon stroll (due to going out for lunch beforehand) and therefore I resembled someone doing the Sunday morning 'walk of shame', complete with sweaty 'going out' shirt. I was officially the most bedraggled but smartly dressed person on The Chase this afternoon.

It was really good, though, to do a walk where I didn't have a defined route and could take my time looking at all of the posh houses in Brocton. There's some really nice places round there and I had a lovely time looking at the well manicured lawns, double/treble garages, BMWs, Mercedes, and 'Chelsea tractors' as well as the For Sale sign advertising one of the properties as having an indoor swimming pool. I felt slightly depressed as I headed back to my P reg Rover 216 to return to my house which currently doesn't have a door on the downstairs toilet and which resembles the set of '60 minute makeover' if it had run out of budget during the second advert break.

I have been been sorting through my medical supplies over the last couple of days and my storage box now resembles Michael's Jackson's medical cabinet. There is an eclectic mix of items in there, ranging from 4 boxes of Ibuprofen to a knee support, from a bottle of surgical spirit to a tub of Vaseline. I need to go through it all properly really as my current stock seems to suggest that I am anticipating a shedload of headaches, dodgy knees, and falls.

I also ordered a new pair of Waterproof overtrousers this morning from a well-known internet auction website. My last pair were damaged a few months ago when I ended up coming down Helvellyn in the Lakes on my bum when, like a Crowded House song, I experienced 'Four Seasons In One Day.' Blimey, I never thought I would get a Crowded House gag in when I started writing this blog update. Result!

I hope to get out for a longer walk on Sunday which will be my last before starting the C2C. I still need to get a few things as well, including a couple of tops and some proper walking shorts/trousers. However, things are coming together nicely now and I can't wait to get started. My impatience has been increased with keeping up to date with my mate Si's bike ride from Lands End to John O'Groats, which he started last Friday. Sean has also been offering me further tips following his Scottish C2C the other week so I'm feeling quite confident about it - I just want to get cracking now.

A change of plan

Well, today I intended to go to 'Go Outdoors' in Wolverhampton to have a look at their stock of walking gear. After second thoughts, however, I decided not to bother! I will no doubt think of many other things that I need to get as September draws nearer and I would prefer to just make the one trip there. I just knew that I would do what all self-respecting men do when they go into a shop and just 'browse' without actually buying anything. So, like all good cub scouts (Sixer of Blue Six in 1st Leek no less), I have started to make a list of outstanding items and will probably go over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of August for anything that I haven't already got.

However, today wasn't a completely Walk preparation-free day. After taking the cat to the vets, going to Ikea and Argos and having lunch with my mate Tracy, I headed over to Coven (a village near Wolverhampton for you not familiar with the Black Country area) to see Stephen.

Stephen returned from doing the Southern Upland Way from Portpatrick to Cockburnspath last Friday after half of the skin on his feet came off on Day 2! After seeing photographic evidence of his injuries taken at the time and hearing about the finer details, I declined an offer of a portion of rice pudding complete with skin.......

They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing. I disagree. I think it's a bloody annoying thing to be honest. Stephen did, however, say that it's important to keep your feet dry at all costs and he wished he had worn his gaitors which would have helped to keep his feet drier.

I'm now slightly less worried about my feet falling off. Stephen, Sean and Martyn (who are still going and have 3 days walking to go), as I've said before, were doing 20 more miles in 3 less days, with no rest day, and carrying all of their stuff. I will have my rusksack taken from B&B to B&B each day by the company who have arranged all of the accommodation and I will only have to take my 'daypack' with me. Hopefully, those three factors will mean that my future career as a ballet dancer is still a possibility come 19th September.

After getting back from Coven I then constructed my new flat pack DVD/CD cabinet purchased from the Land of the Book of Dreams (Argos). Surprisingly, all of the screws etc were included and even more of a shock is that I've done it and it looks like a cabinet rather than a piece of modern art. I was slightly offended when I saw that one of the necessary parts to put it together was 'Tool x1' and it took me a few minutes to figure out that it was actually referring to the Allen key and not me. I did feel slightly effeminate as I followed the instruction sheet but I rectified this by getting a hammer and waving it about in a threatening manner whilst muttering expletives.

I'm not sure when my next 'training walk' will be as I'm away in Nottingham this weekend where I shall drink and no doubt eat too much. Depending upon the weather, I may go for a few hours round the The Roaches on Friday night after work. Rock n Roll.

Many thanks to everyone who has sponsored me so far, especially those of you who I haven't seen for a while. It's very generous of you and much appreciated.

Also thanks to Gareth for the interesting fact about the theme tune for 'Wainwright's Walks'!! Good man.

Easy like Sunday morning

Despite the exertions of yesterday, I got up at 5am this morning and was parked up once again opposite "The White House" at 6.40am ready to walk another 15 miles.

One of Leonie's friends Kat contacted me last night to offer her services as a walking companion and whilst I would have been happy enough to do it on my own, the offer of some company was too good to turn down for three reasons (i) it would ensure that I would actually get up and do it (ii) it would make the walk more interesting having Kat to talk to (iii) it would reduce the chance of me getting lost and bumbling around aimlessly for hours like that daft English lad did in the Blue Mountains (I bet that is the first time Cannock Chase has been compared to the Blue Mountains).

We made really good time and by 8.30am we were sat on a bench at Seven Springs dining on cereal bars and bananas, having done at least 7.5 of the 15 miles.

The weather was also in our favour and by 9am it was quite warm - not that I was complaining in any way. We continued to make really good time and, having taken the right path at Fairoak this time, we were back at the car by 10.15pm.

All in all, the 15 miles took us 3 hours 20 minutes which included a couple of 5 minute stops. That's over 4 miles an hour which seems a bit fast but the book definitely says that the route is 15 miles - and I'm not going to argue with that.

My feet held up ok. They were still a bit sore from yesterday and the soreness didn't get any better. However,it didn't get alot worse either and after a detailed foot inspection when I got back I am happy to confirm that there are no blisters to be seen.

I'm fairly confident now that providing I continue with my 'feet preparation' I should be ok - certainly fitness and stamina shouldn't be an issue (touch wood).

I now need to make sure over the next couple of weeks that I have all the kit I need. I'm hoping to go to 'Go Outdoors', a large walking/climbing/trekking equipment superstore in Wolverhampton on Tuesday where I will have a look at what stuff I still need to get and either buy it there and then or make a note of it to buy at one third of the price in one of the well known supermarkets or internet auction websites!!

In relation to the photo, for those of you who haven't seen me for a while, remember..........the camera adds 10lbs! And yes, those legs are that white. It's a good job Colonel Sanders wasn't in the area.

Walking in the rain

Today has been a good tester for the Coast to Coast. Leonie and I did a 17 miler around Cannock Chase in the pouring rain. We set off at 8.30am (dry) and got back to the car at about 3.30pm (soaked) after a stop for a picnic lunch (consisting of a gastronomic feast of cheese and lettuce baps, melon, banana and yoghurt).

For those of you who know the Chase, we started at 'The White House' near the Cannock Chase Visitor Centre. From there, we headed to Spring Slade, the glacial boulder,Stepping Stones, Seven Springs, Rifle Range Corner and Fairoak. At Fairoak we had a bit of bad luck after (1) we took a wrong turning (that's what happens when you leave the map reading to a woman!!) and (2) the Forestry Commission have taken it upon themselves to vary the route of some of the trails. After putting Leonie's mum on notice that we may need picking up from whichever main road we would eventually enter onto, we (well, okay, I mean Leonie) found our bearings again and we headed back along the road through Slitting Mill before getting back onto the Chase again back to Marquis Drive and eventually the car.

Stamina and fitness weren't a problem really although I was getting a bit weary by the end. My feet feel a bit tender though and this is what I think could be a problem if we don't take steps to prevent the onset of blisters. My mates Sean and Stephen along with one of their friends Martyn, started the Scottish Coast to Coast (from Portpatrick in the West to Cockburnspath in the East) on Tuesday. They will cover 212 miles in 11 days. Unfortunately, blisters have been a real problem for them and Stephen had to actually return home yesterday as his feet were in such a state. Sean and Martyn are continuing though Sean is struggling. Their schedule is alot tougher than ours will be as they are doing 212 miles in 11 days, whereas we are doing 192 miles in 14 days (plus one rest day) but I still think that there is a risk that we may encounter similar problems if we aren't careful.

We will make sure that we take several pairs of socks with us each day so that we can change them if they get wet. We are also going to get some surgical spirit and treat our feet with this for a couple of weeks beforehand - surgical spirit apparently hardens the feet and helps prevents blisters. Leonie has also bought a selection of other creams, bandages etc so hopefully we will be ok. Any blister prevention tips would be extremely gratefully received though!!!

I'm going to do another 15+ miler tomorrow on my own. I want to do two long distance walk on consecutive days to just see what effect it has on my body (and in particular my feet). If I can come through tomorrow ok, then I think I will be fine. My MP3 player is fully loaded with albums and podcasts so I'm aiming for a 7am start and a lunchtime finish all being well. I'm going to do a similar route to today as my navigational skills are awful to put it mildly and I know most parts of the route which we did today fairly well.

5 weeks today we will hopefully be in Ennerdale Bridge having finished our first day of 14 miles. I can already smell the scampi and chips and a pint of Cumbrian real ale!!

Why?

192 miles. One Hundred. And Ninety Two. Miles.

Whether you say it quickly or slowly, it is still a bloody long way.

I don’t know how exactly I got to know of the Coast to Coast. It might have been from the television, it might have been from talking to a friend, family member or colleague at work. I can’t remember. What I do know, is that when I did hear about it, my first thought was – I’m going to do that. And if I have to, I'm going to do it on my own.

I mentioned it to various friends and family and asked whether they would be interested in joining me for all or part of it. I was greeted with a variety of responses ranging from admiration to consternation.

As it currently stands, Leonie will be my one companion for the whole 15 days. Others have expressed various degrees of interest in joining me for some sections of it but as yet have still yet to confirm which bed and breakfast/hostel/camp site they are booked into!! I won't hold my breath.

So, if anyone is interested in dusting off the walking boots and compass, just get in touch and I can give you the finer details.

Please keep up to date with my preparations and the walk itself by following my blog!

Itinery - St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay
September 2009

Saturday 5th -St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge..........14 miles
Sunday 6th - Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite...........14.5 miles
Monday 7th - Rosthwaite to Grasmere..........9 miles
Tuesday 8th - Grasmere to Patterdale..........8.5 miles
Wednesday 9th - Patterdale to Shap..........16 miles
Thursday 10th - Shap to Kirkby Stephen..........21 miles
Friday 11th - Rest Day
Saturday 12th - Kirkby Stephen to Keld..........12 miles
Sunday 13th - Keld to Reeth..........11 miles
Monday 14th - Reeth to Richmond..........11 miles
Tuesday 15th - Richmond to Danby Wiske..........14 miles
Wednesday 16th - Danby Wiske to Ingleby Cross..........9 miles
Thursday 17th - Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank Top..........12 miles
Friday 18th - Clay Bank Top to Grosmont..........22.5 miles
Saturday 19th - Grosmont to Robin Hoods Bay..........15.5 miles