My Winter
COAST TO COAST
The Report
Foreword
The last time I did a long distance hike was more than two years ago. 2022 was of course a total mess, us moving from Russia to Serbia and then preparing for yet another move to the UK, so any extended time away from the family was out of the question. Naturally by the end of 2022 I was eager to go anywhere. And then this opportunity came up in February 2023, so I booked the flights to the UK late November and started planning.
I immediately thought about Coast to Coast, because it was essentially the only popular long distance walk in the UK I haven't done yet. The prospect of doing it in the winter seemed very attractive as it would clearly require a great deal of planning, preparation both factual and mental as well as new gear purchases - who doesn't love that? I searched the internet for any documented winter C2C walks and only found The Walking Gardener's report dating back to 2013 (thanks David!). I then spent several days studying maps, aerial images and height profiles of the path. I came out of this determined to complete the walk in 7 days. It just seemed a nice and round number that fit both my schedule and my ability. Highly challenging but not extreme.
I spent the next two months planning, putting together gear lists, watching webcams, reading daily weather reports, studying anything I could find on the Internet including the C2C Facebook group, buying new gear and keeping myself in good physical shape. Two weeks before the departure I came down with some virus but was able to recover just in time.
The week on the C2C was incredible. I was immensely lucky with the weather. Besides the obvious positive impact on my walk this actually had one major drawback me carrying significantly more gear than I needed. I walked in the dark a lot less than I initially planned, which was a really welcome outcome.
I had the path all to myself, occasionally meeting local walkers and runners. I still managed to pick up a few interesting conversations along the way. Upon arriving at the Bay Hotel Bar I discovered that I was the second person to walk the C2C that year.
I fell in love with the North of England. I have done the Pennine Way before, but that was very different.
The C2C is truly an incredible and unique experience and I am very grateful to Alfred Wainwright and all the people who make it happen to this day, including all the walkers. Especially the walkers. Only by continuously walking a path can we preserve and improve it. The C2C definitely deserves being on the National Trail list which I hope will happen very soon.
Although I have done a lot of walks before, this is my first ever attempt to produce a written record. I am doing this for two reasons. First is to actually have something to refer to later. Second is to try to inspire future walkers. If you ever decide to walk Coast to Coast after reading this you will make me happy.
I immediately thought about Coast to Coast, because it was essentially the only popular long distance walk in the UK I haven't done yet. The prospect of doing it in the winter seemed very attractive as it would clearly require a great deal of planning, preparation both factual and mental as well as new gear purchases - who doesn't love that? I searched the internet for any documented winter C2C walks and only found The Walking Gardener's report dating back to 2013 (thanks David!). I then spent several days studying maps, aerial images and height profiles of the path. I came out of this determined to complete the walk in 7 days. It just seemed a nice and round number that fit both my schedule and my ability. Highly challenging but not extreme.
I spent the next two months planning, putting together gear lists, watching webcams, reading daily weather reports, studying anything I could find on the Internet including the C2C Facebook group, buying new gear and keeping myself in good physical shape. Two weeks before the departure I came down with some virus but was able to recover just in time.
The week on the C2C was incredible. I was immensely lucky with the weather. Besides the obvious positive impact on my walk this actually had one major drawback me carrying significantly more gear than I needed. I walked in the dark a lot less than I initially planned, which was a really welcome outcome.
I had the path all to myself, occasionally meeting local walkers and runners. I still managed to pick up a few interesting conversations along the way. Upon arriving at the Bay Hotel Bar I discovered that I was the second person to walk the C2C that year.
I fell in love with the North of England. I have done the Pennine Way before, but that was very different.
The C2C is truly an incredible and unique experience and I am very grateful to Alfred Wainwright and all the people who make it happen to this day, including all the walkers. Especially the walkers. Only by continuously walking a path can we preserve and improve it. The C2C definitely deserves being on the National Trail list which I hope will happen very soon.
Although I have done a lot of walks before, this is my first ever attempt to produce a written record. I am doing this for two reasons. First is to actually have something to refer to later. Second is to try to inspire future walkers. If you ever decide to walk Coast to Coast after reading this you will make me happy.
Summary
- I have completed the walk over 8 days in 7 twenty-four hour intervals from 1:46 PM on 14 February to 1:35 PM on 21 February 2023
- I have walked 308 km or 191 miles
- My elapsed walking time (including breaks) was 80 hours
- My moving time was 65 hours (9 hours per day on average) and therefore resting time was 15 hours (2 hours per day on average)
- I have walked around 7 hours in the dark (1 hour per day on average)
- My average moving speed was 4.7 km/h or 2.9 mph
- I have climbed 9,353 meters or 1,336 meters per day on average
- I have burned 22,000 active calories or 3,170 calories per day on average
- I have lost around 2kg of weight
- I had 5 wild camps, one planned and one unplanned B&B stop
- I had day temperatures in the range of 5-12 degrees C and night temperatures in the range of 4-8 degrees C
- It rained once during walking for about 2 hours
- I have taken around 230 photos with Insta360 X3 on a single battery charge, all of which are available here. For best viewing experience I advise using a phone, a tablet or anything else with a touchscreen.
- I have eaten 15 freeze dried meals, 7 meals at pubs/cafes as well as countless candy, chocolates and biscuits
- The top three food places were Fox and Hound, Lord Stones and Lion Inn
- A compete and cleaned up GPX route based on my walk is available for download here
- There are separate posts about gear and planning for this walk
Here is a comparison of my plan (blue layer) with what actually happened (red layer) laid out on a map.
Daily Accounts
Start: 1:46pm | Finish: 9:37pm | Elapsed: 7.5h | Moving: 6.5h
Day 1 - Ennerdale Water
After performing all the mandatory rituals at St Bees beach I put the pebble in a safe place like an otter and began my journey just before 2 pm, which left me with approximately 4 hours of daylight remaining. My plan for the day was to end up somewhere east of Ennerdale Water, but not too far. I had no specific camping spot in mind so I thought I would just pick something along the way.
It was a bit windy and slightly cloudy, but overall very pleasant. I was wearing the new Nike trail runners and really enjoying the feel of their bouncy soles while cruising along the coast. As described in the Gear post I took two pairs of shoes on this hike as an experiment, so at that moment I was carrying the waterproof Adidas in the pack.
As soon as I started walking I realized I forgot to take any means of lighting my gas stove, but figured I could find something somewhere by the end of the day. As I walked through Sandwith, Moor Row and Cleator where everything was closed, I realized that the task might be harder than I thought. Still, I was not really worried as I had a thermos full of hot water which would easily take be through the rest of the day.
The walk to Dent Hill was easy and uneventful except for me stupidly stepping into a totally avoidable bog. It was time to stop for a break anyway so I took the time to swap for the waterproof Adidas (totally unnecessary action in retrospective), which I wore for the rest of the day.
The climb up Dent Hill was relatively fast and I ended up at the quite windy top around 5:30 pm. It was beginning to get dark, so I quickly took some photos, put on the head torch and began my descend. By the time I got down to Nannycatch Beck it was almost dark, but the path was very clear and coupled with the watch I had absolutely no issues following it.
The feeling of walking in the dark valley was quite strange. I could't see much around me, just the silhouettes of the surrounding hills. At the same time I had a pretty good idea (or at least I thought so) what was around me because I spent days behind the computer studying 3D maps, height profiles and satellite imagery of the path. As I walked on in the dark I was trying to align my mental images with the little bits of reality that I was seeing.
Later during the walk this evolved into quite an interesting exercise of comparing my expectations with reality. Most of the time the landscape was rolling out Infront of my eyes just like I saw it on Google Earth, but there were a couple of occasions when I was really surprised. That was fun.
I got to Ennerdale Bridge at around 7pm and headed straight into Fox and Hound in hopes of sourcing a lighter. Once inside I realized that I was right in the middle of numerous Valentine celebrations as it was February 14th. Even though the place was packed I couldn't help myself but to have a couple of pints and some delicious snacks at the bar. At that point I was beginning to suspect that I have underestimated my food requirements - refer to the Planning Section. A very nice person at the bar gave me a lighter and I was back on the path by 8pm.
I still had at least the length of Ennerdale Water to walk that evening. The weather was nice and dry, but after a quick consideration I decided against taking the classic south route. It was dark, I just had two pints and so off I went along the northern shore to avoid any trouble. The wind was getting quite strong and so were the waves on the lake. At some point near the end of the lake I lost the path and had to scramble up a bit to get back. Soon I got on to the gravel track that goes all the way to Black Sail and started thinking about calling it a night. After another 15 minutes or so I found a reasonable spot just by the side of the road and made camp there. I used the hot water from the thermos to rehydrate the dinner, sent a few InReach messages and went to bed.
It was a bit windy and slightly cloudy, but overall very pleasant. I was wearing the new Nike trail runners and really enjoying the feel of their bouncy soles while cruising along the coast. As described in the Gear post I took two pairs of shoes on this hike as an experiment, so at that moment I was carrying the waterproof Adidas in the pack.
As soon as I started walking I realized I forgot to take any means of lighting my gas stove, but figured I could find something somewhere by the end of the day. As I walked through Sandwith, Moor Row and Cleator where everything was closed, I realized that the task might be harder than I thought. Still, I was not really worried as I had a thermos full of hot water which would easily take be through the rest of the day.
The walk to Dent Hill was easy and uneventful except for me stupidly stepping into a totally avoidable bog. It was time to stop for a break anyway so I took the time to swap for the waterproof Adidas (totally unnecessary action in retrospective), which I wore for the rest of the day.
The climb up Dent Hill was relatively fast and I ended up at the quite windy top around 5:30 pm. It was beginning to get dark, so I quickly took some photos, put on the head torch and began my descend. By the time I got down to Nannycatch Beck it was almost dark, but the path was very clear and coupled with the watch I had absolutely no issues following it.
The feeling of walking in the dark valley was quite strange. I could't see much around me, just the silhouettes of the surrounding hills. At the same time I had a pretty good idea (or at least I thought so) what was around me because I spent days behind the computer studying 3D maps, height profiles and satellite imagery of the path. As I walked on in the dark I was trying to align my mental images with the little bits of reality that I was seeing.
Later during the walk this evolved into quite an interesting exercise of comparing my expectations with reality. Most of the time the landscape was rolling out Infront of my eyes just like I saw it on Google Earth, but there were a couple of occasions when I was really surprised. That was fun.
I got to Ennerdale Bridge at around 7pm and headed straight into Fox and Hound in hopes of sourcing a lighter. Once inside I realized that I was right in the middle of numerous Valentine celebrations as it was February 14th. Even though the place was packed I couldn't help myself but to have a couple of pints and some delicious snacks at the bar. At that point I was beginning to suspect that I have underestimated my food requirements - refer to the Planning Section. A very nice person at the bar gave me a lighter and I was back on the path by 8pm.
I still had at least the length of Ennerdale Water to walk that evening. The weather was nice and dry, but after a quick consideration I decided against taking the classic south route. It was dark, I just had two pints and so off I went along the northern shore to avoid any trouble. The wind was getting quite strong and so were the waves on the lake. At some point near the end of the lake I lost the path and had to scramble up a bit to get back. Soon I got on to the gravel track that goes all the way to Black Sail and started thinking about calling it a night. After another 15 minutes or so I found a reasonable spot just by the side of the road and made camp there. I used the hot water from the thermos to rehydrate the dinner, sent a few InReach messages and went to bed.
Start: 7:55am | Finish: 7:29pm | Elapsed: 11.5 h | Moving: 9h
Day 2 - Ruthwaite Lodge
I generally planned getting up at 6am to start walking by 7am because that's when it was supposed to get reasonably light in the middle of February. That morning I slept until 7am because of the late last night. I checked the air temperature during the night a couple of times and it was around 5 degrees C. By the time I got up and packed there was not a single cloud in the sky. The InReach weather forecast however was showing moderate rain later in the day. Something scary happened that morning when I was lighting up the gas stove - it started burning violently and caught on fire. I quickly figured out that the gas canister should not be turned upside down. What it does I think is that any gas that is in liquid form leaks directly into the hose and a lot more fuel comes out than necessary. I rehydrated the oat porridge with strawberries and filled the thermos with hot water for the day.
I started walking up the road at around 8am and in about 100 meters I found two ladies and a dog camping right by river Liza. As I was getting closer to the Black Sail Hut the wind started picking up and the valley was quickly filling up with dark clouds. By the time I reached the empty and locked Black Sail Hut the wind got really strong. I think this was the only time when the wind was blowing from the east during the entire walk, probably due to the shape of the valley. I found cover behind the western wall and changed into everything warm and waterproof, including the Adidas shoes, which then stayed on for the next two days. I then continued towards Loft Beck.
By the time I reached the empty and locked Black Sail Hut the wind got really strong. I think this was the only time when the wind was blowing from the east during the entire walk, probably due to the shape of the valley. I found cover behind the western wall and changed into everything warm and waterproof, including the Adidas shoes, which then stayed on for the next two days. I then continued towards Loft Beck.
I gladly visited the Honister Cafe for a second breakfast which consisted of sausage rolls, lemon cake and tea and then continued down to Borrowdale and Rosthwaite. Once I got there I relaxed for half an hour at a bus stop and then turned south towards Lining Crag. The rain stopped and the sky was clearing up a bit, all of which was also confirmed by InReach. It looked like I was about to have a very pleasant afternoon walk and indeed it was. The climb was not too demanding and the views were lovely. Before reaching the top I met a couple of day walkers going the other way. I had my lunch at the top (thermos strategy at work) while enjoying the views.
A bit further up I met a team of lads laying out some floating stones in the boggy area and then I joined the ridge going towards Helm Crag. This part seemed quite hard. There was a lot of going up and down and descending is my least favourite part of hiking. By the time I got to Helm Crag I was quite tired, but then I was rewarded with a magnificent view of the valley, the surrounding fells and the C2C path going up to Grisedale Tarn.
It was around 4:30pm and clearly if I was to get to Ruthwaite Lodge that evening I would have to walk in the dark. I did some brief maths and figured that darkness would catch me around the time I would be climbing up the Great Tongue. And sure enough that's what happened. I put on the head torch and had little difficulty following the path right until I reached the saddle point between Seat Sandal and Fairfield. At that moment I walked straight into a thick cloud. The head torch light started bouncing off the floating water particles and all I could see was ghosts. To make things worse the path was becoming quite vague. 5 scary minutes later I was back on track, out of the cloud and heading down to Grisedale Tarn.
As I was walking past the lake in total darkness, except for the reassuringly bright circle of light right in front of me, the wind was roaring like crazy and wave after wave was slamming against the shore near the path. It was one of the most vivid demonstrations of Nature's raw power that I have seen. On the positive side the wind was blowing almost directly in my back and was by no means slowing me down.
I reached Ruthwaite Lodge at 7:30pm, quite unexpectedly really, because it was hidden behind a hill. There was one tent pitched outside and a group of people inside. I quickly set up camp between the hut and the hill (for wind protection) and made dinner. As I was drifting off to sleep it started raining.
I started walking up the road at around 8am and in about 100 meters I found two ladies and a dog camping right by river Liza. As I was getting closer to the Black Sail Hut the wind started picking up and the valley was quickly filling up with dark clouds. By the time I reached the empty and locked Black Sail Hut the wind got really strong. I think this was the only time when the wind was blowing from the east during the entire walk, probably due to the shape of the valley. I found cover behind the western wall and changed into everything warm and waterproof, including the Adidas shoes, which then stayed on for the next two days. I then continued towards Loft Beck.
By the time I reached the empty and locked Black Sail Hut the wind got really strong. I think this was the only time when the wind was blowing from the east during the entire walk, probably due to the shape of the valley. I found cover behind the western wall and changed into everything warm and waterproof, including the Adidas shoes, which then stayed on for the next two days. I then continued towards Loft Beck.
I gladly visited the Honister Cafe for a second breakfast which consisted of sausage rolls, lemon cake and tea and then continued down to Borrowdale and Rosthwaite. Once I got there I relaxed for half an hour at a bus stop and then turned south towards Lining Crag. The rain stopped and the sky was clearing up a bit, all of which was also confirmed by InReach. It looked like I was about to have a very pleasant afternoon walk and indeed it was. The climb was not too demanding and the views were lovely. Before reaching the top I met a couple of day walkers going the other way. I had my lunch at the top (thermos strategy at work) while enjoying the views.
A bit further up I met a team of lads laying out some floating stones in the boggy area and then I joined the ridge going towards Helm Crag. This part seemed quite hard. There was a lot of going up and down and descending is my least favourite part of hiking. By the time I got to Helm Crag I was quite tired, but then I was rewarded with a magnificent view of the valley, the surrounding fells and the C2C path going up to Grisedale Tarn.
It was around 4:30pm and clearly if I was to get to Ruthwaite Lodge that evening I would have to walk in the dark. I did some brief maths and figured that darkness would catch me around the time I would be climbing up the Great Tongue. And sure enough that's what happened. I put on the head torch and had little difficulty following the path right until I reached the saddle point between Seat Sandal and Fairfield. At that moment I walked straight into a thick cloud. The head torch light started bouncing off the floating water particles and all I could see was ghosts. To make things worse the path was becoming quite vague. 5 scary minutes later I was back on track, out of the cloud and heading down to Grisedale Tarn.
As I was walking past the lake in total darkness, except for the reassuringly bright circle of light right in front of me, the wind was roaring like crazy and wave after wave was slamming against the shore near the path. It was one of the most vivid demonstrations of Nature's raw power that I have seen. On the positive side the wind was blowing almost directly in my back and was by no means slowing me down.
I reached Ruthwaite Lodge at 7:30pm, quite unexpectedly really, because it was hidden behind a hill. There was one tent pitched outside and a group of people inside. I quickly set up camp between the hut and the hill (for wind protection) and made dinner. As I was drifting off to sleep it started raining.
Last evening's pitching strategy paid off and even though the wind and rain were at it all night I had no issues with the tent. The temperature dropped down to around 5 degrees Celcius during the night. The morning was quite foggy, but at least it almost stopped raining when I got out. The InReach forecast for the day was promising.
I have been doing fine up until now, but so many things could still go wrong. The truth was that at that point I had no certainty of succeeding. All I knew was that today I had to leave the Lake District, reach Shap and get out to the moors. That was my plan and the best thing I could do was to stick to it.
I started walking just past 7am. I skipped breakfast at the camp as I wasn't hungry. Getting out of the Lakes involved one final climb up to Angle Tarn and then eventually up to the highest point of C2C Kidsty Pike. But before that I had a really picturesque descent to Patterdale where I was a bit disappointed to find a closed toilet.
I had my breakfast on the empty street of Patterdale and began to climb. After about 300 meters of ascent I entered the clouds and didn't see much right until I reached Angle Tarn. As I was walking past the water the clouds cleared and I was rewarded with a beautiful view. The sky continued clearing. I kept going for some time before stopping for a second breakfast. I then climbed the Knott, walked to Kidsty Pike and started descending towards Haweswater. At some point I was regretting not packing any shorts.
I had lunch as soon as I got down to Haweswater and then continued along the shore. It was a marvellous afternoon and I met quite a lot of day walkers. When I reached the end of Haweswater I congratulated myself on getting through the Lake District. I also changed back into Nikes as it must have been around 20 degrees C in the sun. The walk to Shap was quite relaxed, I was really enjoying the weather and the views around me. At some point I changed back into Adidas expecting bogginess in the fields, which I then found none of.
I reached Shap around 5:30pm. According to my plan I still had 4-5km to go. I took a rest, bought a sizeable supply of chocolates at the Lakes & Dales Co-op and continued down the road. Just before taking the left turn to walk out of town I saw the Kings Arms Hotel. Something moved inside me. Before I knew it I was being handed the room key, getting into the shower and heading downstairs for a pint and a nice dinner.
I have been doing fine up until now, but so many things could still go wrong. The truth was that at that point I had no certainty of succeeding. All I knew was that today I had to leave the Lake District, reach Shap and get out to the moors. That was my plan and the best thing I could do was to stick to it.
I started walking just past 7am. I skipped breakfast at the camp as I wasn't hungry. Getting out of the Lakes involved one final climb up to Angle Tarn and then eventually up to the highest point of C2C Kidsty Pike. But before that I had a really picturesque descent to Patterdale where I was a bit disappointed to find a closed toilet.
I had my breakfast on the empty street of Patterdale and began to climb. After about 300 meters of ascent I entered the clouds and didn't see much right until I reached Angle Tarn. As I was walking past the water the clouds cleared and I was rewarded with a beautiful view. The sky continued clearing. I kept going for some time before stopping for a second breakfast. I then climbed the Knott, walked to Kidsty Pike and started descending towards Haweswater. At some point I was regretting not packing any shorts.
I had lunch as soon as I got down to Haweswater and then continued along the shore. It was a marvellous afternoon and I met quite a lot of day walkers. When I reached the end of Haweswater I congratulated myself on getting through the Lake District. I also changed back into Nikes as it must have been around 20 degrees C in the sun. The walk to Shap was quite relaxed, I was really enjoying the weather and the views around me. At some point I changed back into Adidas expecting bogginess in the fields, which I then found none of.
I reached Shap around 5:30pm. According to my plan I still had 4-5km to go. I took a rest, bought a sizeable supply of chocolates at the Lakes & Dales Co-op and continued down the road. Just before taking the left turn to walk out of town I saw the Kings Arms Hotel. Something moved inside me. Before I knew it I was being handed the room key, getting into the shower and heading downstairs for a pint and a nice dinner.
Start: 7:17am | Finish: 6:08pm | Elapsed: 11h | Moving: 9h
Day 4 - Nine Standards
I left Kings Arms at 7:17am. InReach promised a cloudy but dry and windy day and it turned out to be exactly that. I knew that my little frivolity last night cost me a couple of hours, but I figured I could afford it because my original plan involved a relatively short day 5. Soon I crossed the M6.
Today I would be entering a familiar area. Ten years ago I was here doing the Pennine Way. In fact if everything went well today, I would cross it in Keld tomorrow morning. The memories of moors seemed so distant but as soon as I had the first sight of Yorkshire Dales, everything fell into place. That great feeling of being in the middle of nowhere was back.
The weather kept improving and by the afternoon the sky was almost clear. The wind kept blowing continuously, but I was getting used to it. I saw a lot of beautiful farmland and moors that day. Eventually I got to Scandal Beck crossing. What a pretty little valley that was.
I think I had the first sight of the Nine Standards long before I reached Kirkby Stephen. Unfortunately the photo resolution is not good enough, so please just trust me on this one. Once in Kirkby Stephen I had a half an hour rest and then pressed on at around 4pm. Even though the weather was definitely not winter, I already decided that I would be taking the Green winter route, because of the wind. I figured that by taking the lower alternative I would be less exposed to it during the night.
By the time I reached the junction just below the Nine Standards the wind settled down completely evidently trying to lure me onto the high ground. I remained firm and continued along the Green route. I soon reached the B2670 going towards Keld. As I was walking along this deserted paved road into darkness with the sun setting behind my back and seemingly lifeless moors all around, thoughts were going through my head. I had to come back here in a car one day. Just drive around the North, stay in little villages, do same day walks. Maybe on a road bike.
I stopped for the night around 6:30pm right by the side of B2670 where the alternative path met the main route. The area was sheltered from the north and west so I figured I should be ok. InReach was forecasting moderate rain during the night. I had dinner and was asleep within the next hour.
Today I would be entering a familiar area. Ten years ago I was here doing the Pennine Way. In fact if everything went well today, I would cross it in Keld tomorrow morning. The memories of moors seemed so distant but as soon as I had the first sight of Yorkshire Dales, everything fell into place. That great feeling of being in the middle of nowhere was back.
The weather kept improving and by the afternoon the sky was almost clear. The wind kept blowing continuously, but I was getting used to it. I saw a lot of beautiful farmland and moors that day. Eventually I got to Scandal Beck crossing. What a pretty little valley that was.
I think I had the first sight of the Nine Standards long before I reached Kirkby Stephen. Unfortunately the photo resolution is not good enough, so please just trust me on this one. Once in Kirkby Stephen I had a half an hour rest and then pressed on at around 4pm. Even though the weather was definitely not winter, I already decided that I would be taking the Green winter route, because of the wind. I figured that by taking the lower alternative I would be less exposed to it during the night.
By the time I reached the junction just below the Nine Standards the wind settled down completely evidently trying to lure me onto the high ground. I remained firm and continued along the Green route. I soon reached the B2670 going towards Keld. As I was walking along this deserted paved road into darkness with the sun setting behind my back and seemingly lifeless moors all around, thoughts were going through my head. I had to come back here in a car one day. Just drive around the North, stay in little villages, do same day walks. Maybe on a road bike.
I stopped for the night around 6:30pm right by the side of B2670 where the alternative path met the main route. The area was sheltered from the north and west so I figured I should be ok. InReach was forecasting moderate rain during the night. I had dinner and was asleep within the next hour.
I was awaken around midnight by a loud noise that the tent was making. I was in the middle of a storm. It was raining heavily, but my main concern at that point was the WIND. It was blowing really hard from the south to which I was completely exposed. I wasn't particularly worried about the Hexamid getting blown away or being shredded to pieces. After all it's a pyramid and they are designed to withstand this kind of beating. I wasn't really concerned about the rain either, because I was in a waterproof bivy. I was focused on the guylines. If one of the windward corners failed that would create a natural sail and THEN I would be in trouble. Last thing I wanted was to get outside and repair a loose line or even worse to be running around the moors trying to catch the tent. I checked the InReach data and it showed 50 km/h wind with 60 km/h gusts. Yep, that felt about right.
I lied awake for a while. After about half an hour I figured that if something bad was to happen it would have happened by now. I checked InReach again and it promised an improvement by the morning. I plugged my ears with earphones and shut off the noise with music. I kept dozing off and waking up until the morning came and the storm passed. The tent did just fine.
I decided to start slightly earlier that morning as I was a bit behind the schedule and had a lot of ground to cover. As I was leaving the campsite it was still dark and I was wearing the hear torch. I was walking east and soon I was greeted by a beautiful sunrise. That morning made a really strong impression on me. The peace and quiet that was surrounding me after last night was overwhelming. I hopped over what I think was Ney Gill several times before looking at the map and realising I could have just stayed on the right bank, because that's where the path was eventually going. As I approached Ravenseat Farm the colours around me were out of this world.
I have walked past several old and deserted stone buildings and for a moment imagined spending the last night here - in theory I could have reached this place by about 8pm. As I was getting close to Keld it drizzled for a bit but then a magnificent rainbow appeared right behind my back.
I have visited Keld before - this is where the C2С crosses the Pennine Way. I did it back in 2013 with my brother and so any memories that I had were quite distant. I had a couple more distinct ones though. I remembered us walking in the rain for several hours. We were soaking wet and totally exhausted. I think we spent the night at Rukin's Campsite.
I walked into the village at around 9am hoping to find a bench where I would have my breakfast. Instead I found the amazing Keld Public Hall. I just couldn't believe my eyes. After the initial shock passed I had my breakfast there (generously supplemented by the lovely almond cakes and brownies from the kitchen), filled up on hot water and signed the guestbook. The burning fire was luring me into the armchair, but I had to go. Today I would have to walk the longest distance.
I figured that I have seen enough of moors for now and decided to take the lower route to Reeth along River Swale. I think it actually could be a longer and harder alternative, even though it may seem otherwise. As I was walking along the river I wished I had my packraft with me. Before reaching Reeth the path climbed back up to the moorland a couple times.
I had late lunch in Reeth and hurried onto Richmond, which was supposed to be the most important milestone of the entire walk. The idea was that if I was to get to Richmond by the end of that day without suffering any significant injury or psychological issues then my odds of success would become really high. My logic was very simple. After Richmond there would be a very easy day to North York Moors. And then I would basically be on the home stretch. I also had pre-booked a B&B in Richmond and was really looking forward to dipping my feet into civilisation. I am pretty sure I also dreamed about a pizza last night.
The afternoon after Reeth was quite dull really, but mostly due to the weather. I faced some technical navigation issues that day for which I had only myself to blame (read the manual next time). I temporarily switched to InReach which could basically replicate what the watch was doing. Incidentally that is why I recorded five different activities insted of just one that day.
About an hour away from Richmond I felt a very unpleasant pain in the lower back. I took an Ibuprofen, slowed down a bit and entered Richmond just past 6pm as it was getting dark. I found my B&B which turned out to be run by a lovely lady, who could also speak Russian (we had a very interesting conversation during breakfast). I had a shower and went out to get that pizza I was craving.
I was getting concerned with the back pain because I have never had that before. All the health issues of the past revolved around my feet and I have learnt to deal them by now. This was new and worrying. I took another Ibuprofen before going to bed. I also started thinking about leaving some of the gear behind. The problem was that the weather has been too good for what I packed. I have been carrying the heavy 0.5kg Decathlon warm fleece and the 1kg Adidas on my back most of the time rather than wearing them. I had an extra gas canister and few other bits and pieces. The more I thought about it the more it made sense. I could reduce the pack weight by about 1kg without touching the expensive stuff and I made the decision to do so before going to bed.
I lied awake for a while. After about half an hour I figured that if something bad was to happen it would have happened by now. I checked InReach again and it promised an improvement by the morning. I plugged my ears with earphones and shut off the noise with music. I kept dozing off and waking up until the morning came and the storm passed. The tent did just fine.
I decided to start slightly earlier that morning as I was a bit behind the schedule and had a lot of ground to cover. As I was leaving the campsite it was still dark and I was wearing the hear torch. I was walking east and soon I was greeted by a beautiful sunrise. That morning made a really strong impression on me. The peace and quiet that was surrounding me after last night was overwhelming. I hopped over what I think was Ney Gill several times before looking at the map and realising I could have just stayed on the right bank, because that's where the path was eventually going. As I approached Ravenseat Farm the colours around me were out of this world.
I have walked past several old and deserted stone buildings and for a moment imagined spending the last night here - in theory I could have reached this place by about 8pm. As I was getting close to Keld it drizzled for a bit but then a magnificent rainbow appeared right behind my back.
I have visited Keld before - this is where the C2С crosses the Pennine Way. I did it back in 2013 with my brother and so any memories that I had were quite distant. I had a couple more distinct ones though. I remembered us walking in the rain for several hours. We were soaking wet and totally exhausted. I think we spent the night at Rukin's Campsite.
I walked into the village at around 9am hoping to find a bench where I would have my breakfast. Instead I found the amazing Keld Public Hall. I just couldn't believe my eyes. After the initial shock passed I had my breakfast there (generously supplemented by the lovely almond cakes and brownies from the kitchen), filled up on hot water and signed the guestbook. The burning fire was luring me into the armchair, but I had to go. Today I would have to walk the longest distance.
I figured that I have seen enough of moors for now and decided to take the lower route to Reeth along River Swale. I think it actually could be a longer and harder alternative, even though it may seem otherwise. As I was walking along the river I wished I had my packraft with me. Before reaching Reeth the path climbed back up to the moorland a couple times.
I had late lunch in Reeth and hurried onto Richmond, which was supposed to be the most important milestone of the entire walk. The idea was that if I was to get to Richmond by the end of that day without suffering any significant injury or psychological issues then my odds of success would become really high. My logic was very simple. After Richmond there would be a very easy day to North York Moors. And then I would basically be on the home stretch. I also had pre-booked a B&B in Richmond and was really looking forward to dipping my feet into civilisation. I am pretty sure I also dreamed about a pizza last night.
The afternoon after Reeth was quite dull really, but mostly due to the weather. I faced some technical navigation issues that day for which I had only myself to blame (read the manual next time). I temporarily switched to InReach which could basically replicate what the watch was doing. Incidentally that is why I recorded five different activities insted of just one that day.
About an hour away from Richmond I felt a very unpleasant pain in the lower back. I took an Ibuprofen, slowed down a bit and entered Richmond just past 6pm as it was getting dark. I found my B&B which turned out to be run by a lovely lady, who could also speak Russian (we had a very interesting conversation during breakfast). I had a shower and went out to get that pizza I was craving.
I was getting concerned with the back pain because I have never had that before. All the health issues of the past revolved around my feet and I have learnt to deal them by now. This was new and worrying. I took another Ibuprofen before going to bed. I also started thinking about leaving some of the gear behind. The problem was that the weather has been too good for what I packed. I have been carrying the heavy 0.5kg Decathlon warm fleece and the 1kg Adidas on my back most of the time rather than wearing them. I had an extra gas canister and few other bits and pieces. The more I thought about it the more it made sense. I could reduce the pack weight by about 1kg without touching the expensive stuff and I made the decision to do so before going to bed.
Start: 8:16am | Finish: 6:06pm | Elapsed: 10h | Moving: 8.5h
Day 6 - Beacon Hill
I had a nice and long breakfast which delayed my departure by about an hour. The weather was perfect, the pack seemed a lot lighter (I also decided not to carry any hot water that day) and my back appeared to be in order. Morning Richmond was jaw-droppingly handsome.
There were a lot of semi-urban but still really pretty sights that morning. At some point a guy walking a dog joined me for about 10 minutes. We had a chat about my trip, how he lived on the C2C but never walked it (classic story isn't it?) and the weather of course. I just love little encounters like this.
At some point the watch told me that I had 100km remaining and the final countdown began. By the time I got to the White Swan Pub it was already closed, so I just had my lunch outside.
The remainder of the day had some weird highlights. I felt a little back pain again. It wasn't critical but I decided to take another Ibuprofen. About 20 minutes later I started feeling a little heart discomfort which lasted about an hour. I figured it could be due to Ibuprofen although I was following the instructions. The discomfort passed eventually and I forgot about it. When it came to crossing the A19 at first I wasn't sure what to do. Then I just run across. Late in the evening I even switched on the phone and confirmed that I did the right thing.
As I was walking through Ingleby Cross I looked at the heart rate reading on my watch. I even had to stop after what I saw. For the last two hours my heart rate was around 145 bpm and I have been walking on flat land, so that did't add up. Clearly it was the last Ibuprofen, but the really scary part was that except for that little discomfort I didn't feel a thing. Obviously I stopped taking it.
I was thinking about making camp at the top of Beacon Hill, however as I was walking up the wind was getting strong again. I didn't really want to relive that Keld experience so I picked a nice and sheltered spot just a couple of hundred meters away from where the path met the Cleveland Way.
There were a lot of semi-urban but still really pretty sights that morning. At some point a guy walking a dog joined me for about 10 minutes. We had a chat about my trip, how he lived on the C2C but never walked it (classic story isn't it?) and the weather of course. I just love little encounters like this.
At some point the watch told me that I had 100km remaining and the final countdown began. By the time I got to the White Swan Pub it was already closed, so I just had my lunch outside.
The remainder of the day had some weird highlights. I felt a little back pain again. It wasn't critical but I decided to take another Ibuprofen. About 20 minutes later I started feeling a little heart discomfort which lasted about an hour. I figured it could be due to Ibuprofen although I was following the instructions. The discomfort passed eventually and I forgot about it. When it came to crossing the A19 at first I wasn't sure what to do. Then I just run across. Late in the evening I even switched on the phone and confirmed that I did the right thing.
As I was walking through Ingleby Cross I looked at the heart rate reading on my watch. I even had to stop after what I saw. For the last two hours my heart rate was around 145 bpm and I have been walking on flat land, so that did't add up. Clearly it was the last Ibuprofen, but the really scary part was that except for that little discomfort I didn't feel a thing. Obviously I stopped taking it.
I was thinking about making camp at the top of Beacon Hill, however as I was walking up the wind was getting strong again. I didn't really want to relive that Keld experience so I picked a nice and sheltered spot just a couple of hundred meters away from where the path met the Cleveland Way.
Start: 6:57am | Finish: 5:48pm | Elapsed: 11h | Moving: 8.5h
Day 7 - Glaisdale
The feeling of my walk coming to an end was very real that morning. I made it this far and there was no going back. In theory I could reach Robin Hood's Bay by midnight if I really had to.
I walked up to the summit of Beacon Hill and confirmed my camping spot decision last night - there was nothing up here but open land exposed to wind, which was blowing non-stop. Soon I was admiring the North York Moors in all their glory.I kind of forgot about the Lord Stones Cafe, so I was pleasantly surprised when I reached it that morning. I had a nice chat with two retired policemen while eating a huge breakfast.
Did I mention the wind? I think this was the windiest day of the whole trip. There was just no getting away from it. By the end of the day I was actually shouting curses. I remembered considering doing C2C from east to west and I was now laughing at the prospect. Apart from the wind I had nothing to complain about as the weather was getting better and better.
As I was going through the the final 100km countdown I was playing silly mind games trying to remember things about each decade of the 20th century. I reached Wainstones at around 11am. Then there was that really long stretch to the Lion Inn. At some point I left the Cleveland Way which was going north. I had an excellent lunch at the Lion Inn, which I couldn't even finish due to its size. Instead of the usual ale I had a pint of coke to stay focused.
I think I first saw the North Sea around the 40k mark. Not sure whether that was done by Alfred Wainwright intentionally, but the moment was full of drama. To show you the final destination from that far - what a genius move! As I was slowly descending from the Moors down to Glaisdale the wind kept pushing me from behind. There was absolutely nowhere to hide and camping in the open was out of the question.
I thought that I would leave 33km or less for tomorrow because I wanted to arrive in Robin Hood's Bay before the end of the 7th 24 hour interval since my departure from St Bees. So I decided to just keep on walking until I find a sheltered spot wherever that may be. Right around the 33km mark at around 6pm I found a dry and grassy crater about 3 meters deep. It was perfect!
I walked up to the summit of Beacon Hill and confirmed my camping spot decision last night - there was nothing up here but open land exposed to wind, which was blowing non-stop. Soon I was admiring the North York Moors in all their glory.I kind of forgot about the Lord Stones Cafe, so I was pleasantly surprised when I reached it that morning. I had a nice chat with two retired policemen while eating a huge breakfast.
Did I mention the wind? I think this was the windiest day of the whole trip. There was just no getting away from it. By the end of the day I was actually shouting curses. I remembered considering doing C2C from east to west and I was now laughing at the prospect. Apart from the wind I had nothing to complain about as the weather was getting better and better.
As I was going through the the final 100km countdown I was playing silly mind games trying to remember things about each decade of the 20th century. I reached Wainstones at around 11am. Then there was that really long stretch to the Lion Inn. At some point I left the Cleveland Way which was going north. I had an excellent lunch at the Lion Inn, which I couldn't even finish due to its size. Instead of the usual ale I had a pint of coke to stay focused.
I think I first saw the North Sea around the 40k mark. Not sure whether that was done by Alfred Wainwright intentionally, but the moment was full of drama. To show you the final destination from that far - what a genius move! As I was slowly descending from the Moors down to Glaisdale the wind kept pushing me from behind. There was absolutely nowhere to hide and camping in the open was out of the question.
I thought that I would leave 33km or less for tomorrow because I wanted to arrive in Robin Hood's Bay before the end of the 7th 24 hour interval since my departure from St Bees. So I decided to just keep on walking until I find a sheltered spot wherever that may be. Right around the 33km mark at around 6pm I found a dry and grassy crater about 3 meters deep. It was perfect!
Start: 6:00am | Finish: 1:35pm | Elapsed: 7.5h | Moving: 6.5h
Day 8 - Robin Hood's Bay
I did some calculations last night and decided to leave earlier than usual to make sure I make it in time. There was a lot of really beautiful forest walking that morning, which was a welcome change from the seemingly endless moors. At some point I realised I was too focused on walking and so I stopped to have a nice and relaxing breakfast by the river.
I had a very interesting encounter that day. An elderly gentleman run past me early in the morning. I met him again several hours later - he must have run a circular route. We stopped and had a brief chat. I told him about what I was doing, he congratulated me and mentioned that he had run the C2C in 69 hours over 3 days twice - once by himself and once as part of an organised event. He started running 11 years ago (he is 70 now) to get healthy and then things got out of hand (in a good way). What an inspiring story that was.
And then I was on the final stretch to the east coast during which I bid my farewell to the moors. I reached the coast at 12:30pm. There were a lot of day walkers coming towards me enjoying the last bits of good weather. The InReach forecast for tomorrow was not pleasant at all. I suddenly had the urge to check that I still had my pebble.
At 1:35pm I stepped on the beach of Robin Hood's Bay and that was it.
As I started walking towards the Bay Hotel I almost forgot about the pebble and returned to throw it in the water. I went in to sign the guestbook and was really surprised to find that somebody already completed the C2C that year a week or two before me.
I had a very interesting encounter that day. An elderly gentleman run past me early in the morning. I met him again several hours later - he must have run a circular route. We stopped and had a brief chat. I told him about what I was doing, he congratulated me and mentioned that he had run the C2C in 69 hours over 3 days twice - once by himself and once as part of an organised event. He started running 11 years ago (he is 70 now) to get healthy and then things got out of hand (in a good way). What an inspiring story that was.
And then I was on the final stretch to the east coast during which I bid my farewell to the moors. I reached the coast at 12:30pm. There were a lot of day walkers coming towards me enjoying the last bits of good weather. The InReach forecast for tomorrow was not pleasant at all. I suddenly had the urge to check that I still had my pebble.
At 1:35pm I stepped on the beach of Robin Hood's Bay and that was it.
As I started walking towards the Bay Hotel I almost forgot about the pebble and returned to throw it in the water. I went in to sign the guestbook and was really surprised to find that somebody already completed the C2C that year a week or two before me.
Thoughts On Gear
This section is completely subjective and represents my own opinion about the things that I have used personally.
Forerunner 955
I don't think there is a better navigation solution for autonomous long distance hiking right now. There are a couple of Garmin models that tick every box on my list - Forerunner 955 (the one I have) and Fenix 7. Here is what you get:
One important disclaimer is that all of this works best on a predefined route. If I was to just explore in the wild then I would probably just stick to the old map and compass. But to be honest how often does that happen in the modern world?
It is expensive of course, but I use it so much in my day-to-day that I have no issues justifying it. The InReach below is a bit different in this regard.
I don't think there is a better navigation solution for autonomous long distance hiking right now. There are a couple of Garmin models that tick every box on my list - Forerunner 955 (the one I have) and Fenix 7. Here is what you get:
- MIP display - it works in the brightest of suns, AMOLED is simply no match
- No touchscreen (actually there is, but its optional) - no fiddling about in the rain or cold
- Huge battery life - actually it's not that big, but the efficiency is excellent. Basically you need a 3,000 mAh powerbank for about 14 full days of navigation. I usually charged mine before sleep.
- Damage resistance - they are basically indestructable
- Wearability - something a regular GPS unit is missing
- Good maps - They are free and Garmin keeps improving them all the time.
One important disclaimer is that all of this works best on a predefined route. If I was to just explore in the wild then I would probably just stick to the old map and compass. But to be honest how often does that happen in the modern world?
It is expensive of course, but I use it so much in my day-to-day that I have no issues justifying it. The InReach below is a bit different in this regard.
Garmin InReach
I loved it. I have the i66 which is basically a hybrid GPS navigator and two-way Iridium satellite communicator. I have also purchased one month unlimited InReach subscription a week before departure. I ended up sending and receiving a few messages every day and I was also getting (quite accurate) weather forecasts quite often. I also used it for navigation purposes once when I was having issues with the watch. Fortunately I didn't get a chance to test the emergency rescue functionality.
Again, this one is expensive. There are cheaper alternatives that work with a smartphone. But the smartphone part just doesn't work for me anymore. Smartphones are simply not designed for extended time away from civilization. Overall, given that I don't need to have an active InReach subscription all the time I think this device will be of great value in the long term.
I loved it. I have the i66 which is basically a hybrid GPS navigator and two-way Iridium satellite communicator. I have also purchased one month unlimited InReach subscription a week before departure. I ended up sending and receiving a few messages every day and I was also getting (quite accurate) weather forecasts quite often. I also used it for navigation purposes once when I was having issues with the watch. Fortunately I didn't get a chance to test the emergency rescue functionality.
Again, this one is expensive. There are cheaper alternatives that work with a smartphone. But the smartphone part just doesn't work for me anymore. Smartphones are simply not designed for extended time away from civilization. Overall, given that I don't need to have an active InReach subscription all the time I think this device will be of great value in the long term.
Insta360 X3
Overall this was a great little addition to my kit. It fits my style of walking perfectly. The quality of images is average when put against the regular photos that you get out of a smartphone these days, but I don't think that's the point here. The ability to have everything in 360 at a press of a button is amazing. I am sure this technology will evolve to produce better quality very soon. I also loved the voice control functionality.
Just in case you missed it above here is the link to my C2C photo album most of which was shot with the X3.
My photo workflow was actually quite specific and I managed to shoot almost everything on a single battery charge. When I was testing the camera I noticed that the biggest drain on battery came simply from it staying turned on. Even with the screen turned off. So here is what I did:
Overall this was a great little addition to my kit. It fits my style of walking perfectly. The quality of images is average when put against the regular photos that you get out of a smartphone these days, but I don't think that's the point here. The ability to have everything in 360 at a press of a button is amazing. I am sure this technology will evolve to produce better quality very soon. I also loved the voice control functionality.
Just in case you missed it above here is the link to my C2C photo album most of which was shot with the X3.
My photo workflow was actually quite specific and I managed to shoot almost everything on a single battery charge. When I was testing the camera I noticed that the biggest drain on battery came simply from it staying turned on. Even with the screen turned off. So here is what I did:
- Set shutter delay to 3 seconds
- Take out the camera and switch it on
- Press the shutter button and extend the stick in the 3 seconds that I had (more like 4)
- Wait for the shutter sound
- Retract the stick and say "Shutdown Camera"
- Put the camera back in the case which was hanging on the shoulder strap
- All of the above is done while walking
Clothing
There were no real surprises in this category. Just a few things reconfirmed:
There were no real surprises in this category. Just a few things reconfirmed:
- A waterproof jacket is useless without adequate ventilation. It will get you soaking wet before the rain does. With adequate ventilation and in the cold it even works as a windbreaker perfectly well.
- Merino base layer works much better than synthetic on a multi-day trip
- Good quality socks make a big difference
- A balaclava is essential for 3+ seasons
Shoes
This one is really difficult. There hasn't been a day when I didn't question my choice of taking two pairs of shoes. Things would have been a lot easier if I actually faced the cold conditions that I was preparing for. But the sad fact was that I wore my backup Nike trail runners more than my main insulated, waterproof and relatively heavy Adidas Terrex Cold.Rdy shoes. Don't get me wrong, the Adidas are excellent and I was really glad I had them when I needed them. But did I REALLY need them? I think in this particular case I would have achieved the same outcome by having a pair of good quality GTX socks.
This one is really difficult. There hasn't been a day when I didn't question my choice of taking two pairs of shoes. Things would have been a lot easier if I actually faced the cold conditions that I was preparing for. But the sad fact was that I wore my backup Nike trail runners more than my main insulated, waterproof and relatively heavy Adidas Terrex Cold.Rdy shoes. Don't get me wrong, the Adidas are excellent and I was really glad I had them when I needed them. But did I REALLY need them? I think in this particular case I would have achieved the same outcome by having a pair of good quality GTX socks.
Shelter
My shelter history goes back a long way to a 2 person Vaude tent that I purchased in 2008. Soon afterwards I submerged into the the ultralight extreme and used a small rectangular Monk tarp for a while. I then switched to a classic 2 person MLD pyramid followed by the incredible Gatewood Cape, which I still believe is one of the greatest 1 person shelters in existense. More recently I have been using a 1 person Zpacks Hexamid and a 2 person 3F UL Lanshan.
I took the Hexamid on my C2C because it was the lightest shelter that I had and I didn't really have to camp on high exposed ground. It was appropriate except for that 1 night in Keld, but even then it held up just fine so overall I am not questioning my shelter choice. But would I make any changes to the whole setup in retrospective? Probably.
I think a more balanced choice would have been a 2P pyramid, a lightweight groundsheet, a less warm synthetic quilt and no bivy. Probably the same in terms of weight, just a bit more comfortable and reassuring. I also need to get a wider sleeping mat. And a pillow.
My shelter history goes back a long way to a 2 person Vaude tent that I purchased in 2008. Soon afterwards I submerged into the the ultralight extreme and used a small rectangular Monk tarp for a while. I then switched to a classic 2 person MLD pyramid followed by the incredible Gatewood Cape, which I still believe is one of the greatest 1 person shelters in existense. More recently I have been using a 1 person Zpacks Hexamid and a 2 person 3F UL Lanshan.
I took the Hexamid on my C2C because it was the lightest shelter that I had and I didn't really have to camp on high exposed ground. It was appropriate except for that 1 night in Keld, but even then it held up just fine so overall I am not questioning my shelter choice. But would I make any changes to the whole setup in retrospective? Probably.
I think a more balanced choice would have been a 2P pyramid, a lightweight groundsheet, a less warm synthetic quilt and no bivy. Probably the same in terms of weight, just a bit more comfortable and reassuring. I also need to get a wider sleeping mat. And a pillow.
Final Thoughts
All good things come to an end
I love walking. Slow or fast pace. Short or long distances. Time permitting I think it’s the best physical activity - for me at least. The ability to roam this earth is the easiest way to experience freedom and that’s why it is fundamental. With experience the list of obstacles that I think exist between me and my next destination keeps diminishing no matter what the distance is. I hope that one day it disappears completely.
I want to encourage anyone thinking about doing C2C to do it at the next available opportunity. It can be as hard or as easy as you make it. Obviously I did my crossing on my own terms. There were many unique factors that influenced my decision as well as the outcome and I am certainly in no position to say that it is for everyone. What I will say though is that what I have done is very far from exceptional. It is achievable by anyone. What that elderly gentleman from above is doing - that is exceptional.
I try to run 6km with 100m elevation at a very average pace every other day. I do some simple workouts a couple of times a week. I go for an occasional bike ride. I take every available opportunity to walk. I try to eat healthy. That's all. The key is consistency. Also it doesn't take too long to get into good shape. Again the key is consistency.
Thanks for getting this far!
I want to encourage anyone thinking about doing C2C to do it at the next available opportunity. It can be as hard or as easy as you make it. Obviously I did my crossing on my own terms. There were many unique factors that influenced my decision as well as the outcome and I am certainly in no position to say that it is for everyone. What I will say though is that what I have done is very far from exceptional. It is achievable by anyone. What that elderly gentleman from above is doing - that is exceptional.
I try to run 6km with 100m elevation at a very average pace every other day. I do some simple workouts a couple of times a week. I go for an occasional bike ride. I take every available opportunity to walk. I try to eat healthy. That's all. The key is consistency. Also it doesn't take too long to get into good shape. Again the key is consistency.
Thanks for getting this far!