Read the book

A Coast to Coast Walk - Book Following the re-issue of the original seven books covering the Fells region, Frances Lincoln has published a revised edition of A Coast to Coast Walk by A Wainwright.

http://www.stridingedge.com/catalogue/coast_to_coast.html

Buy the movie

Beautifully simple, beautifully defined and providing a complete spectrum of northern England. Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk is 190 miles that have become one of the classic long-distance challenges of the British Isles - a challenge that now faces Julia Bradbury.

http://www.bbcshop.com/Travel/Wainwrights-Coast-to-Coast-DVD/invt/av9676

Someone else has been there already

Here is a nice diary of a recent trip by someone called Bill and his friends. Lots of pictures spread out over their journey.

http://www.billh.demon.co.uk/c2c/introduction.html

They wisely took 16 days, which makes me feel less certain of knocking it off in a week.

The route

Here is the route, courtesy of SherpaVan's planner. Click on it for a big, legible version.

long long range weather

Metcheck claims to link to a 30 day weather forecast. Who can believe that? Anyway, for what its worth, August 5, 2009 looks fair (12-14 degrees C) oddly with winds of 142 mph.

The 1935 Florida Keys Hurricane and Hurricane Andrew (1992) had the strongest winds to affect Florida since at least 1900. During Andrew the Fowey Rocks automated buoy (off shore) reported sustained winds of 142-mph, until it was destroyed. So I'm hoping that the forecast is wrong.

Baggage transfers - a result

OK. Its clear. Packhorse is a better service than Sherpavan for the transfers, for me. Packhorse charge a flat-rate per stage for a 20 kg bag (£6.45) ragardless of distance between stops. Sherpavan want to charge double because I am travelling so fast (not my words), and therefore so far between stops.

So Packhorse gets my vote. T/F: +44 (0)17683 71777. enquiries@c2cpackhorse.co.uk

For those not stopping on the eve of setting off, for £2 you can drop your baggage with Carole Smith at Stonehouse Farm (Main Street - St Bees - Cumbria - CA27 0DE. T: 01946 822 224 )

For those not stopping in Robin Hood's Bay on the night of arrival, you can collect your bags from Bay Taxis (Thorpe Lane Robin Hoods Bay YO22 4RN T: 01947 880603).

Accommodation plans

Anyone fancy joining me for a pie & pint along the way, my overnights should unfold like this:

1. August 4 Tuesday St Bees [Stonehouse Farm] ready for early start August 5, 2009
   
2. August 5 Wednesday Borrowdale [YHA]
3. August 6 Thursday Helvellyn [YHA]
4. August 7 Kirkby Stephen [YHA]
5. August 8 Richmond [The Frenchgate - unbelievably smart]
6. August 9 Osmotherley [Golden Lion]
7. August 10 Blakey Glaisdale [Lion Inn - highest point in the N Yorks moors - allegedly]
8. August 11 Robin Hoods Bay [None needed - head for home; thanks Marianne]

I already have plans for August 8 in Richmond, so you can forget that one. Otherwise, all welcome.

Sherpas and mules

Coast to Coast Packhorse looks to offer a neat, possibly cheaper way of moving your baggage around the place. Check out http://www.c2cpackhorse.co.uk

Rehearsal

This is the view across Striding Edge (Helvellyn, Cumbria) taken last month on a particularly sunny day. All part of the practice.

Itinerary

[view from Helvellyn]

This is the cunning plan.

DAY 1: St Bees - Borrowdale (29 miles)
DAY 2: Borrowdale - Helvellyn (17 miles)
DAY 3: Helvellyn - Kirkby Stephen (36 miles)
DAY 4: Kirkby Stephen - Richmond (33 miles)
DAY 5: Richmond - Osmotherley (30 miles)
DAY 6: Osmotherley - Blakey (17 miles)
DAY 7: Glaisdale - Robin Hoods Bay (29 miles)

St Bees in Cumbria is day 1 - August 5, 2009.

Maybe I'll go up from Skipton by train, but the chances are good for a lift.

iPhone testing

This is the first trial of blogging with the iPhone. Seems to work.

Route planning

First thing, how far to go in a day. Second thing, where to sleep. If you get the first answer wrong, you end up in a field.

Sherpavan.com offer a good baggage collection/delivery service. For a modest sum they will collect your gear and move it so you have the chance of travelling light and yet being able to get changed after a bath on arrival.

Planning to blog and jog

This classic route was originated and described by the celebrated A. Wainwright, author of a famous series of mountain-walking guide books on the English Lake District. The route is 306 kilometres miles long,

I want to do this in less than one week, which works out at an average of 44 kilometres per day, or a bit more than a marathon. Except many marathons are on flat terrain, this one goes across the Lake District, the Pennines Hills, the Yorkshire Dales, the Wolds, the Howardian Hills and the North Yorkshire Moors.

St Bees in Cumbria is the start point, and the destination is Robin Hoods bay near Whitby.