Lessons learned

Nearly halfway, so time to share some important insights.

Contours close up don't mean things are nearer, just very steep.
Masculine chafing needs a lot more research, plus Lanacane stings (that's the stuff that lets fat balloon folk dance without their thighs squeaking). Also, don't apply this in the presence of others; easy to misunderstand.
Don't forget when travelling west to east to sunblock the back of your ears.

That's it for a bit. Tomorrow I am off to Richmond. 33 more miles but luxury awaits. Also, Jules is bringing more trainers. More soon.


-- Post From My iPhone

Status report

Pretty pictures

Kirkby Stephen

That wasn't brilliant! The views of course were flawless but with the extra miles needed to get to & from the hostel I think I virtually did 40 miles; too much by half. The end of the Lakes was eventually welcome (by my.legs), even the route round Haweswater was totally not level, and being a body of water it jolly well should be. I got to Shap Abbey and was horrified to see how much further it was to Shap. The leg to K/S was relatively smooth, but by then my pins were shot. 12 hours on the go.




-- Post From My iPhone

Kidsty Pike

This is the last of Lakeland, the view over Haweswater from Kidsty Pike. That's 52 miles down and 140 to go.



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Heading for Angle Tarn and Kidsty Pike

This is a terrific view. There's Ullswater and Helvellyn across Patterdale. Hot work on the climb.


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Patterdale and the sun keeps shining

I arrived into Patterdale last night to realise my accommodation was in Glenridding - 2 miles away, and that Helvellyn YHA was a further mile towards the big hill. This and the retun jouney in the morning, to get back on the C2C must take the whole trip over 200 miles. Anyway, here is Patterdale, it is a delight.




-- Post From My iPhone

Day 2

Between Rosthwaite and Grasmere.


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Still alive, nicely roasted

A cracking route from Rosthwaite in Borrowdale over the top to Grasmere.
Interesting use of limestone for walls and slate for gateposts.



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Ennerdale looking back

This has to be one of the most pleasant scenes anywhere.


Below, the field of drumlins - sort of glacial moguls. It is windy but baking. This was yesterday, when there was no service.


-- Post From My iPhone

Brief update

I got to Borrowdale YHA at 6 pm and my legs don't know what day it is. 29 miles is a long way. I learned a number of other things:

• don't distrust Wainwright - just because a route looks like a long way round something, it isn't.
• don't bother with the slate mining museum, unless you really, really like slate and don't mind being ripped off for micro-cartons of juice
• it does get baking hot in Cumbria

More when I get O2 service on my phone or wifi access, maybe tomorrow. If my legs work when I come to get in the morning. Only 17 miles for tomorrow's leg, but it is very hilly. On to Helvellyn.

Past Cleator and almost atop Dent

Completely sunny and I have yet to see a soul. Here's the view looking back to the sea.




-- Post From My iPhone

August 5 and the tide's out

Low tide has just added almost a mile to my journey, which is now underway. Here's the Irish Sea.


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St Bees - so far, so good

Farmhouse B&B is splendid - my athlete's training regime continues; fish & chips with local Jennings beer. It helps assuage the rising feeling of huge distances- even the Lakeland mountains seem miles away. Hmmm, maybe more beer needed. Early start ahead for day 1.



Above, St Bees. Below, St Beca.




-- Post From My iPhone

And they're off!

Right. With thanks to Malcolm & Margaret, Jean & John, Brian & Pat and Chris & Helen for their pledges of support for WWF this morning, I am off to catch the train from Skipton to St Bees via Carnforth (home of "Brief Encounter").

Thanks too to Pete Scholes, CEO of that excellent group of experts Urban Mines, who is supporting and spreading the word.

Off we go.

The Week's reading materials

1. Coast-to-coast: A Wainwright, thanks to AW

1. The Tipping Point: Malcolm Gladwell, thanks to Phil Downing

1. A most wanted man: John le Carre, thanks to Roger Strange

JB and AW are coming too

Great news, wasting valuable time today which would have been better spent working, I have managed to capture the Julia Bradbury Coast to Coast DVD onto iTunes and there into the iPhone. It took hours but now I can revise each leg of the journey before setting off. Those sweeping panoramic helicopter shots are inspiring and should keep the legs going.

Some lucky folk

A small group of people are getting automatic copies of every blog, without having to do the hard work and click to see this blog. They get emails with every blog. Let me know if you would too.

Thanks to Sue for the link to Mountain Weather Information Service - apparently both accurate and precise.

Here is the forecast for the Cumbrian Fells on Day 1

1. Headline Blustery, but fine with patchwork of sun. General haze.
2. How Windy? - South or southwesterly, 25mph. Will ease to 20 or perhaps 15mph through afternoon and evening.
3. Effect Of Wind? - Will impede steady walking on higher areas before easing
4. How Wet? - Rain unlikely
5. Cloud on the hills? Clearing the fells, cloud on higher fells mid-morning will very likely all clear.
6. Chance of cloud free Munros? 90%
7. Sunshine and air clarity? Periods of sun and good visibility.
8. How Cold? 750m: 10 to 12C.
9. Freezing level - Above summits

Looking fair to good...

Here is the word from the Met Office (click on the image to see the sun shine).

A step too far?

Chris Hamlin, Draughton cricket tsar, and Helen, queen of shabby chic offer kind sponsorship but only on condition I burn my lovely technicolour shorts. Surely some mistake?

Local news alert!

You read it first in the Craven Herald - voice of the Dales.

click on image to read

Two days left, no time for training

Squash matches over the weekend is the only training within the final week. An article in the local paper (Craven Herald, established 1853) has elicited a pleasant wave of sponsorship and pledges. With more than £500 donated online by lovely folk, things are going well. With two T-shirts delivered by Jules, I am well turned out and the weather forecast (so far) looks excellent. Keswick and the Lakes promise sun on Wednesday. Sunny intervals, maximum temperature 18 degrees and sunrise at 5.30 am.

My Walshes (fell running shoes) are re-laced and ready.

Pause here to reflect on the marvel that are Walshes:

Great Britain’s Walsh Sports began tinkering with trail running shoes more than 30 years ago.

In a small town in Northern England, many years ago, the Walsh running shoe was born and slowly evolved into one of the great legendary running shoes of the world! This unique shoe is synonymous with the local sport of fell running and fell racing. (The word ‘fell’ means hill).

Norman Walsh’s handiwork is known by competitive trail and mountain runners worldwide. After all, he’s probably the closest thing there is to being the father of specialized trail running shoes.

Norman was born in Bolton, Lancashire, in 1931. He started work for Foster Brothers Shoes in his hometown in 1945. While working as an apprentice shoemaker, he was asked to make sprinting shoes for the 1948 Olympic Games in London. During the late 1950’s, Norman worked closely with the Foster Brothers’ grandsons, Jeff and Joe. These two branched away from the family business and formed Reebok (but that’s another story!). Norman also went his own way.

In 1961, he formed his own company, Norman Walsh Footwear . He became known for excellent, hand sewn, quality rugby boots-Rugby high and Rugby low. He produced about 30 pair a week, which sold rapidly. “None were made for the shelf”, recalls Norman, “I was working 80 hours a week”. He continued in high quality leather manufacturing until the early 1970’s.

At that time, he teamed up with legendary Lake District fell runner Pete Bland. Over the next five years, they designed and developed their own version of a fell running shoe. One of their early designs had soft black leather uppers and a light chocolate brown wavy- patterned sole. It became the approach shoe for many British rock climbers. Its designed purpose was as an “all round training shoe”. In those days there were very few, if any, shoes bearing that label (description). “I remember doing a custom made size 14 UK trainer. Now that’s big. We simply used a wooden extension onto our largest shoe last” said Norman.