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Breakfast had not even been served by the time I had started off the last couple of days, so a brief consitutional around the village before breakfast seemed in order to stretch the legs. I wish I had not bothered, there was thick drizzle in the air and not even the lower slopes of the surrounding fells could be seen – they seemed to all be smothered in low cloud.
The forecast was meant to be better today, I hoped that a later start might mean the weather had time to improve…
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Another early start, leaving just after 8am, to make the best of the days weather. Stepping outside for the first time there was already rain in the air – not enough for a jacket but just enough to keep jacket in hand.
I suspected I was the first one on the path again this morning, but with the guys I met yesterday missing out a stop overnight at Grasmere it would not be long before someone caught me up.
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After a quick early breakfast I set off as fast as my sore legs would take me. May be I am selfish but I did not want to share the early morning view of Ennerdale with anyone…
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I had waited for this day for months, the sense of anticipation over the last couple of weeks had been a fantastic buildup, but I dreaded the dawn and a sense of anticlimax due to the poor weather. Having driven from London yesterday, through 6 hours of rain, I woke to find the weather forecast was holding true – it was grey and overcast in Kirkby Stephen, just as the forecasters had predicted.
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Thankfully by the time I had been driven to St Bees there was not a cloud in the sky overhead, my spirits soared. The Isle of Man was visible on the horizon, across the Irish Sea, as I carefully dipped my toe in the water and selected the stone that was going to accompany me to Robin Hood’s Bay.
So the trip is booked to do the Coast to Coast walk in May!
Following A. Wainwright’s route from St. Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood Bay in North Yorkshire – it is 190 miles. I booked support through Coast to Coast Packhorse, and having now completed the walk and updating this post can highly recommend them.
Not only did they book all the accomodation (at fairly short notice), they ferried me to the start (St Bees) and from the finish (Robin Hood’s Bay) back to Kirkby Stephen where my car was safely and securely parked. It was a great mix of accomodation, and my bag was at each stop to be found when I arrived at the end of the day. This really freed me up to enjoy the walk, and booking it this way meant no hassle and only one phonecall – rather than 20+ that might have been needed if I was having to phone up every B&B.
If you are thinking of doing the walk I suggest you check Coast to Coast Packhorse out – and have a read through some of my experiences below…