Finishing Something You Never Want To Finish

13/09/14

Robin Hoods Bay!!!!! The walk today was amazing, coming down over the last 2 moors and through Littlebeck and its little wood, seeing foss falls and the whole time knowing this was the end and I had made it just made it even better.

This whole blog, if you haven’t noticed has actually been rewritten from what i wrote whilst I was actually on the walk, I read this part of my Journall and have decided not to rewrite it, just write it, as I can’t think of how better to sum up the end of my journey, it’s more personal than the rest of the blog but ahh here goes,

“So the final day has come, i’m in Robin Hoods Bay and have come 200 miles across the country, it has been a journey to say the least. I will never forget the good times with the bad, the most amazing people I’ve ever met and the most diverse scenery I’ve ever seen. I think it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever embarked on, but has taught me lessons I will never forget and could probably never explain. I’m so glad I took this on and even gladder I gritted my teeth and let my pig headedness complete it. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to explain properly to other people what it’s been like but I know I will have this experience forever. The end was all the much better as Mum was here and I haven’t seen her in a month, excited is an understatement.”

“I have mixed emotions now i’m finished, I mean I’ll be happy to sleep in a bed and have clean clothes, but the rat race just isn’t worth thinking about right now. Although I do miss certain people for sure, I know come Monday when I’m back at my desk all I’ll be thinking about is my next adventure.”

And that my friends is all I’ve been thinking about, hopefully after reading this blog you’ll want to see and hear more from me so please follow my blog on tumblr at: The Adventures of a Randomer

The Penultimate Random Adventure

12/09/14

I’ve made it to Grosmont (pronounced Growmont) and my feet are on fire, yesterdays trek has taken it out of my feet for sure, as today’s walk was short in comparison but i’m in more pain.

The walk today started very quiet, there was a very big cloud chasing me out until I got towards Glaisdale valley and the sun came out again, then it was another easy amble across the last of the moors into the big station of Grosmont. There are a lot of steam engines coming through this village, it’s lovely. Shame about the campsite its horrible there, and a very big family have turned up to have, what I think is going to be a massive party until the wee hours of the morning.

I can’t quite comprehend at the moment that there’s only 15 miles between me and Robin Hoods Bay, i’m not really ready to finish yet, I cant imagine not doing this, being stuck at a desk staring out of the window.

NB they did, they were still partying when I decided to get up this morning to start the walk.

Walking As Far As You Can See………And Further

11/09/14

So it was the final big walk today to Blakey Ridge over the moors, when I say big it was never ending and you can see the Lion a long way before you get to it, so don’t let your legs get the wrong idea when you see that pub, you’ve still a long way to walk.

The moors were a lot nicer that I was expecting but the weather helps for sure, I’ve had another gloriously warm, sunny day, you can smell the heather and the grouse were out in force. A long but lovely day and to finish it off nicely i’m spending the evening in the Lion, by the fire that’s never put out, with Anne and Steve and Ian, 3 other weary coast to coasters.

Surviving Without my Mum is Impossible

10/09/14

I am in Osmotherley, it is around 20 minutes off of the actual path but the campsite is worth it and if its raining there’s a YHA right next door. Although it does add a little extra to the already long walk tomorrow, but don’t be put off.

Today’s walk started extremely misty I couldn’t see ahead of me really, which did keep me distracted from how flat it was, but did make it very eerie especially as i was on my own today, Anne had gone straight over to Osmotherley yesterday. The mist lifted by the afternoon though and I could see again the scenery and wildlife.

I got to Ingleby Cross and started up this very steep hill in which to take me over to Osmotherley and decided to check my phone for signal, which I finally had!! I needed to speak to my mum and drop the bombshell that I had infact spent my money on boots and had put myself in the situation of not being able to get home, i’m quite far from home I should add, home is Berkshire, a good six hours from Robin Hoods Bay and my savior has offered to come and get me!! I had a little cry on that hill, I was so touched that mum would even think about coming to get me. I cant wait to see her in Robin Hoods Bay. If you read this THANKS MUM I don’t think I can ever repay you!

Sharing Tents With Cats

09/09/14

Today I am in Danby Wiske, nice short day again today. Although from St Giles farm across the A1 was somewhat of a diversion, something to do with roadworks, started with me going the wrong way into a cow field I shouldn’t of been in, getting chased by said cow into another field I shouldn’t of been in, which housed a cow a bull and their baby and ended with me having to go back through the first field, giving the first cow, a very wide birth.

After that it was quite a lot of road walking to Danby and I finished quite early which is okay by me as I get to sit in this glorious pub garden in which i’m camping in and read my book in the beautiful sunshine, with the smell of warm hayfields in the air.

According to the barman my cow experiences should be over now, as I get on to the moors tomorrow and take in the smells of heather and the laughing of the grouse.

Oh and on a very pleasant note I seem to have made friends with the pub cat who looks just like my cat and has made a home in my tent!

  

Big Cows Giving Birth to Little Calves

08/09/14

I’ve got to a place called St Giles farm, just past Richmond I was going to stay at East Applegarth but getting there at 11 am I changed my mind and thought i’d get past Richmond to shave a few miles off of tomorrows walk.

So it was a pleasant walk today, not as nice as yesterday but the weather was really good again which always makes the difference, plenty of cows yet again, there seems to be a reoccurring theme to my posts recently. I wish I wasn’t scared of them. Walked through many a field and down roads and through more fields, plenty of wildlife again, then an all of a sudden hill up to a white cairn where i thought i’d be out of cows way, which I was, but the farmer had decided this is where he wanted to keep his bulls, yeey. I ended up really skirting this field praying the bulls wouldn’t see me and take an interest, thankfully my tactics worked and i’m still here (dramatic I know). Got to Richmond in one piece which was a lovely place, I didn’t stop for long as towns aren’t really my thing.

I got to the site and set up only to then watch a cow give birth in the field next to me, for some people I can imagine this would be quite interesting, for me this is something I can never unsee, never, ever, unsee.

Caravan or Tent, Caravan or Tent?

07/09/14

Today has been so nice, nothing scary and I finished early. The sun has been out all day which gave a perfect setting for my first proper gander at the river Swale.

I followed the Swaledale valley down from Keld to Reeth today, just meandering through the lush green fields, whilst watching all the wildlife that the river gave which was beautiful, plenty of rabbits, ducks, deer, plenty of other birds that I don’t even know the names of and a single robin. I’m starting to get used to not being in the lakes now and appreciating what the dales have to offer. Being down in the valley, there was no traffic at all, which meant the only noises were the animals and the river, which was so peaceful.

I got to the campsite after walking through the quaint village of Reeth and met the owners Steve and Pam, after a lovely conversation with the both of them Steve said he’d show me to the caravans, to my surprise, then he said unless you’d rather stay in your tent tonight? That’s right guys for the same price Steve let me stay in a caravan bless him. It didn’t have any gas or electric, but i’m not complaining it was £6 and I managed to get everything out of the bag and air it out. What a fantastic end to an already brilliant day.

The Official Halfway Point

06/09/14

I’m officially halfway today after a 14 mile trek to Keld although i’m sure I added a mile getting lost in the bogs around Nine Standards Rigg. In the County of North Yorkshire now, my home for the rest of the journey.

The walk for me today was scary, but not scary cows, scary moors. What with the weather being grey and dreary the mist was down and there was no one for miles it was eerily quiet to say the least and getting lost didn’t help. Thankfully the mist lifted a little once lost and I managed to get my bearings and correct myself, but I had a definite conversation with myself after about keeping my bearings at all times. The ground was boggy, the book doesn’t lie, sticks were a must today and I think even on a dry day sticks would be needed. All in all today was really good.

I’ve got to camp and the sun has broken through and its got out lovely. I cant wait for what the second half of the Coast to Coast is going to bring me.

Cows, Cows and Cows

05/09/14

Another long day today over to Kirkby Stephens, 20 miles in total, there’s not really much I got from this walk apart from fear most of the day as I have encountered more cows today than I have in my whole lifetime.

The walk was very meandering and after the excitement of the lakes it wasn’t much to write home about. Across some moors and down some roads and across some more moors, tackling cows.

I got lost towards the end because I thought I was taking a shortcut to the campsite, turns out I made it longer and had to walk down a busy road to get to where I wanted to be but I did find an old train station with old crumbing trains in it, I didn’t take any pictures though sorry.

Leaving the Lakes Behind

04/09/14

I’m in Shap, with a 17 mile day under my belt, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be though, my legs must be getting used to all this walking at last. By about 11 am I was already up on Kidsty Pike, past the very odd Angle tarn which has its own 3 islands and sheep aplenty. I had really good weather for Kidsty, I could see a lot of where i’d come from and a lot of where I was about to go. There was a very steep descent down to Haweswater but the walk round the reservoir was beautiful.

After Haweswater was my first encounter of many I can imagine of cows, now i’ll explain, me and cows don’t get on, I just don’t trust their split decision making and their eyes tell me they know a lot more about me than they should. I know, now that i’m going to be coming into the dales there’s going to be a lot less sheep and a lot more cows, I just need to muster up some “I’m not scared of cows” attitude.

There’s a guy at the campsite here doing Lands End to John O’Groats, hes walking it, Shap is the halfway point, Al Sylvester his name is has walked 440 miles! What a legend. Hes doing it for charity, must remember to donate.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=AlSylvester