Tuesday, 31 July 2012

Edinburgh - Chilling

Traveled by train to Edinburgh to spend 5 nights chilling. Took it pretty easy visited the castle, caught up on sleep, tried to get rid of the head ach I've had since flooring myself.

I Love this city. Cafe'd, walked, ate and shopped(for new shoes, with no success) the time away.

Had dinner last night in a pub called the "last drop". Its name celebrates irs historic function as it was the pub one was taken to for their last dram before being hung in the square just outside.

It's getting mad here as the fringe festival starts in Aug. The seats are all set for the Tattoo and businesses are gearing for the population to double from 700k to 1.4M during the month long festival.

Wednesday, 25 July 2012

C2C Roundup

Stats

Distance walked = 364km

Total ascent = 7546m (that's Kathmandu to the top of Everest)

Total days to complete = 20

Total walking days = 18

Total rest days = 2

Avg dist per walking day = ~20km

Min distance on walking day= 7.8km

Max distance on walking day = 26.8km

Rainy days =~ 1

Overcast but dryish days =~ 15

Sunny days (read hot) = 4

Avg daily spend = ~66£ (100$AU)

Avg accom = twin room with small or shared bathroom in a pub/B&B

No of nights in dorm accom = 0 yay did stay at one youth hostel

No of walkers per year = ~10k (2011) this year less due to the rain



3 fondest recollections

- having nothing to do but walk inc the up hills my favorite (seriously)

- the villages, pubs, churches, farms

- the country side, Green stones, sheep, gills, stiles, stone walls, tarns, etc etc. The whole coffee table book scene every day.


3 least favorite parts

- bogs with cow shit

- physical, banging my head on low doorways. I still have the scars

- midges. I only came across them once but still have the scars


Main surprises

- the weather every morning the forecast would be for floods etc every day it didn't happen while we were walking

- I put on weight due to the great beers and the fatty pub food. Still lighter than when I left OZ though.

- how swollen my Achilles are compared to Camino. They work ok up hill but shocking on the down hill.

- how cheap England is. I never thought I'd say this but it is cheaper than Australia.

- the power shower is still alive and well and still a complete misnomer.


Tuesday, 24 July 2012

C2CDay 20 FINISH Robin Hoods Bay (7.8k)

Short stroll to the cliff line then down the coast to Robin Hoods Bay. 25deg and bloody hot today all the poms were out walking with the their shirts off. It's amazing they haven't heard of sun cream the minute the suns out the pale and red headed strip off and get a good tan (read burn)

Anyway finally finished. Touched the north sea then back up the hill for a celebratory pint and lunch. I had hoped to swim but see the pictures the english riviera is not all its cracked up to be. You'd have to wade about 2km out just to get your shoulders wet. The British can sure do a village but they can't do beaches for shit.

Monday, 23 July 2012

C2CDay 19 Upper Hawsker (22.5km)

C2C Day 18 Egton Bridge (22.2k)

After the publican drove us back to the trail at the Lion inn we saw they were doing espresso so popped in. It was your typical horse brass and low ceiling affair and it was the latter that was my downfall (literally) After ordering coffees I walked into a low door way so hard I found my self flat out on the floor with the staff flapping around me. Luckily they had padded the lintel a little (ha ha) so no blood. I have felt a bit odd and head/neck ache all day, (Sneck lifter I hear you cry). I don't think I passed out.

Any way, out onto the moors to get to Glaisdale and the Arncliff Arms for a couple of pints of Speckled Hen and a roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding. Mmmm

It was just a short, pissed, walk to this evenings lodgings at the Horseshoe Inn at Egton Bridge. Apparently the nicest village on the coast to coast. From the beer garden it appears to be true.

Sunday, 22 July 2012

C2C Day 17 Blakley Ridge (18k)

Easy moor ramble today. We had accommodation in the Feaversham arms as small shooting pub which was off track so took a track of a ridge as suggested by the guide book. Map, Gps and Guide showed the track but clearly no one told the track. Ended up stumbling over heather clearly through someone's property ending up in the farmers house. The farmer was cool when I apologized profusely and played the Australian card(everyone has a relative in OZ). He let us continue through his property to the pub.

The woman who ran the pub explained the shooting season to me. Apparently shooters (or Guns) pay 2000£ a day to shoot. There are 8 Guns in a days shoot and they will shoot at total of 200-300 grouse in a day. Shooting happens 6 days a week (as sunday is a rest day). This occurs right throughout the season between 12th of August to 10th December.
That's a shit load of birds, money and tweed.

C2C Day 16 Clay Top (20.2k)

Entered the North York Moores national park today. The final park of the trip.

The track over the moores is often covered in flag stones so hard under foot but not so muddy. I thought the moores we flattish but bugger me it s more(excuse the pun) like a wrinkled blanker of heather each fold a 200m climb. Apparently this park has the largest area of wild heather in the world. Pretty sure the Scott's would take issue with this.

Didn't pack lunch so luckily just as we left there was a basket of flap jacks left out for walkers to purchase so I purchased a honeycomb flapjack.

Later on Lunch was taken lying in the heather where I may have managed a quick kip.

The sun has been out all day so I'm hot and the last three climbs almost did me in before we reached clay top. The B&B woman's daught came and picked us up as we were staying in greater Broughton which is a few miles nth of the track.

Caught the first glimpse of the north sea today(see photo) so the end is in sight.

Thursday, 19 July 2012

C2C Day 15 Ingleby Cross (16.8k)

More Somme mud today (even saw poppies, very apt post somme offensive), so very slow going but relatively short. I'm knackered.

Made it to the pub at 2 in time for lunch only to find it doesn't do lunch nor are there any other shops in the village. Oh well, liquid lunch.

C2C Day14 Danby Wisk (23.8k)

Between national parks now. Relatively flat moorland with grain crops and lots of water. There are many scale models of the Somme to negotiate. Boots are ready for the bin. They are worn out and foul.

Stayed at the White Swan which has a good selection of real ales and sword dancers this evening. Wtf.

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

C2C Day 13 Rest Day Richmond

Pottered around Richmond today starting with probably the best coffee I've had since arriving in the UK at Sip Cafe. Then it was off to visit Richmond Castle, or what's left of it.

The most interesting part was learning it was used to jail conscientious objectors during ww1. There were 16 in total that were eventually sent to the front along with the another 34 ww1 hard core COs. Here they were ordered to fight or assist and when they refused within a battle zone they had committed a crime so were jailed for 10 years with hard labour where they were treated so badly all but a few died.

Following the castle we popped into to see the movie Salmon Fishing in Yemen at the Richmond cinema. An interesting cinema in that its a not for profit community run organization situated on the old converted railway centre. It's very modern and very cheap ie 6£ (9$). The movie was fun but I preferred the book which doesn't have the happy ever after Hollywood ending.

Off for a curry now. What a treat curry and a movie only the order is wrong :)

Monday, 16 July 2012

C2C Day 12 Richmond (18.0k)

Rainy but easy via the villages of Marrick and Marske the latter providing a great coffee and soup for lunch.

Today I saw what the aristocracy likes so much to shoot, a wild grouse. I've been trying to spot one of these buggers for three days now. I must be becoming a twitcher.

Richmond arrived as planned where we checked into the Kings Head for two nights giving us a rest day tomorrow. Yay.