C2C, May 2010 – Hastings Rock and Fell Club

Wainwright was a nutter.

Having just completed the Coast to Coast in 14 days, I have come to the above conclusion. What you cry aghast!

Well, what person in his right mind would spend most of his life and spare time up in that great mist covered, rainy, cold at times slogging up 45 degree slopes. Sweating, freezing, wet, and footsore. I know this because it happened to me and I was only there two weeks. I am talking about Lakeland.

The first day, I did 18 miles to Ennerdale Water. This was quite along slog but it helped cut down the next day to 10 miles which included a gut wrenching climb after Black Sail Hut.Next day Seetoller to Patterdale. This took 10¾ hours and included two hard upward slogs. In the book it says you can turn around when walking up the slogs, you can admire the view, I did turn around but all I could see were huge brown hills. Far below small green fields with sheep scratching for a living. I did not see any views. He was a nutter.Day 10 I did Richmond to Ingleby Cross 22½miles mainly because it was flatter terrain, but it was still a slog across mainly farmlands.

Day 14 This was a day of more interesting varied landscape 14 miles to Robin Hood’s Bay, moorlands, lovely woodlands, cliff top path, railway beds finally I crept downhill to Wainwrights Bar, chucked my pebble into the sea, forgot to take a photo. I was knackered. Job done.

On my walk I met a lot of other nutters including some from USA, Canada, Australia, dozens in fact.

Yes AW was a nutter for dreaming up the walk and Julia Blackberry should have been strangled at birth.

Susan helped me in my efforts by meeting me at the end of each day with our campervan. I was glad to see them both at the end of a hard day.

Rod Evans

P.S. Please don’t ask Rod to do anything for a couple of weeks, he’s recovering.

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