Coast to Coast Walk June 2010: Day 3

Welcome to our Coast to Coast Walk blog

Please join us in sponsorship as we walk across England in support of the Yes to Life charity. We are a mother (Jo) and daughter(Imogen), partner David and friend Vidya. We will be taking out our walking boots and traversing the hilly terrain of the English Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and North York Moors on the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk. This walk is being undertaken in loving memory of Bryony Daly who passed away from cancer in 2004 aged 23 yrs. Her death was a tragedy and Yes to Life was founded to provide much needed support and information to cancer sufferers who have a right to know what their options for alternative care are. We will set out on our epic journey on June 7th, 2010 and hopefully find ourselves on the opposite coast 2 weeks later. Please support us by sponsoring the miles we will walk, the blisters we will get, the rain we will endure and the falling into bed that we will do. As we count the miles, it will be great to know that each new mile brings a new pound, dollar or euro to such a worthy cause! Please click on the link below to learn more about the walk:
www.wainwright.org.uk/coasttocoast.html

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Day 3 - Beautiful Borrowdale

This is Jo. Right now I am sitting in a comfy couch at the Langdale Country Inn (with wifi) in a valley so beautiful it makes you want to weep. Its been a trip since our last post and we have come quite a journey to this beautiful place!
After Ennerdale Bridge we had a so-called easy day with just 5 miles to the youth hostel. It was raining when we set out - so we had a chance to try out our full wet gear as we walked around Ennerdale water. The whole day was spent putting on waterproof pants and then taking them off again only to put them on half a mile later when the weather changed again! We decided to try two different routes - David took the high road and Vidya and I took the lower route and we planned to meet up later. Vidya and I found ourselves rock climbing with a 40 foot drop down to the lake below - hairy to say the least but we made it. We met up with David who had a less intense hike over Robin Hood's chair. We made it to the YHA for late lunch and a cuppa - after which we all had a nap in our 'family room'. When we came to it was s till raining so we all hung around, did some yoga, talked to some other walkers until dinner. The Youth hostel was all organic, fair trade and green and we had a good dinner followed by a lousy game of Scrabble. No-one could think straight and in the end the YHA manager came to help out. We slept like babies and woke to a grey day but no rain. Today was a 9+ mile day hiking over Loft Beck to Borrowdale. We started at 9 after breakfast and the first four miles was easy walking to Black Sail Hostel - the most remote hostel in England. We stopped for tea there. Then we hauled ourselves up Loft Beck - stunningly beautiful in good weather but we were in thick mist (see photo) It was a long climb to the top, up a flight of slate steps that someone had carefully set in the side of the hill - and we had to get out the gloves I brought and didnt think we would need. It was cold!! But over the other side we walked down to Honister slate mine and lunch! It was great to warm up inside a building. Then we set off again to Borrowdale which is the nearest place on earth to Hobbit country. So sweet and full of lambs and wild flowers. I would write more but I am falling asleep and tomorrow is another days walking...so thanks for reading !!