Day 12: Grosmont to Robin Hood's Bay. .. the finale

We've made it to the last day!  To celebrate we're having porridge for breakfast - the full English has finally got the better of us.  This morning we need good walking fuel!

The first hour of the day it's all uphill (literally) as we climb out of the valleys back up onto the familiarity of the moors for one final time.

Oh yes, and we haven't seen the last of the bogs either - the walk has certainly saved some of the best of those for the last day!

We were so looking forward to seeing the boys in RHB, and were just debating whether they'd left home yet or not when my phone buzzed with a request from les for the postcode of his destination! Now considering I was standing in a very muddy field in the middle of nowhere you can imagine my response...

Our first snack stop of the day was littlebeck - followed by a lovely walk through woodland following the beck. Halfway through we came across a fab tea rooms set up at a place called Midge Hall next to a waterfall with fab homemade cake. Perfect timing for a break!

From there we climbed back out of the valley to be rewarded with views of Whitby and the abbey - our destination was in sight.

What follows is a "stroll" across 2 moors, described in the book as boggy, very boggy and extremely boggy in places.  Well the "boggy" came halfway up the boots, the "very boggy" was over the boots - we couldn't wait to see where the "extremely boggy" came up to.  We both had visions of us sinking into oblivion with just our walking poles pointing the way out!

Thankfully someone had thought to build a walkway over the worst bit otherwise we would have been bog snorkeling.

Finally... saying goodbye to the bogs we headed for the coast and the headland walk into RHB.

Even the rain didn't dampen our determination to finish and we eventually made it into RHB at about 6.30 to find the welcoming committee in the hotel bar of all places - though we shouldn't really have been that surprised should we?

Day 11: Blakey Ridge to Grosmont

Yet another brekkie, and another morning setting off wondering what the weather has in store...

At least we can see where we're going today, beautiful bleak moorland, with the grouse cackling at us as we walk.

The views across the moors back towards the lion Inn are amazing - although we seem to be walking big zigzags today, around one ridge then another with views into green cultivated valleys showing the contrast of the moors above.

From the tops we then wound down into Glaisdale to follow the river through Egton to Grosmont - which Les would have loved as they had steam trains!

Stayed at a lovely b&b right opposite the pub so I didn't even have to put my boots on to get dinner!

Feels weird as it's our last night before finishing - we can't quite believe we've made it this far. We're so close to our goal we're just hoping the feet get us to the end as they're really hurting now - think we'll be finishing on painkillers and Mars bars...

Day 10: Green Bank to Blakey Ridge

Thank goodness Bev had her coffee fix this morning, I'm not sure I could have survived another day of enforced coffee abstention - to say she's mardy without it is an understatement!

Well the weather forecast was optimistic to say the least the promised temp of 16 never materialised - the North York Moors resembled the set of wuthering heights with swirling clouds and winds cutting the visibility to 20m. Good job the path was easy to follow we didn't fancy getting lost up here today!

We were laughed at by numerous grouse and sheep as we mumbled our way past on what seemed like the longest 10 mile stretch ever. We've seen 2 people all day and coming over the ridge to find the Lion Inn was a very welcome sight.

The pub is a lovely old Inn which has a great menu and selection of beer - happy days...

I know the pic is crap but this is all we've been able to see all day.

Day 9: Danby Wiske to Green Bank

After waking up in the over-insulated shed we decided to get an early start, despite being offered a cuppa by our hosts (I suspect because we owed them extra for the so-called upgrade...)
We just wanted to get out of there and on our way.

Today was muchly better.  In fact it probably is the top contender for best day overall.

Started off a bit murky but the sun (yes I actually said sun) soon cleared that and we enjoyed some relatively easy going through woodland and up onto moors.

The images show our lunch stop for the day - the only time we've actually been able to sit and enjoy the view without getting soaked or freezing our bits off!

With Bev having missed her morning cuppa she was a bit of a bear with a sore head, so I'd promised her a coffee at Lord Stones Cafe while we waited for our lift.

Would have been pretty idyllic except it's currently shut for renovation with no sign of it opening anytime soon.  Boy was I in the bad books...

We nearly got ourselves involved in our second rescue of the trip as mountain rescue roared to a halt beside us, cropped the lock and went in search of an injured biker. Must have been a bad one as 5 vehicles turned out including 2 ambulances...

We called our b&b for the night and waited for the lovely Sue to collect us. After the debacle of Danby Wiske, Sue from the Four Wynds b&b couldn't have been more accommodating.  Not only did she collect us, make us tea and coffee (with homemade flapjack! ), put 2 deckchairs out so we could sit in the sun, she also drove us to the pub to eat, collected us and dropped us back on track the next morning following a fab brekkie.

And Jess the beautiful old collie insisted we play with her in the garden - Ruby mk2!

Day 8: Applegarth to Danby Wiske

Well after a very, very wet night in the sieve that passes for a tent we were both looking forward to a hot shower and hot drink to set us up for the day. Hot shower - tick, hot drink - dream on! Now most places we've stayed the hosts go out of their way to make sure their guests are looked after... however at the White Swan, despite it still raining we were deliberately locked out of the pub and were not going to be allowed in until the b&b guests had gone and the chores done. Just plain rude if you ask us!

So that's no coffee for the coffee monster, thank goodness for Tom & Leanne and their pack-up, kept us going through the rain!

It was a pleasant if wet walk into Richmond but past there it turned into a painful slog through boggy woods, past Catterick, more road and finally back to the White Swan - oh goody...

Chinese restaurant tonight with Tom and leanne - really good meal, then back to Danby Wiske.  Tonight's accommodation is a very bizarre cross between a shed and a sauna (we were upgraded from the tent as we couldn't find a b&b with space unfortunately). At least it's dry.

Day 7: Keld to Applegarth

After a fab nights sleep in the yurt we were delivered a delicious breakfast (warm baguettes loaded with bacon and eggs), collected our packed lunches and off we set.

Ten minutes later just as we were crossing the beck who should we be passed by yet again but mountain man in shorts and his mate (who always seemed to be wearing full waterproofs whatever the weather). We thought we'd seen the last of them in Shap as they were going a lot quicker than us to finish so that the mate could go on holiday! I think they'd also managed to shake the amorous German off too...

There are a choice of routes from here - we decided to take the low road and give the legs a bit of a break with a lovely walk alongside the river swale. The weather was actually quite kind to us today and we managed to get down to t-shirts for the first time.

A quick drink stop in Gunnerside at the tea rooms and we were off again. Now so far, apart from Nicky's trench foot and blisters we've been quite lucky with the injury count, until Bev suddenly started experiencing knee pain... uh oh!! Uphill and flat ground are fine but downhill is proving painful. So we're now both great apart from going downhill which is slowing us down somewhat.

The aim of today was to get to Applegarth where Tom and Leanne were collecting us and driving us to camp at Danby Wiske. We arrived at the pub (White Swan Inn) and it took ages for someone to get around to showing us where to pitch the tent etc. We wanted to eat there too - not a lot of choice on the menu and they didn't seem all that keen to fit us in. The food was pretty good (probably due to the local farm sausages and pies) and we turned in for an early night.

To say it rained would be an understatement - it poured... allllll night. The tent really couldn't cope with the volume of water being thrown at it and sprung leaks all over the place. There was I thinking I'd have a nice cosy night with dry feet (think again Nicky) We woke up with wet sleeping bags, pillows and clothes...
Tbc

Day 6: the barn to the yurt (Keld)

Having had a really good night in the barn, waking up to a lovely sunrise and the birth of a lamb was a great start to the day.

Following a breakfast of tea/coffee and biscuits we decided to leave early for Kirkby Stephen and call in for elevenses at the Pink Geranium.

Good choice for food.  I had a great jacket spud with prawns while Bev tucked into ham, egg and chips.

The normal route from here takes you up and over Nine Standards Riggs - there are 3 alternative paths, all of which are boggy in normal conditions - we were advised to take the road to Keld, bit of a slog but saved having soaking feet again.

The yurts at Keld were a very welcome sight for the foot weary walkers, and the cold beers delivered directly to our door were a godsend!

We couldn't have asked for better hosts.  Ian and Michelle were stars.  We ordered dinner, which was home cooked and delicious and delivered to the yurt.  The breakfast rolls (baguettes with bacon and eggs in) were heavenly and also delivered.

The yurts themselves were brought over from Mongolia in kit from and erected on site.  They have a wood burning stove in the middle, enough space to sleep 4, and plenty of games to play. And they even have fairy lights that come on at night. I think we'd both like to go back sometime and spend some time exploring the area.

We've now reached the halfway point of the walk and are both feeling a bit battered, 

Although the blister count is very much in Bev's favour, or you could say Nicky's winning 10 - 0!!