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!!

Day 5: Fall flat (supplementary log)

Check the name on the gate....
To say Bev couldn't stop laughing would be an understatement!

Day 5: Shap to Bents Farm Camping Barn

Day started well.  Short walk from Shap to cross the M6 and from there up onto the moors. Very bleak but impressive landscape, very different from the lakes, but no less isolated (sorry Bev, still no coffee shops).

And yes, we're still bog trotting!! Nicky decided that she really could jump the bogs (forgot she was wearing a backpack) and landed face first in the mud - so much for clean ish trousers. .. (see the supplementary post for a laugh! !) Bev has not let Nicky forget this little incident since...

And of course we're still smiling. Especially when we came across a tearoom serving cream teas at just the right time of day. Bliss!

Although Bev did have a major sense of humour failure when we arrived at our accommodation for the evening. A camping barn in the middle of nowhere (an old 16th C shepherd's cottage) - brilliant as far as I was concerned, minorly better once I'd got a hot drink and meal into Bev and we were cuddled up in our respective sleeping bags with 2 hot water bottles each (no, I'm not kidding! )

I'm so glad Bev went to sleep quickly as the sheep and lambs were banging on the door to be let in all night, and there were 3 sat on the doorstep in the morning.

Highlight of the morning; watching a lamb being born right outside the window. Aaahhh.

Day 4: Patterdale to Shap

Another cold and blustery day started with a fab breakfast then an interesting climb onto Kidsty Pike. Climbs to the highest point on the coast to coast, and yes apparently the views can be spectacular when it's not wall to wall cloud - there would be more pics if the weather had played ball but most of the time we had our heads down, hoods up and just kept the feet moving.

We arrived in shap in pretty good time (for us) and headed for the Shap Chippy for tea.  Best fish and chips I've had in ages!

Warning for anyone doing the coast to coast this year - the greyhound pub/hotel is closed and if you are booked in you'll need to find alternative arrangements.

We stayed at New Ing Lodge and it's to be highly recommended.  The 2 brothers, Jamie and Scott, have renovated the rooms to a high standard and the breakfast's are great. They even gave Ronnie (the aussie with the broken leg) a lift to the pub and back.

It's also the place we first came across mountain man with the shorts and the green jacket (although he'd already strolled past us up Lining Crag - having long legs made short work of that! ) apparently he was getting away from an overly amorous German chap...