The Coast-to-Coast Began at St. Bees, Cumbria, England
ex-Marine and I trained from London to Manchester and met the Wilderness group of 10 at the Manchester Airport. Brad, Annette, Michael, Topo, Suzanne, Toni, Heidi, Harvey, Hy and Sharon from all over the United States. Chris was our guide (I think he's still guiding for Wilderness Travel) and transfered us to Cleator, a West Cumbrian village on the River Ehen for two nights. Dinner, orientation, time to smooze and exchange backgrounds. The entire route is 305 km/190 miles and most organizers walk England from West to East. You have the prevailing wind at your back and the most difficult ascents start in Cumbria. The end of the Coast-to-Coast wanders through the heather moors of northeast Yorkshire, finishing at Robin Hood's Bay on the North Sea.
A short drive the next morning to St. Bees on the Irish Sea, the most westerly point of Northern England and our beginning. Traditionally, you christen your boots in the Irish Sea before setting off. Boots christened we immediately headed uphill for a 300m/1000' climb up the cliffs. No rain yet, but cool and extremely windy. So windy that I was thrown from left to right...back to left again...a few steps back...blown by the gusts and looked like a drunk. (Everyone else thought this was pretty funny but me.) The coastal path rolled along with what would have been views out to the Isle of Man (if it had been clearer) and headlands plunging down to the sea. (The headlands, I saw.)
Ian W. McAndrew,St. Bees, generously allowed me to use the photograph below showing the St. Bees coastline.
After reaching the lighthouse at St. Bees Head, we turned inland (thankfully...no more wind) and hiked towards the fells and peaks of the Lake District National Park. Questions for Chris... What is a Fell? A Fell is either an upland stretch of open country or a moor, and -- What is a Moor? Open, peaty, wasteland, where drainage is poor. Now I knew what the was talking about. This wouldn't be the first time that the group needed a translation to understand what Chris was talking about....
A 12-mile day along the well-marked coastal trail and then inland over cart-tracks and pasturelands. And what would a 12-mile day be without an ascent at the end? highlight walk. I, for one, was very happy that this was not a "purist" walk. How very nice to jump in our minibus at the end of a long (nasty) day and be shuttled back to our little B&B's or hotels.
We really earned that dinner and overnight back in Cleator and the gorgeous Ennerdale Country House Hotel. ( I understand that the Enerdale Country House Hotel is now a Best Western and have no idea if it is still as wonderful as it was then - a long time ago.) If not, there are plenty of other places to choose from...
