Cinderella's shoe(s)

It feels decidedly strange not to wake, pack our bags, eat, and hit the trail.  Instead it's a leisurely start to the morning.  Quite a good thing really as it was a restless night.  Either the spices from The Mango Tree live on or it's hayfever that wakes me up with a start at 4:30am.  We have a relaxed breakfast with a fellow Australian who is continuing with the walk today.  When he picks up his day bag to rejoin the trail, we instead wheel our suitcases across the road to the taxi depot and catch a cab to the station.  We are very early for our train to Leeds but it's a good thing as it gives us time to appreciate the beautiful station architecture.  

Parting view of Kirkby Stephen station

When the train does arrive, we take our seats for the just under 2 hour journey along the scenic Settle-Carlisle Railway.  

At Leeds station we are forced to catch another taxi to the hire care office where we collect our new companion for the next stage of our journey - a navy blue Vauxhall Astra.  We manoeuvre our suitcases into the car and I take up my familiar post as navigator with map in hand!  Fortunately it doesn't take long to drive out of Leeds and we reach Harrogate by 1pm.  Our destination is the Balmoral Hotel which is infinitely luxurious after the humble B+Bs we have been lodging at over the last week.  We are too early to check in to our rooms but the front desk receptionist is so obliging that when we query the location of the nearest laundromat so we can wash our walking gear, she insists that we leave the bag of washing behind.  She kindly washes our clothes in the basement washing machine at no charge and our clean clothes are returned to us later in the afternoon when we settle into our rooms.  We are all incredibly grateful, it is such an unexpected and welcome gesture.

While we wait we walk into the city centre and have a glorious lunch at the paragon to tea, cakes and propriety that is Betty's Tearoom.  It has been many years since Ross and I last indulged in some Betty's goodness but its magic has not diminished - nor have the prices it seems!  

Harrogate city centre

It is a sunny afternoon and perfect to wander around and absorb the sights of the city centre but we are on a mission.  My Dad is still forcing his sore, blistered feet into his hiking boots and he needs a pair of comfortable walking shoes.  Ross struggles to maintain his attention span as we go from one shop to another to find a pair of shoes that is just so.  It takes some time and effort and attempts to engage with a disinterested Gen Y salesperson but finally success!  My Dad slides his feet into a brand new pair of Clark's shoes and it's smiles all round.

We return to the Balmoral to enjoy the comforts of our rooms for a few hours and hang up our wet (but fabulously clean) clothes.  Ah the simple pleasures.  Dinner takes us out for another stroll down the hill, past the wailing sirens and smoke of the burning convention centre(!) to a Thai restaurant.  The wind picks up and the temperature drops by the time we head back up the hill but this only makes it all the nicer to be enveloped by the luxurious warmth of our rooms.

Musings about the Coast to Coast

We have done it - seven days of walking from the West Coast across Cumbria to The (almost) Middle.  Half of the C2C.  Part of me is sad that we're not continuing on with our fellow walkers to Keld tomorrow, however another part of me says, 'seven days is kind of enough'.  Enough of the daily routine of waking, walking, washing and sleeping.  My muscles stopped hurting after the second day and I feel the fittest I've ever been.  I know in the scale of things, what I've done doesn't rate highly - The Lake District is hardly the Himalayas.  And yet it's the toughest thing I've ever done physically and I'm really proud of us and pleased we did it.  Of course it also leaves something 'unfinished' so there's still the Eastern section of the C2C to conquer another time!

A C2C waymarker

So, if you'll humour me, here are a few conclusions:

• There is definitely something to be said for having your luggage transferred daily from stop to stop and to have a beautiful hot shower, hearty meal and comfortable bed waiting at the end of each day.  Contours acquitted themselves brilliantly and we experienced seamless professionalism from booking to our final stop.  It was good value for money and the B+Bs where we stayed were always comfortable and friendly.
• We met amazing people along the trail which gave the walk an extra richness.  There was a great fellowship among walkers and hospitality from the locals who welcomed us into their part of the world.
• As the UK is shaping up to have one of its wettest years on record, I am convinced that the one week we walked the C2C was the only week of fine weather in 2012!  I am eternally grateful to the Universe for making this so.  It would have been a completely different experience trekking through rain.  As it was, we were blessed with awesome scenery and perfect walking conditions - even if we did get a soaking at Stanley Pond, it was a very small inconvenience given the brilliant sunshine we had the rest of the time.  People we met along the way kept telling us how lucky we were as it was the first time The Lakes had seen sunshine since April!  
• Lastly, I am full of admiration for my walking companions.  My Dad overcame his blisters, sunburn, bad knee and self doubts and conquered the toughest section of the walk with sheer determination when people much younger than him were struggling. I am really proud:)  And of course I am always grateful for Ross who patiently trained with me, forced me to use a walking pole, forged ahead on the trail, and dried my boots each evening with a hairdryer - thank you honey.

Onwards!

Orton to Kirkby Stephen

The stats

• Day 7 - Orton to Kirkby Stephen - 12miles (19km)

The verdict

It is the last day of our walk.  We have a leisurely breakfast which includes good conversation with our hosts.  It's very difficult leaving Barn House as it's such a wonderful place to stay but we finally get our boots on at 9:30am and set off.

The Fellowship outside Barn House

It is a glorious morning with just a bit of chill in the air and the walk out of Orton is magical, along lanes dappled with sunlight, past moss covered stone walls, and with the surrounding countryside laid out like a green carpet.  We have four in our party today as we are joined by a fellow C2C walker who will also be finishing up in Kirkby Stephen this evening.

Leaving Orton

The walk takes us through numerous meadows (hello Sheep!) and up and over countless stone stiles.  Near Sunbiggin Farm we pass a paddock with a mean looking bull which is so huge it won't even fit inside the picture...

The Sunbiggin Beast

I am deliriously happy we are walking past this field and not through it.  Farmland gives way to featureless moorland where we encounter our strangest ever restaurant recommendation in the form of a local lady out for a gallop on her horse, dogs gleefully bounding along behind her.  She stops for a chat and tells us that The Mango Tree is the place to dine in Kirkby Stephen... 

The roving restaurant guide - on Ravenstonedale Moor

The moor becomes farmland and we skirt the perimeter of fields keeping the stone wall on our right until we reach a stile where we're meant to cross over.  Slight problem of course in that a group of cows have chosen to stand precisely at this spot.  They have calves with them so start bellowing as soon as they see us and we can't get remotely close.  It means walking further along the wall and clambering over when we can.

Disused railway building in the valley

We're rewarded once over the wall with views over the prehistoric Severals settlement and a grassy slope heading downhill to Scandal Beck.  We sit by the side of the Beck for our last packed lunch which is undoubtedly the finest, being the high quality homemade fare from Barn House.  Then it's our final walk uphill and along the clearly waymarked path around Smardale Fell.  There is one final moment of drama as we crest a small hill only to see a panicked riderless horse galloping at full speed up the hill towards us.  Its reins are trailing behind it and it runs very close to the wall which we are following and are now at risk of being squashed against if it comes any closer.  Fortunately it diverts and gallops around us in a fury of pounding hooves.  A few minutes later we see the rider walking painfully uphill - he had been thrown when the horse fell and now faces the unenviable task of finding and calming his animal.

The remainder of the walk into Kirkby Stephen crosses farmland and is uneventful except for the full scale activation of my cow phobia.  We must walk through quite a few fields with cows and calves - and I'm ever wary and anxious as we tiptoe past.  When we finally cross under the disused railway line and into Greenriggs Farm, it is nice to see the signs in the farmyard welcoming walkers with arrows to point us through the yard... although I'm not sure if the farmer is having a bit of a laugh at our expense.  I wonder if the route we're guided through isn't the muddiest and smelliest of all because we emerge with our boots and trouser bottoms soiled with mud and cow shit.  

The laneway into town gradually becomes more built up until we finally emerge into the main street.  This is it!  Our destination - Kirkby Stephen!

Historic sign post in Kirkby Stephen

We take leave of our walking companion and head straight to our accommodation at Redmayne House where we get cleaned up and enjoy afternoon tea, with a strange mixture of fatigue and elation at the thought of not having to walk tomorrow.  Our accommodation is a rambling old Georgian house ... with some interesting antiques!

Redmayne House guest toilet

As the day slips into evening, we're fortunate enough to get into St Stephen's Church right before closing time.  We even score a guided tour by the verger although we're probably more amazed by the fact that Catholics and Anglicans actually share this space than by its 8th Century Viking artefact, the Loki Stone.  Our last dinner on the trail is at...The Mango Tree where we're joined by our Canadian fellow walkers for a celebratory meal.

It has been seven days and countless miles through amazing countryside.  We're happy, proud at our achievement, tired, sore, sad not to be continuing with the rest of the C2C, humbled by the walkers we have been fortunate enough to share this experience with, excited about the rest of our holiday, and a whole jumble of other feelings.  What a magical journey this has been.

Bampton Grange to Orton

The stats

• Day 6 - Bampton Grange to Orton - 11 miles (18km)

The verdict

It is another day of glorious sunshine as we set off across fields to rejoin the C2C route at Rosgill. 

Picking my way across a muddy field

As we aim for Shap, we must pass through farmland, cross multiple stiles and look for landmarks.  We get very disoriented at one point and almost start on the wrong path but we're saved by our Canadian friend who in his goodness, deliberately backtracks and calls out to us to show us the way.  We are all very grateful to him.  Once on the right track we spy the ruins of Shap Abbey and start on the gentle descent towards the ruins.  I am incredibly nervous as we must pass through a field of grazing cows.  My cow phobia courtesy of Cleator is compounded by news from 48 hours ago where a walker may well have been trampled by these very cows... 

The news from Shap...

Fortunately the cows are huddled together at the bottom of the slope so I waste no time in walking briskly past on higher ground and don't pause until I'm safely separated from the beasts by a stone wall.  The ruins of Shap Abbey are a slight diversion from the trail but it's a worthwhile stop.  It is wondrous to think how such an impressive structure could have been built in the 13th Century and heartbreaking that it was so wantonly destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII three hundred years later.

The ruins of Shap Abbey

We continue on the road to Shap and take a break at one of the local pubs along the main street, taking the opportunity to sit outside in the sun with a cool drink.  Mum has arrived in London so we speak to her on the phone before she sets off on her cruise.

Our last view of the Lakes and the angular peak of Kidsty Pike

As we continue on the trail and leave Shap behind us, we turn back for one last glimpse of the Lake District.  In the distance we can see the peak of Kidsty Pike which we were standing on just 24 hours before.  

The trail takes us over the M6 and towards Oddendale where we catch up with a fellow walker and pause on the grass for some lunch.  It's here that Dad discovers he has left one of his walking poles behind on the table at Shap, where it is destined to stay.  It is a blow but at least now with the mountains behind us, it won't be missed as much.  As it happens, today's walk is remarkably flat.  It's fair to say that in our naivety the gentle undulating hills we're now walking across are what we thought the whole C2C would be like!

We four continue on the trail towards Orton, delicately detouring around a rather large Highland bull that chooses to scratch its neck against one of the C2C waymarkers.  Happily it is too distracted to notice us rushing past.  The rest of the day's walk is along clearly marked path through sheep grazing country and rather featureless moorland.  We finally descend a gentle slope across more fields into the village of Orton, which is a gem of a place.  

The road into Orton

Unfortunately the gentlemen are too tired to seek out the local chocolate factory so we head straight to our accommodation.  We are not disappointed however as it is the delightful Barn House.  Our room is just gorgeous and we quickly conclude that this surely must be the yardstick by which all other B+Bs are measured.  The house is homely and offers so many special touches that cater for guests' every need ranging from cookies in the room to scones with jam available in the common area on the landing, and even a foot massager in the comfortable sunlit conservatory.  

Dad forces his sore blistered foot into his stiff leather dress shoes for the 10 minute walk into the village centre and winces in pain all the way.  Dinner at the local pub is hearty and welcome and again we meet several of our fellow walkers.  It is a slow return journey to Barn House after dinner as Dad hobbles back but at least we are rewarded with a warm and comfortable place to rest weary limbs before our last day of the walk tomorrow.

Patterdale to Bampton Grange

The stats

• Day 5 - Patterdale to Bampton Grange - 12miles (19km)

The verdict

We set off reasonably early as it is going to be a long day.  The Minnesota Ladies leave before us as they have an even longer trek ahead of them but not before giving my Dad some of their high potency sunscreen.  It is very generous of them.  With great stoicism, Dad smothers the sunscreen over his red skin, laces up his boot over his terrible blister and limps the first few steps.  As we leave Greenbank Farm, our hosts point us towards the path and for the first few hundred metres we're accompanied by one of the farm's cheeky puppies which lollops behind us before being summoned home.

Even as we cross the fields and start on the uphill path that winds its way out of the valley, we can hear the dogs from the farm breaking the silence of an otherwise still Monday morning.

View back over the valley towards Greenbank Farm

There are some steep sections before the path levels out on the approach to Angle Tarn.  Our paths intersect with plenty of other Coast to Coasters at this point including a lovely Canadian couple whom we last saw at Ennerdale Bridge.  

Approaching Angle Tarn

The morning sun packs quite a punch and it is surprisingly warm as we walk the left bank and then gradually leave the tarn behind us.

Angle Tarn

The Californian group catches up with us at an opportune time as the track leading up to The Knott is boggy in parts and it isn't always apparent which path to follow.  The guide steers his group on the right trail and we surreptitiously observe and follow.  Soon we see our goal - the summit of Kidsty Pike, at 780m the highest point of the entire Coast to Coast walk.

The approach to Kidsty Pike

Some fast moving cloud sets in which partially obscures the neighbouring peaks and surrounding landscape.  As we get closer to the summit of Kidsty Pike the wind picks up until we're battling the wind at every step...but gradually we inch closer, closer, closer until finally - we're there!

Dad walking up to the summit

We summit at midday and there's quite a crowd of walkers on Kidsty Pike.  We allow ourselves some self-congratulation and trophy photos.  Dad leans precariously over the edge to try and capture a shot of the valley below through gaps in the cloud.

Here at last! The top of Kidsty Pike, highest point of the C2C

And then it's the descent down the other side, which is very steep in parts and punishing on the knees.  I may have started out a sceptic but I am now a total convert to the humble walking pole so as much as it pains me to admit it... Ross...was...right. AGH!

The descent from Kidsty Pike - looking towards Haweswater

As we approach the shores of Haweswater, we look around for a good lunch spot as we need to refuel before tackling the long trek along the path which switchbacks along the full length of the lake.  Not really a lake as it turns out, but rather a reservoir for Manchester when the original smaller lake was flooded in the 1930s.  

We conquered the mountain - Kidsty Pike is behind us

Regardless, it is a long body of water and we end up walking along a fair bit of it in our futile search for a clearing where we can stop and rest.  All our fellow walkers who overtook us on the descent have taken all the best spots but finally after lumbering along the path on weary legs, we collapse on some boulders and tuck into some sandwiches.

We don't rest too long as we wish to stay ahead of the main group of walkers so we continue. The guidebook doesn't lie.  Although the path along the lake is easy walking, the lake seems to go on forever.  The afternoon sun is hot and we're all thirsty and tired by the time we reach Burnbanks.  I am so relieved we are not pushing on to Shap tonight even though we still have a way to go before we reach our own accommodation in Bampton Grange.

Looking down Haweswater

We leave the trail at Burnbanks and navigate towards Bampton Grange, which reveals itself as a quintessential little English village with its own ancient church, stone bridge and houses that have stood there for centuries.

Bampton Grange

Our accommodation at the Crown and Mitre Inn is directly opposite St Patrick's Church.  It might be a historic old building but the rooms are beautifully refurbished.  We carry our suitcases up the stairs on wobbly legs and collapse into the luxe soft furnishings in our room.  Dinner in the pub downstairs is glorious after such a long day and we bump into quite a few of our fellow walkers.

The Crown and Mitre Inn

Needless to say it is an early night although our sleep is punctuated by the church bell which chimes every quarter hour through the night.  Midnight is particularly interesting!

Grasmere to Patterdale

The stats

• Day 4 - Grasmere to Patterdale - 8.5miles (13.5km)

The verdict

My Dad insists that he can walk especially as the 'toughest' days are behind us.  With his blister dressed and padded and his second walking pole restored to him, he assures us he will be okay and will continue at his own pace.

Howard the cabbie collects us from Ambleside and takes us back to the C2C trail in Grasmere.  It is a glorious morning as we start climbing the hill out of the valley.

Sunday morning on the trail looking back towards Grasmere

We choose to go by the Tongue Gill alternative track rather than the old pony route as the gradient is easier.  Sure enough the path undulates along at a manageable gradient and we soon fall into a steady pace - Ross manfully striding at the head of the pack, me in the middle and my dad steadily marching along at the rear.  It is funny how we naturally lapse into this order for the remainder of the walk except for the few occasions I'm able to take the lead on an uphill stretch.

The gentle path along Tongue Gill

The path eventually strikes uphill at a steeper gradient and we have to clamber over more rocks and stone stairs although mercifully it is only over a short distance and we're rewarded with views of some spectacular waterfalls.

One of the many spectacular cascades along the path

At the summit we reach the beautiful Grisedale Tarn.

My Dad surveying the landscape by Grisedale Tarn

The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful and even better is the knowledge that as we pass by the Tarn it is downhill all the way to Patterdale.

Ross by Grisedale Tarn

We take a small detour from the path to see The Brothers' Parting - an unobtrusive stone memorial to the desolate spot where Wordsworth supposedly saw his brother for the last time before his brother perished at sea.  There is a poem carved into the rock but so weathered that it is no longer possible to make out the words - fitting perhaps that Wordsworth's words have been reclaimed by the elements which inspired them.

The Brothers' Parting 

The path continues to wind its way downhill.  While we sit on some boulders next to the path and tuck into our packed lunch, we are passed by many day-trekkers making the most of this sunny Sunday to tackle Helvellyn or St Sunday Crag.  We're passed by a mature gentleman who is walking briskly uphill and who stops for a chat.  He is 83 and has walked these hills all his life.  He is an absolute inspiration not least for my Dad who at the age of 76 is by comparison quite the youngster.

Back on the trail and we pass through some monumental landscapes.  The photo below is my favourite from the whole walk as it just sums up the Coast to Coast experience - total and absolute freedom with not a worry in the world.  Just a big sky and a winding path and no thoughts other than putting one foot in front of the other.  

The path to Patterdale

We take the more scenic path to the left of Grisedale Beck and only have one navigational spot of bother when it comes time for paths to meet and join a tarmac road.

Consulting the guidebooks

We find our way and the path continues to descend into Patterdale.  As we catch our first glimpse of Ullswater in the brilliant Sunday afternoon sunshine we think to ourselves that this must surely be the Lake District at its best.  

The descent into Patterdale - views over Ullswater

The path through Glenamara Park into the village conveniently terminates at... the pub!  We are too early to check in to our accommodation so we avail ourselves of the facilities and enjoy a drink in the afternoon sunshine before walking another kilometre or so through the village to our accommodation at Greenbank Farm.  

The end of the trail in Patterdale

Greenbank is a working farm (as the strong smell of manure would attest!) and the farmhouse itself is a cozy 17th Century building.  Our rooms are large and comfortable but we soon discover that there are to be 6 guests staying here tonight and only one bathroom. As the other party of three is yet to arrive we quickly take it in turns to shower.

Later in the afternoon we discover that our housemates are none other than the Minnesota Trio.  Happily they made it to Grasmere yesterday without incident.  The ladies are walking through to Shap tomorrow and push onto Kirkby Stephen the day after whereas we will be covering the same distance in three days.  I don't envy them, it sounds tough.

It might be a few hundred years old and have only one bathroom but the farmhouse boasts mod cons and we while away the hours before dinner catching up on email.  Our host is most accommodating and helps us dry our clothes but also prepares the most amazing dinner for us.  We are treated to a hearty serve of roast chicken with all the trimmings and a rhubarb crumble for dessert.  Our hostess also regales us with tales of the phenomenal fell runner, Joss Naylor who in the last few years, aged 70, ran 70 Lakeland mountaintops in less than 24 hours.  The man is a legend.  

Seatoller to Grasmere

The stats

• Day 3 - Rosthwaite/Stonethwaite to Grasmere - 9miles (14.5km)

The verdict

At breakfast we again share a table with our dining companions from last night and are graced with a sighting of a rare red squirrel through the window.  While our companions wax lyrical about ambling across the fells today, we ready ourselves for some more tough hills.  Fortunately in distance terms, we should have a comparatively easy day today.  It is probably just as well because Dad's blister is quite bad and it causes him to grimace when he first puts on his boot.  Of all the things to forget to bring, I discover that the full box of blister bandages I had intended to carry are still sitting in my bathroom in Perth.    

We set off quite late but before we rejoin the C2C route, Ross is determined to find some more walking poles.  To date he has been using one of a pair - my Dad has the other.  It would help if Dad used the pair and he insists that I should also carry one.  I am sceptical as I've managed so far without.  We discover that poles are hard to come by in this part of the world so we abandon that idea for now and just continue to Stonethwaite where we rejoin the C2C path as it climbs up out of the valley.  

Climbing upwards from Stonethwaite

The track rises steadily upwards but at least the gradient is manageable.    

Having a rest by a beck

Following the path uphill

Or at least the gradient is manageable until we hit some more steps hewn out of the rock which take us over Lining Crag.  It is not as steep as Loft Beck yesterday but is hard work nonetheless for legs still recovering from that mammoth effort!  The ground at the top is very boggy and while we're skirting around the worst of the mud we almost lose the path as the cairns are small and aren't easy to spot.  After a morning without sighting any other walkers we think we can see the Minnesota Ladies ahead of us and we start to catch up.  As we start going downhill we greet our fellows.  One of the ladies is taking it slow as her ankle is hurting so we overtake.  As we keep progressing downhill we keep looking back but the ladies seem to be stationary on the hillside.  We start to worry and task some walkers going in the opposite direction to check on them...

Soon we are over a small rise and we lose sight of the ladies but quietly hope they will be okay.  We stop for lunch but then have to retrace our steps slightly as we have inadvertently followed an alternative path.  It is so easy to take another of the multitude of paths that criss cross this landscape and it is only after some debate among ourselves, consultation of the guide books and asking some day-walkers going in the opposite direction that we find the main route down Far Easedale.  

It is a long and rocky path down to Grasmere but we must press on as we are being met at 4pm.    

The rocky path to Grasmere

Slowly we see more signs of civilisation and then we finally emerge into the town.

The road into Grasmere

We arrive in Grasmere with a few minutes to spare and make our way to the Red Lion Hotel where we're met by Howard the friendly cabbie right on the dot of 4pm.  Walking poles, bags and hats are piled into the back of the taxi before we haul our tired limbs in for the drive to Ambleside.  Accommodation is at a premium here in the top tourist towns of the Lakes, particularly as it is a weekend.  The streets of Ambleside are buzzing when we arrive at our accommodation.   I am so relieved when our host carries our suitcases up the winding flights of stairs to our rooms on the top floor! 

Although it was cloudy today, sunburn has been added to my Dad's list of woes.  We have all caught the sun but Dad's hands are bright red and sore.  Ambleside has the benefit of having a busy main street with lots of shops so we waste no time and head out immediately to the pharmacy to get some provisions for Dad's blisters and sunburn.  Ross tracks down an outdoor shop and purchases another pair of walking poles and me?  My first taste of 'civilisation' sees me head straight to Tesco to stock up on bananas and trail mix:)

Tomorrow is Father's Day in Australia so we treat ourselves to a nice meal at the  restaurant across the road from our accommodation.  Dad squeezes his blistered foot into the only other pair of shoes he has - a pair of stiff leather dress shoes - and limps the short distance to the restaurant.  He winces in pain every time he walks.  Ross and I are despairing and try to convince him to maybe take the day out tomorrow to rest his foot...