Coast to Coast Continued

The last nine days have been a very different type of holiday.  We get up and have breakfast than hike for several hours to meet our next destination.  By the time we shower and clean clothes etc we are ready to hit the bar for a drink before dinner and then we are ready for bed.  I do not quite know what to call this whether it is a vacation or an endurance test but I do know that it is a trip like something I have never done before.  I have been pushed beyond my limits and to my surprise have met the challenge and for that I feel so good. This is by far the hardest physical hike I have ever done and at times I have cursed silently under my breath and perhaps sometimes not so silently to Eric I have done it and to that end I feel a great reward.  From the positive my next pedicure should be 30%cheaper.

After spending six days in the beautiful but very hilly Lake District we headed out to Westmorland and on to Yorkshire which was charactererized by  by sheep populated, rolling green hills nested by streams all divided by old stone walls.  The setting for All Creatures Great and Small one could just picture the old time vet. Crossing the dales was delightful as the English weather Gods shone down on us and we got to enjoy the scenery in the warm sunlight stopping along the way at old churches and Abbeys.  The last two days we have once again spent climbing, this time amongst the moors.  We spent a bit of a roller coaster time in the Cleveland Hills climbing up to the top of ridges where the views were fantastic.  We would then walk along the top of the ridge and then do a very steep descent before going up the next ridge.  I have decided I like up better than down and I never thought I would say that!

Tonight we are staying at the Lion Inn at Blakey which is England's third highest pub.  I am sure the views would be wonderful except it is so missy that we can not see past the inn. Maybe in the morning.  Two more days to go to complete this journey. Look forward to it .

The hills and valleys were beautiful but tough

The Lake District was beautiful but to me I believe it should have been called the hill district and I must say it was somewhat of a relief to head to Westmorland

The climb up the hills makes the view back all that much better

The scenery is lush and green probably due to all the rain. We have not seen any irrigation systems.

These are referred to as Oreo cows though I did give this one a bit of a wide berth as he did not look too pleased that we were in his space.

This by English legend is Robin Hoods grave and who are we to argue

Often there were no gates and one had to climb over the walls.

Old churches were always a welcome diversion

We walked through miles of farmers fields sharing the fields with sheep, cows, horses and even Bulls.  One alway had to be sure to close all gates.

The trail was often muddy and slippery

Beautiful little villages along the way

An old limestone factory along the way

Though still hilly the climbs became more gentle and footing a lot easier most of the time

Visits with the animals always brightened my step

The old bridges have been there for hundreds of years and still stand proudly

Some of the gateways were so narrow I really wonder how some people get through.

The stone fences and old buildings just speak of generations gone by

Some kind soul put this boardwalk over the bog for which we were most greatful as we crossed a large bog a couple of days ago and it was not an easy task

The contrast of all the different types of cattle on the brilliant green grass made for an impressive sight.  

From the picture this does not look bad but the rocks were spaced just a little further apart than my short legs would reach and the river was going quite quickly.  Definitely not my favorite part of the day.

Eric enjoying a foot spa in the river

The legend of the Drummer Boy. We learned that the Brits are very big on legend.

The ruins of this Abbey were stunning.  It was built in the 1150s and much is still standing. It was a beautiful sunny day and was wonderful to spend some time wandering about.

Sharing the fields

The churches were centuries old and the graveyards though still used today had an almost haunted look to them with stones at every angle

From fields of sheep and cows in Yorkshire we headed into a more agricultural area of the Swaledale Plains

Heading up the Cleveland hills

Lunch break

Peaceful walk through the forest

Climbing up one of the plentiful hills

One can see the North Sea in the distance.  Our destination is within sight!

Staring our walk on a very misty morning

Mist and night rain make for a very wet and slippery path

Looking back at the hills we had climbed over

The descent at Hasty Banks before the mist rolled in

A unique way to keep dry and warm while eating lunch on a misty windy day on the top of a ridge.  Six people under cover makes for a cozy little restaurant.

Climbing up to Carr Ridge 

Following the old railway tracks on Carr Ridge where heather is abundant and grouse are raised.  We ran into a large scale grouse hunt which was quite interesting.

England Coast to Coast

On September the 6th Eric and I took the train from Bath up to Penrith so we would  be ready to meet our fellow hikers on the 7th for our Mountain Travel Sobeck hike across England.  I personally had been having some concerns about this hike and these first three days have proven to be he toughest yet most rewarding hiking I have ever done.  The trails are very rough and one is often jumping across creeks and rivers or simply getting wet. There are lots of loose rocks,mud and uneven surfaces so one must watch every step.  The elevation gains in the Lake District are steep and hard work.  Having said that the views are outstanding and it is such a treat to be walking through hills dotted with hundreds of sheep and lined with beautiful rock walls that are hundreds of years old.

Day one

We hiked from St Bees on the Irish Sea to Ennerdale Bridge.  Hiking along the cliffs would be spectacular except that it was raining so hard that views were rather dampened.  Turning inland we did our first long climb up.  Definitely a workout, the views were wonderful as the rain abated.  We covered  

29 kilometers and climbed 2700 feet before we reached our hotel.

Day two

Today we were hit with everything but mostly weather.  We started with a lakeshore walk along the shore of Ennerdale Water(they do not call them lakes here in the Lake District.  Go figure.). The trail was extremely rough and quite wet but the hardest was yet to come. We had a long steep ascend up Honister Pass which we did in driving rain and winds of 50 miles per hour with bigger gusts. At one time I literally did get blown over. More than once I did question what I was doing but there was only one way out and after the long wet and windy descent to Borrowdale we were all quite happy to reach the end of the hike for the day.  We had done 32 kilometers and 3490 feet of ascent.

Day three

Due to the heavy rains of yesterday we skipped ahead and did section four as section three would be too flooded so we will do it on day four. Something to look forward to.  The weather Gods were smiling on us and he weather was perfect as we walked out of Grasmere, the home of William Wordworth to climb up over Grisdale Hause to the foreboding ridge walk of Striding Ridge.  Once again the trail was rough and arduous and of course steep but with constant encouragement from Eric I made it to the summit which provided magnificent views of waterfalls, a large lake and wonderful hillsides.  The trail down was long and tricky but give me down anytime compared to steep up.  Today we did 18.94 kilometers and 1890 feet of ascent.  No guilt drinking a cider after that hike.

Putting on our gear in St Bees in less than ideal weather.  The wind was blowing  and it was pouring but we were on our way.  

We went down to the Irish Sea and each picked up a stone we will carry across England and throw into the North Sea and then we followed tradition and dipped our boots into the sea before starting our hike.

I think we are a bit crazy.  Little did we know what lay ahead.

If you use your imagination you can see the ocean through the rain and wind over the side of the cliffs.

The bright green pastures dotted with sheep and cows are very picturesque and are mostly divided by ancient stone wall built without any mortar

It always feels good looking down to where you have come from as opposed to up to where you are going

A rocky wet path leading up to the hills

This is one of the better pathways

Heading up in the vicious wind and rain

A good motto to strive for

Spectacular views

We are heading up to the top of the hill to the left.  Does not look bad from this angle but trust me looks are deceiving.

Tricky bits of pathway

And we keep going up

With a sigh of relief we were over the top and on the way down

Countless waterfalls and many creeks to cross over.  Every night one has to spend time drying out the inside of wet boots.

Friendly sheep all over the hills gave me an excuse to stop and catch my breath.

One has to watch every step as he rocks are slick and unstable.

More than we bargained for but what a sense of accomplishment 

Thank God for the occasional bridge so one does not have to figure how to get across that body of water.

Farmers stone house built in the last century.

Multitude of sheep on the hillside with a lovely stone wall and bridge in fore ground.

I hold hope that the walk will level out some as we leave the Lake District and that each day will be a little easier but only time will tell.

Bath England and Stonehenge

Flying into Heathrow Eic and I  took the Heathrow Express train to Paddington station where we boarded a train for a leisurely hour and a half train trip to the beautiful historic city of Bath.  With a population of 80,000 Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its natural hot springs and 18th century Georgian architecture.  Bath welcomes over 4.4 million visitors a year and is one of England's oldest tourist destinations.

For our first destination we took a large step back in time with a visit to Stonehenge,which we both have heard of since our high school history days.  Stonehenge is the remains of an ancient temple which was aligned on the movements of the sun built with massive stones that were brought here from Wales which is 250 miles away, over 4500 years ago and erected in precise positions.

Once a complete circle many of the stones are now missing.

It is absolutely amazing when one stops to consider how ancient man transported these massive stones over land and water and formed their shapes.  The manpower involved must have been immense.

The top stones are perfectly balanced and have remained for thousands of years.

One of the stones on a recreation of the method of which they would have used to move he stones over land. This would have taken several dozen men to pull each stone.

Burial mounds such as this small mound and the ones in the distance surround Stonehenge and date back thousands of years.  Important people were buried with their possessions.  These sites haves are all protected and have been explored by archeologiststs.

The landscape on the way to Stonehenge was picturesque with large farming areas covered with newly harvested hay bails.

Exploring Bath was a delight. We first did the open air double decker bus which went around the city as well around the surrounding hills giving us wonderful panoramic views before setting off on foot.  Bath was founded in the first century AD by the Romans as they built their Temlpe of Suis here as well as thier famous Roman bathes.  This is the only place in England with a hot spring and it pours out over a million liters of hot water daily.

Although one is not allowed to go into the bubbling hot water it is rather humbling to walk on the same stones that were laid and walked on by the Romans 2000 years ago.  The fact that this magnificent structure still stands today is a testament to their craftsmanship.

Mosaic floor dates back to 200 AD found within the temple 

This pool one could see the water bubbling away.  Before leaving we tasted he hot spring water which is said to have great healing properties.  One could certainly taste the minerals in it. These Roman baths and temple remains are considered to be the most important Roman remains north of the Alps.

The Abbey,which started construction in 1499 is situated next to the baths in the center of town and was worth a visit.  It was the last Gothic church built in England and its high vaulted ceilings and beautiful stained glass windows are stunning.

The abbey tower rises above the skyline.

Some of the windows were painstakingly rebuilt following damage during WW2

The Pulteney Bridge crosses the Avon River and has narrow little shops along its sides making it quite unique.

The windows on the bridge are each little shops.

The buildings and homes in Bath are mostly all built from Bath stone giving them all a very uniform appearance which mostly varies only from how recently they have been cleaned.

Though the center of town is flat any direction you go is up as Bath is surrounded by hills.  Most of the main shopping area is pedestrian only which is a very pleasant change from constantly having to deal with traffic.  With lots of seating along the way people are out enjoying their lunch while listening to street musicians or simply people watching.

Typical Bath terrace houses. Walkways were all varied from slate to cobblestone but all were a little on the uneven side.  While in Bath we had the pleasure of spending a few hours with some friends that we met several years ago in Jamaica. Ann and Bob used to live in Bath and it was great to catch up with them.

Canal strolls made for a pleasant afternoon 

The last leg of the British Bike Tour is to finish here on Sepember the 7th and the city was decorated appropriately.

I write this sitting on a train heading to Penrith to start the adventuresome part of this holiday. Stay tuned.