Completed in 7 days, 19 hours & 25 minutes!


Day 1 - Robin Hood's Bay to the Lion's Inn

26 miles, 12.5 hours of walking


We managed to get some beans on toast for breakfast, delaying our anticipated start time but we thought it was worth it! We would just have to walk for a bit longer that day to catch up. At Robin Hood's Bay is Wainwright's Bar and a sign illustrating the miles and elevation of the walk. We had decided to do the walk in reverse order, saving the most picturesque scenery in the Lake District for the final 3 days so that the view got more, rather than less, dramatic as we progressed. According to the sign, we were therefore starting at the 'end'!



We picked up two pebbles to carry to the end of the route at St. Bees.




We touched the water at Robin Hood's Bay at 9:50am. Ben dipped his shoe in the water while Gem dipped her hand in as her shoes weren't waterproof and she was hoping to keep them dry for as long as possible. Whilst posing for the following photograph, the tide swept forwards over her shoes, soaking them both! A change into waterproof socks then ensued.



The weather stayed warm and dry all day, helping to dry out Gem's shoes. A number of very steep hills slowed us down somewhat. The waist strap on Ben's bag had broken the previous evening, leaving the full 4 stone weight uncomfortably on his shoulders for the duration of the walk. Later, when lifting the bag up, another strap at the top broke which meant it could only be fastened on one side so when it rained it filled with water and got even heavier. It's weight on one shoulder appeared to have pressed upon and trapped a nerve, causing pins and needles and a loss of sensation in Ben's left thumb, which is only just returning to normal. Towards the end of the walk, he spoke of a desire to burn the bag when he got home!




The weather stayed dry, but was very windy throughout the North Yorkshire Moors. We put up our tent in a field beside the Lion's Inn at 8.30pm and went inside for a dinner of jacket potato and baked beans. Due to blasts of strong wind that shook our tent approximately every 3 seconds all night long, we only got about 30 minutes' sleep between 6 and 7am.



Day 2 - The Lion's Inn to Ingleby Arncliffe

25 miles, 10 hours of walking


We started walking at 9am after packing up the tent. We didn't feel too bad considering the lack of sleep. The weather stayed hot and dry.



We found ourselves having to cross a barbed wire fence, with one leg either side of the wire Gem started to wobble and fall so Ben caught her with one arm, grabbing the wire with the other for support, leading to a deep cut on the same hand as his pins and needles thumb.



We spent most of the day walking across featureless and very windy moorland, finishing at 7pm.





Day 3 - Ingleby Arncliffe to East Applegarth

27 miles, 9.5 hours of walking


Ben had got some blisters on his feet, which he cut open and cleaned with alcohol. He tried a blister plaster, but it fell off after a couple of minutes. After walking along repetitive farmland for half the day, some friendly cows followed us along their field for a while.




The second half of the day featured several miles along the road to Richmond.




Which has a castle.




The weather stayed hot and sunny. Gem had been getting some leg pain caused by tight calves and had stiff legs that evening. A while massaging the muscles and a carbohydrate-rich dinner of vegan macaroni in cheese sauce that came in a packet followed by a horrible looking but nice tasting mixture of Smash, Burger Mix and baked beans saw this sorted out by the next morning.


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Ben's blister photos (not for the squeamish!)

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