Saturday 31st July 2010 - Great Broughton (Clay Bank Top) to Blakey Ridge 15kms - More Moor More Than Enough

Col here:-

Well not a lot to report today apart from I'm glad we didn't have to walk back up to Clay Bank Top from Great Broughton (supposedly 2 miles ) but it was a 10 minute drive in the car. Once at the start of the days walk - you guessed it straight up a steep climb and a slight false start which JR, Al and I recovered by climbing over the wall to the correct path but Pete had to backtrack to the bottom of the hill and come up the correct side. Whilst he was doing that our English friends appeared and so we decided to walk the moor tops together. As you will see from photos and movies the moors are a vast expanse of not much other than heather but there was a well marked and dry !! path so we were able to make excellent time once we got up to the top. We are almost at the end of the walk and the day after tomorrow will see us trekking into Robin Hoods Bay - the official end of our epic coast to coast foray. We said farewll to Susan and Lizzie at Blakey Ridge as they are heading back to work and will finish the walk another time. Saw David and Lydia again at the Lion Inn, Blakey Ridge. Also a Dutch couple that stayed with us at the Old School House B&B in Danby Wiske and that we have seen every day since then. You establish some good little friendships with your fellow travellers and I think they are all now active followers of this humble little blog.

JR here:-

Well it was moor, moor, moor today. We made very good time because most of this part of the walk is down a disused railway line so its wide and flat although the line follows the contours of the hills and you cannot help thinking that a 15km walk would be reduced to 5km if you could go direct over the moor. Leaving aside the bits where the heather/gorse has been burned to encourage new growth the gorse, heather, rushes are very dense and the ground is peaty and boggy so shortcuts are not on (don't want the bush to get one back). Col and I rolled along at a steady 5km+ and hour and it was just like marching around Googong but without trees. The views down the valleys are very nice but the scenery doesn't change much over the course of the walk. Col and I also managed to flush some pheasants (or possibly they were large grouse) out of the bush as we went along. If we'd had a shottie we could have picked up dinner - a gun dog may have helped as well. Had lunch at the Lion at Blakey Top which is apparently the fourth highest hotel in England, We were expecting to have the place to ourselves given its remoteness but, even allowing for it being Saturday, it was packed - apparently its on one of the main roads across the moor and people tend stop for lunch - people have even been known to drive through the snow in winter to visit the Lion. And the Eton Mess was very nice - just the thing to do with pavlova left overs.

Al here:-

All aboard the disused railway track across the moor was simply steady as she goes. Blisters improving.

Peter here:-

Moor or less an ok day. For those of you that I know that are planning to travel to the UK in the near future dont forget to stop off at the Hellenic Club for a New York Cut Steak on the way to the Airport. Steak dishes in the Pub will cost you 20 pounds upward with a around 3 pounds for the accompaning Pint of Ale depending on your drop. The Boyz like Black Sheep (the Brewery not the ... well maybe ...). Other main courses will be about 10-15 pounds with about 5 pounds for Starters/Entrees or Sweets/Deserts. So if you cant cook a three course meal on a cow pat (see yesterdays blog). For cheap entertainment in some of the smaller English Villages may I suggest a chat with the locals or fellow travellers (Always good for a show and tell blister/injury or about the last tall hill (I call them tall stories). Perhaps even yet another early night or if you wish the 5 free to air channels await you (3 of them BBc ) if you can get reception. Anyway I think I can smell the salt air of the North Sea :-) it must be close !!

Friday 30th July - Ingleby Cross to Great Broughton (Supposed to me 20kms but Boyz did 22km- all will be revealed) - Boyz Bite Bush

Col here:-

Villain to Hero - well I managed to start the day disastrously for the lads - tried to organise a short cut for the walkers but at some point the trail petered out entirely (about 3-4kms in and the same out again) so even though the boyz were very magnamimous and decreed it as a democratic team decision it was really me. But at a critical point later in the day I was able to resurrect the situation with a short plunge off a cliff that avoided two more steep climbs and descents so I think all is forgiven. Today was a good tough walk and the boyz are definitely fitter than when we started 'cause we ate it up. There were still about 3 steep climbs and of course descents but we still made good time. I am quite sure our new English friends (Susan, special skills teacher and her daughter, lawyer, Lizzie are chortling their way through this blog as they were also contemplating the short cut but made the sensible decision to stay on the real path. Susan will be much comforted at having won the race to the finish line. We also caught up with our other companions from way back at the start of the walk David and Lydia at our B&B last night. The Somerset House oasis was very nice and certainly one of the better establishments on the route. Dinner is a small problem as it is 1 mile away from the B&B but I am sure this will be resolved shortly and then it will be very pleasant. So 3 days walking to go now (but who is counting). Take care everyone I luv yaz all.:-)

JR here:-

Well as you might gather from Col's comments we're all pretty buggered (have had to give a couple of Ks back out of our taxi bank). It started somewhat badly when Al needed to adjust his dress within 100yds of the B&B (see photo - we had to do something while we waited) and went downhill slowly from there. The Bush scored an early goal with a track that got increasingly obscure and eventually ended in a barbed wire fence - Col was keen to proceed however the last time I climbed a barbed wire fence Col had to help me over because of the potential danger to certain sensitive parts and I was not anxious to experience that sensation again - so we decided to go back to the start. The rest of the walk went well and the views from the moors were spectacular - a different type of spectacular from the lakes - sort of bigger - but once you've seen England akimbo as it were you probably don't need to see it again. We also walked through some magical forest areas which have a type of soft green light that you don't see in Australia. We eventually scored the equalizer by avoiding the long climb over Cringle Moor and bashing our way through the bracken lead by Col - straight around and down the side of the hill to Greater Broughton. We were all feeling it by then so it was a good decision. At dinner tonight I could not resist the deep fried bacon - there are times when too much fat is barely enough - followed by the chef's Eton mess - seems unlikely that the chef will have been to Eton so I harbour some doubts about its authenticity. Otherwise an early night seems indicated.

Al here:-

I almost died today but somehow through my Aussie spirit and will to survive saw me through, not many others would have been able to make to the Village of Greater Broughton where they don't seem to know the difference between a prawn [that's Capitral P, P capital R capital A capital W capital N, not shrimp that are the size of undeveloped mosquitoes served in what was euphemisticitally called a prawn cocktail, what a joke !!!! Anyhoooo, the walk was a beauty with .of ups and downs designed to destroy your feet and knees but we made it. Perhaps tomrrow we will get to a place, Blakey Ridge/Glaisdale where they understand what a bloody prawn is and not foist the joke of baby shrimp on me, I'm not happy!

Peter here :-

I watched an episode of the survivor man - Bear Grylls before dinner. I watched intently to ensure that if anything happens on the Yorkshire Moors I am equipped to ensure the survival of the party. Rest assured dear readers if anything should happen I am now able to cook a 3 course meal on a cow pat, build a 3 bedroom house with lockable garage using stones from the fences and make bedding for 4 from dock leaves. Failing this I keep enough money for a taxi fare and always check the phone book at the previous nights accomodation to see if there are any "gunnings" I can call on for assistance and a cuppa. I think I will now call myself Peter "Mixed Grylls" Gunning

Wednesday 29 July - Danby Wiske to Ingleby Cross - 14.5kms - Bonza Sheila Does Bush Medicine

JR here:-

The B&B in Danby Wiske was really nice as were the owners. Dinner in the pub worked surprisingly well - pizza, beer and curry in the end. Was initially tempted to share a volcano pizza with Al but the continuing eruptions have now convinced me that the pepperoni was the best choice. We were not allowed to eat our take-aways in the bar (out of the cardboard as it were) but were moved into the "dining area" (which contains 4 tables max) and provided with plates, plastic table cloths and cutlery - very civilised really. Walk today was mostly in sunshine (although there's a few clouds about now) and pretty easy over mostly flat farm land with a few small ups and downs - nothing much to photograph. Some farms had put refreshments out for walkers as a way to make some additional money. Made very good time and got into Ingleby Cross about mid-day before the Pub had opened which meant we had to wait for our beers. Tried the chicken parmigiana for lunch - turned out to be deep fried chicken schnitzel smothered in mozarella and parmesan - the landlord convinced me to have a half serve which was fair enough - two chicken schnitzels would be a big ask - Col says he intends to answer the call for dinner. The B&B that we are in is probably the best so far but is right on the A19 which is a dual carriage way road going to Middlesborough - very busy and noisy - doubt it will keep us awake. The A19 provided the only excitement of the morning - you have to run across it because there's no pedestrian crossing - the guide book and the map describe it as dangerous - pick your gap and sprint summarises the advice - a technique we happily applied.

Peter here:-

My rant for today is about foot blister products - I have managed to accumulate a vast pharmacy of products - savlon, compeed, elastoplast, bandaid, betadene, lanacane and generic antiseptic/anesthetic from Boots (UK Chemist). These products are as useless as tits on a bull or about as sticky as teflon. All designed for the heel not for the balls of the feet - in fact I think the weight of carrying these products in my pack may be contributing to the problem ! I think these manufacturers can't stick to the truth let alone to your skin. The owners of the "old school building" at Danby Whisk gave me whisky - pointing out that it was to put on the blisters not to be consumed ! The road sign for today was "pass here" so what do you do :-)

Col here: -

We have met up with a couple of English ladies who are doing part of the walk (as you can when it is only a few hours drive to get to another part of the walk). This has provided us with tonights headline as we have been shown a natural remedy for the short term but painful sting of Britain's most prominent piece of vegetation (namely nettles - they are bloody everywhere). The natural remedy to this accursed affliction (nettles that is) is dock leaves. I seem to cop at least one nettle in the leg a day. You may have gathered I don't like nettles very much. We have almost granted them (the bonza sheilas) temporary Aussie citizenship as they appear to have a similar warped view of the world. A number of other walkers who we have seen most evenings at the end of the days walk are still going strong as well and hopefully without jinxing myself and JR we seem to be the only walkers so far without blisters (touch wood). Knee has been much better last couple of days so walking has been much easier. Only four more days to go now - tomorrow should be a bit of a test as it is 23kms and some hills thrown in as well. I think the latest count today saw us crack the 200km mark so that is a bit of an achievement in itself. Also each day we learn more and more about how Julia didn't really do the walk for the DVD (including injuries and helicopter rides) so she isn't our most popular TV presenter at the moment. Anyway, everyone is in really good spirits. See you all soon. :-)

Al here:-

Happiness can be found in really simple things some times - like the big hot shower at tonights B&B, it was perfect. Strangely, todays walk didn't try to take us over the highest hills in the area so we all pulled up in fair condition at the Blue Bell Pub.

Wednesday 28 July - Richmond to Danby Wiske 22.5kms (or part thereof) - Terror Tunnel of Turds

JR here:-

The day has been pretty easy overall - but its started to rain as I'm writing. Pete's blisters are giving him a lot of grief although Al and Col seem to have their ailments under control unfortunately I'm finding it increasingly difficult to climb over things and once having got up there getting down is painful on the joints - its probably the NHS glucosamine I've been taking - got some BIG pills from Boots yesterday so maybe that'll help. We reduced the length of the walk to match what we thought we could do today and the part we walked took us over rolling countryside mostly on back roads - no climbs of any note. All cropping and grazing land with lots of activity on the farms (hay making and harvesting). We were concerned about the rain - lots of dark clouds about as you can see in the photos - but we only got a few drops as we walked through the door of the White Swan at Danby Wiske for the first beer(lager) of the day. The outskirts of Richmond are largely residential so all we really missed by shortening the walk were suburban streets and farmland (if we never see another cow pat or pile of sheep shrapnel we won't be complaining). The path skirts around the edge of some fields and it was evident that certain farmers don't want walkers on their land because the fields are cultivated right to the edge and there was at least one stile which had the wiring for the electrified fence round the field running through it as well as barbed wire decorating the posts. Tonight is beer and pizza at the White Swan - I mention this because the pub is having its kitchen re-modelled and the only food is take-away from one of the nearby towns - there is a certain novelty in eating-in on take-out however after the fish and chips in Richmond we are curious to see how the Poms do pizza. The guide book suggests that in the case of that other great staple of the north, chicken parmigana, any resemblance between what you might expect and actually get is entirely coincidental - we'll have to try that next I suppose.

Al here:-

Could have been walking from Jerrabomberra to Bungendore today, except for the hedgerows and the mantrap stiles and lots and lots of the fragrance of rural England, I'm sure the cows here would win the world title for the most stinky of all!! Fair bit of plugging along country lanes for the first time, tried to thumb a lift with the farmer Brown types passing in their Mitsubishi Warriors (yes they are really called Warriors here, we know them as Tritons) but no-one stopped, probably thought we looked too dodgy and not as pretty as their cows!

Col here:-

JR is correct feeling pretty good after a few easy days. Just had a most luxurious Radox bath so I am quite pleasantly relaxed at the moment. Danby Wiske to Ingleby Cross tomorrow - looks like some more hill walking tomorrow. Then Ingleby to Great Broughton, then Great Broughton to Blakey Ridge (Glaisdale), Then Glaisdale to Egton Ridge and then the final push into Robin Hood's Bay. So I was wrong yesterday. It is five days more from now. We have covered approx. 190 klms so far out of our 300.Today was OK for what it was but a whole day of that would have fairly quickly become tedious. Nice litte B&B called the Old School House for tonight's stay. Pub last night (The Buck) in Richmond was OK but some clown in the room above us decided to entertain some friends with music and singing till the wee small hours which was a pain. Not a lot of ventilation in some of the rooms which makes sleeping difficult as it can be quite warm. Hope everyone at home is well and that all our Touch teams are doing well. You can send me some updates via ziffell@live.com.au if you have the time. Paulette is quite right in her assessment of this trek - you are often tired but basically you don't get much time to dwell on it as you have more of the same to come each day. I will leave it to Pete to explain today's by-line in all it's gory detail.

Peter here :-

The blog gives you an appreciation of the sights and sounds that you experience as you walk on the coast to coast. What doesnt translate is the pungent fragrance de nord anglaise that permeates the air fron time to time. Sometimes its the Revenge of the Cows - One Cow observed Alwyn and I walking towards it along the path and ambled onto the path, looked back to see that we were in place and released a torrent of liquid shite directly in front of us - my nostrils still have flashbacks of the pungent odour Another olfactory delight occured today when a farmer had scattered manure across an entire field that was part of the coast to coast track - I guess it left a smile on the farmers face but it left the residue of the gagging on mine. I described it as the terror tunnel of turds. Frankly I cant make scents of it all !! On another note I saw a sign that requested you to keep your dog under control and that it is an offence to worry a sheep. I know and support the rationale of the sign but I cant help but look for worried expressions on the sheep and think of them on a couch talking to a shrink about their Baaaaaaaad experience.

Tuesday 27th July - 17.5kms (or part thereof) Reeth to Richmond - Pete's Knob Nobbled

JR here:- The hard roads of England have worn out the knob on the end of Pete's stick. I offered him the spare knob I was carrying but he declined - will wait until he wears it out. That was the discussion this morning while we were waiting for a lift to Maske. Walked about 10kms today which we managed reasonably well mostly across open farmland and some of the forest that runs along the valley of the Swale. Saw a red squirrel in the wood and the usual rabbits. We got into Richmond at lunch time and repaired to the local fish shop to try the national dish for lunch - lots of limp chips (which may have been the gravy) and cod bites (lots of batter, little cod) so we were all very full. The hotel we are staying in was built in the 1760s so it pre-dates white settlement of Australia. Spent some time looking at the castle which Peter discovered was built by an Alan Rufus of Brittany in the 1100s would you believe. Col here:- Have really enjoyed the short days as the knee has been playing up a bit. But only 5 days to go now so should be able to get through it. I agree with the assessment of the fish and chips if you could call it that. They were pretty woeful. Hopefully we can have some Thai tonight if Pete gets back from his walk in time. Apparently Miss Bradbury took 3 months to do the walk (the lady on the DVD) not a couple of weeks and don't let anyone tell you that this walk is a doddle cause it isn't and the fairly relentless pace of it makes it certainly more of a trek than a walk. The fact that there are no rest days is probably the biggest issue so older bodies don't get time to recharge before the next stage is upon you. Peter here:- My rant for tonight is about mattresses. Now you dont expect perfection for around 50 pound a night for a twin but the mattreses experienced so far fall into three main categories - firstly the ironing board (springs all gone flat as a tack), the hammock (collapsed along either the y axis or x axis of the bed or both) and lastly the floater (highly cushioned but requires a Intel 7 920 processor to assist the body to make the 1000's of decisions a second necessary to keep your body stable and from rolling off. In most rooms I am just arms reach away from Col and we call our choreographed movements around the room - the twin room tango. As for my knob I think it will last out to Robin's Hood Bay but comforting to know that John carrys a reserve knob. Al here:- Blister pads tried to become part of my socks today but successfully managed to separate them from my feet when we reached historic Richmond (built before 1066 and all that). Went to the castle of one of John's realtives and tried to lay claim but they weren't having any of it so we went and had Thai food, and it was almost real, not like that poop that we had at lunch that they call fish and chips, the filthiest greasiest muck I have ever consumed!!! But I am still alive and without having a coronary so another great story of survival in Ole Blighty !!!

Monday 26th July - 17.5kms (nearly too many) Keld to Reeth - Don't Cramp my Stile (sic)

Col here:-

I now understand about the sayings "up and down dale" and "make hay while the sun shines". The days journeying started with , as usual, a jaunt up a steep slope outside Keld but at least there was the River Swale and some waterfalls to keep us company. The boyz decided on the low route along the river for the first part of our walk and it was quite pleasant. The other option was the "industrial route" taking in old mining sites along the ridge top. We made good time into Gunnerside where we had lunch. At this point your more normal Wainwright modus operandi kicked into operation. We had to climb up a steep slope which just kept on going up and up then a walk along the ridge top past some very isolated farms and then down into Kearton and down again to the River Swale and along the river into Reeth where we are staying tonight.

A lack of internet facilities will mean that this blog won't be posted until tomorrow night when, hopefully we will be in Richmond which is a fairly large centre and it should have all the mod cons. Saw the farmers cutting the hay and bundling it up as we walked through the fields in the first part of the walk. You would not believe what constitutes an ensuite over here . As long as you can squeeze a toilet and a shower into the same space as the original room you have an ensuite. Tonights is ridiculously small again although to be fair last nights stay in Keld at Butt House was quite nice on all fronts including rooms. No shower but you could have a bath.

JR here:-

The title of tonight's blog was suggested by Peter as he clambered over yet another stile. The stiles have generally been quite good, if torture on the knees coming down the other side, but the ones around here are tighter than a fish's proverbial. They use slabs of stone to reduce the gap in the fence to about 6-8 inches which has lead to a general cramping of our style getting through them. At least we don't have too many of the high ones (so that you can climb over the fence) which, because of my general lack of flexibility, were not helping with my vertigo. However I seem to have mastered perambulation although at least one attempt to assist a fellow traveller with directions (which also required me to talk) lead me to (almost) trip over a small pebble which of course resulted in the usual comments about my capacity to do more than one thing at a time. The paths continue to to be pretty rough at times. There are lots of wild flowers and I took some photos of a what appear to be the most common for anyone who is interested. Discovered what stinging nettles look like thanks to Col - I thought it was some form of wild mint - fortunately this occurred before answering the call of nature then under contemplation otherwise I suspect the results may have been painful.

Peter here :-

The subtitle of tonights rant is peter flies undone. You will recall the joke about what rednecks do for entertainment - watching the bug zapper. In my case as a child I entertained myself for hours on the back screen door of our house in Bathurst swatting flies. Today they got their revenge on me ! Going down a laneway squadrons of flies jumped me from nowhere and continued to harass me for kilometres. At one stage I was so frustrated I waved my walking pole around and managed to belt myself on the back of the head - I guess the morale of the story is not to fly off the handle :-)

Al here :-

A very gentle stroll through the sheep shit and nettles of Swaledale was made more pleasent by my blisters calming down, not sure if that's a good thing or not. Was definitely the easiest walk so far and we took it easy. Highlight of the day was huge number of stiles and gate types we had to negotiate.

Sunday 25 July - 24kms (or part thereof) Kirkby Stephen to Keld - It Was Grouse Mate

It was grouse mate - no it wasn't - yes it was, mum and 3 little ones - don't be bloody stupid they're just giant sparrows ! Such was the conversation leaving Ravenshead, the Loafers having been conveyed there by private charabanc constructed by Senor SEAT. As we said yesterday the boys are pretty tired and decided to make it a short day. The nearest crossroad on the coast to coast is a place called Ravenseat and the farm there does cream teas. Ravenseat is about 5kms from Keld where we are staying and seemed a distance we could manage given our general decrepitude. The cream tea lived up to our expectations (see Al's review below). The farmer's wife who dishes up the cream tea appeared on Julia Bradbury's video of the walk so we have met someone famous (she was lovely by the way). On the subject of La Bradbury it seems clear that she must have done the walk in 7 league boots - we reckon no-one could look that good on the top of Kidsty Pike having walked up it in the usual manner - the walk is really hard not the stroll in the part as it appears in the video. The ride up to Ravenshead took us over the top of the Pennines in true Wainwright fashion and we were glad we had not attempted the walk. The walk down to Keld was muddy and boggy but manageable - we had a few drops of rain but nothing that held us back. The river valley was really pretty - all Herriot country. We were early and had to wait in the pub sampling the local Black Sheep beer - a nice drop and although warned about the strength of the weltreitter (means upside down sheep apparently) managed its effect without needing much of a nanna nap.

Col here :-

Good day and had a nice big hot bath today - very luxurious. Hopefully knee will feel much happier tomorrow - reasonably short day of 17.5km from Keld to Reeth. Certainly will have benefited from only 5-6kms today. Still eating too much food - lamb shank and rhubarb crumble with custard for dinner tonight. Room's at Butt house are very nice. Like spacious rooms as I am sure does Pete and the other boyz. Ground was quite boggy on the walk today so quite glad we didn't have to slog through 23kms of it.

Good news that the Wobblies got up over the Boks - haven't seen any footage yet but hopefully might catch some later on. Poms are loving it that the Aussies got smashed by the Pakis. Look forward to a good nights rest and then back on the road again tomorrow.

Peter here :-

just a quick rant today about poms and their pets. I always think that animals should live outside the house but the nation of Briton disagrees with me - not only can you buy train and bus tickets for your dog but chances are if you look down to the end of the hotel bar there is a pooch looking back at you (the buggers never shout either). Animals also stay in hotels - walked by a room in one of the hotels we were staying at and I was startled by the deepest bark and snarl you could imagine coming out from the otherside of the door - I replied with my usual 'bite me I need the money' and the dog was silenced !

Al here :-

the cream tea was very nice (firm round large scones with little black bits sticking out smothered in luscious butter, raspberry jam and thick cream, deeeelightful) and enhanced by being served by the buxom farm wench wearing a singlet (yes a singlet) in near freezing conditions - she suggested 'you Australians probably feel the cold a bit' yeah right, it was very nipply. Then it was on to the great bog marshes of North Yorkshire that even the sheep were avoiding. Safely negotiated them to wend our way down the valley to the very remote stone buildings of Keld.

Saturday 24 July - 19kms Orton to Kirby Stephen - Buggered and Blistered

Well you might guess from the headline that we're feeling it a bit. Been out for an indian at the Mango Tree in Kirby Stephen (if you're ever in Kirby Stephen you know where to eat) and a couple of bottles of South African Chenin Blanc later we are gaining a sense of perspective - I re-discovered my backhand pour. The day was really just slogging through the English countryside over the moors. We were fast on our feet early but slowed as the day rolled.

Peter here.

You may have noticed that we always state the distance walked in kilometres. To me there is only a thin veil of adherence to metrics in the UK (perhaps because it was invented across the Channel). The signposts are in miles. The speed signs are in miles per hour. The Pub glasses are in pints and half pints. Although I'm of a generation that learnt both (80 chains to a mile ...) I can say that a mile is much much longer than I remember especially the mile we refer to as the ''last mile'' - this mile is extraordinary long - I am also convinced that the longest distance between two points is not an ACTION bus route but a Wainwright route ! (with the additional pleasure that it must go over the highest point/hill/mountain :-))

Al here -

The sheer agony of the walk today was only matched by the enormity of the bulls testicles that we encountered on the path, they were simply ginormous!!! And then we were nearly the victims of a stampede of cows being herded towards us at great speed, deliberately I reckon, by the farm types on quad bikes. But we fooled them cos' the cows bolted off down the path and not through the gate intended so the farm boys had to go and herd them all the way back up the hill, suck eggs farm boys!! Other than that the blisters are getting bigger.

JR here (again) -

The views expressed above are not necessarily representative of the SwaBS/Loafers as a whole.

Al here (again) -

I don't care, some of the farmers have been very cold towards us.

Col Here:-

Not much to add other than to agree pretty much with the other lads assessment of the day. We may have made too good a time early on as we were fairly bowling along at about 5 klms an hour so we had covered half the distance in 2 hours. I think we might need to pace ourselves a bit better as the last couple of hours are always pretty tough. But that said we have now covered 90 miles (144 klms). Really enjoyed the Indian we had for dinner last night (surprise surprise).

Friday 23 July - 21kms Burnbanks to Orton - Of Shap, Sheep and Shit

Day dawned bright and sunny - shining right in our eyes at 04:30 - so we had to get up and draw the blinds so we could go back to sleep. After that it was a great day weather wise - sunny high cloud and clothes coming off all over - the cold wind of the morning dropped away and we were able to enjoy the rolling hills of England - we rolled up one side and down the other repeatedly. Stopped for a look at Shap Abbey which was established in the 1200's and tried to get a video of the RAF jets which were exercising overhead. Paths were better too -lots of grassy tracks and less of the rocky stream beds we've become used to crossing the Lake District. But it was a long long way - like walking around Googong with sheep for company rather than wombats. Mind you there must be some yeti-size sheep in the English hills judging by the size of some of the evidence.

Col here:
Not much to add to JR's words but although the walk was much easier today I must say that I should have allowed for a rest day. My knee is really struggling which is most unfortunate because the rest of me is feeling great (bring it on!!!!). I will be quite disappointed if the old war wound causes me to miss any of the walking but it doesn't always give me options. I will try the old "pain is only weakness leaving the body" but today did hurt a fair bit so I must be a lot stronger now. Ha ha. If today had been day 1 we would have eaten it up. I have been trying to moderate my intake of the English breakfasts cause they don't help with losing weight of that I am sure. For me tonights dinner is hot and spicy chicken wings and lasagne. Hope everyone at home is well and I miss you all but in its own perverse way this challenge is also enjoyable.

Peter here -

Some of you will recall I did teacher training prior to joining the public service. While doing a major in Science I did a series of units called Wildlife Biology with Dr Dave Goldberg. Besides trying to declare certain areas of the Rafters Bar as a Wildlife refuge we were taught to identify scat. The curved cube of the Wombat, the rough raisins of goats all very useful in determining what Animals lived in and travelled through particular areas. One of the final assignments for Wildlife Biology was to present an Organic and Non-Organic Collection to be used as a teaching aid in the Classroom, Well by now you will have guessed what I chose for an organic collection ! I gathered up the pooper scooper and produced a photographic catalog of all animal et al shit. Because of this training I was able to classify the large amount of goat and sheep poop encountered on the trail and identify their diet and their first names :-). In fact recognising bull shitters has proved very handy.

Al here - If sheep shit was gold I would be a millionaire just from the scrapings off my boots, but .... unfortunately it isn't so I will just have to keep on truckin' until we reach the pot of gold also known as Robin Hoods Bay. First blister today but only minor, hope nothing else.Just had Thai chilli prawns but the prawns were shrimps or the babies of shrimps, you could only just tell they were some type of crustacean, oh well, drink more Pinot Grigio (Italian).