Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk

Normally (as it was for my walking colleagues) this would be the last day, the end and a realisation of achievement coupled with euphoria. The Coast to Coast journey is complete. In a way it is but not for me this time. I will complete the walk by going on to Scarborough tomorrow. That will make it over 200 miles long and coupled with all the high routes on the first part of the walk a greater effort than in 1994. I am told Robin Hood's Bay to Scarborough is great so we'll see. Today's walk was in glorious weather once again, sunshine almost throughout (apart from in the woods when I was under the tree canopies). I set off briskly at around 8.45am and after woods, roads and tracks I stopped off at Grosmont for a drink. Then I continued on to a significant climb up to Sleighs Moor. I was sweating like buggery in the heat and only when I got to the top did I get a breeze of relief. On the moor I got a little lost and had to tramp through heather until I regained the path when crossing the A169 Pickering to Whitby Road. At this point I could see the Abbey in Whitby and thought of Dracula. Whitby Abbey was the inspiration Bram Stoker used for his classic novel.

I walked down off the moor and into the woods at Littlebeck (when walking off the moor I heard hissing close to me just off the path. Chris and Zarina mentioned in the evening it was from a snake - I would have loved to have seen it as I have never seen one in the wild). Once in the woods I walked to reach the Hermitage and stopped briefly. This was my second meeting with this unusual sanctuary fashioned out of a single boulder. Then I met up with a group of school children and their teacher looking for Falling Foss. After I had pointed them in the right direction I was on my way again and had lunch when I left the woods at Maybeck parking area. Just as in 1994 I had had ice cream there were lots of day trippers and paddling children in the Maybeck. Some of the groups might just have been adventurous enough to walk a little in the woods. I walked from Maybeck directly to Robin Hood's Bay avoiding the coast circular. After all my coastal walk is tomorrow. I walked to the sea at Robin Hood's Bay, the official end of the Coast to Coast. I will visit it again to dine with my walking companions of the last 12 days this evening.

Last night was really enjoyable. I met with Chris, Zarina and a Dutch couple I had met on the later stages of the walk for dinner at the official finish pub, the last one on the route in the bay. I celebrated with Mussels in Wine and Chilli in Yorkshire Pudding. We then joined four walkers from Helmsley and two from Australia whom we had met at times during the last twelve days. It was great fun and we reminisced on our experiences of the walk. Later we said our farewells. After a few beers I usually sleep soundly but this time I had very little due to seagulls squawking on my guest house roof!