Coast to Coast - Day 8

Keld to Reeth - 12 miles

It was a really cold night and an even colder morning, luckily the forecast was correct and the clear sky was a great indication for a warm day. After I packed I contemplated how I could squeeze any toothpaste out of an empty tube when I found a tube right in front of the shower priceless; I only 'borrowed' a little and left the tube to be found by the owner later. The plan for the last day was simple: leave at 6 am, walk 12 miles, get to Reeth by 1 pm and get the bus to Richmond at 2 pm - it went off without a hitch. The scenery around Keld was lovely, surrounded by waterfalls and constantly rolling Dales. Due to the hour, the temperature was still a bit low but as soon as the sun made an appearance I planted my rear end and had myself a big breakfast. The path was quite easy, compared to the last few days, and the miles flew past. I got to Gunnerside, the halfway point, by 9 am and that's when I realised that I had to slow down a bit and have more breaks to enjoy the journey. That's exactly when the path changed and the incline started ... even though it only lasted for about 20 minutes I still huffed like a chain smoker due to the heat. As I was well ahead of schedule I added a few extra breaks; one notably was by a lovely tree overlooking the Dales. It was great and peaceful until 50 cows decided to visit and say a friendly hello ... it might not sound that scary but some of them had horns it really felt like a Hitchcock movie to me. I quickly got up and backed up with the skill of a bomb squad expert. The villages I passed were small but very charming with superb flower gardens. It was barely 12 o'clock when I got a mile to Reeth so true to form I decided to prolong my arrival by going for a small swim. Once I changed into a bikini I went in hoping to stay for a while ... I lasted for exactly 2 small dips that was cold but so refreshing. Walking into Reeth at 12.37 pm meant I officially finished 104 miles, more than half of the Coast to Coast walk, with a lighter backpack and a bigger smile . After a small bus ride to Richmond I spent the afternoon chilling in the shade of the Castle followed by a lovely dinner in York. What a challenge, what an adventure and what an achievement, very proud of it . I'm hoping to complete the second half sometime this or next year. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed my musings