Coast to Coast - Day 9 (Part 2)

I looked at the calendar, checked the forecast, and inspected the map for inspiration to do something for a week. I selected the first; I prayed for the second, and I've decided to have another freaking adventure YEAY.

I completed the first half of the Coast to Coast trail last year, starting in St Bees and finishing in Reeth. 110 miles of walking, sweating, and having a blast of fun.

Now for the 2nd half. Reeth to Robin Hood's Bay is barely over 85 miles and shouldn't be as strenuous as the first half (famous last words).

After my last adventure, I was very casual about this. Get food, get new trousers (to replace the one with the big hole around the bottom area, following a super cool slide down a mountain on my butt) and make some kind of plan. Aka, walk for a while, sleep somewhere, and eat 1/3 of my backpack. You know, the usual.

The day started off really well ... and then it went off-script slightly.

Work in the morning, a quick backpack check in the afternoon followed by a casual trip to the train station. The first train was smooth sailing, and I got to Birmingham with lots of time to spare for a hot chocolate and a sandwich. Just when I was about to head to the facilities, I noticed the most daunting word at any train station: CANCELLED. Hmmmm, as much as I was beeping (my version of swearing) in my head, I calmly walked to the ticket office and asked for some advice. At 7 pm on the dot, she told me I could take the next available train which would depart a few seconds before 7.03 pm. NOOO problem, but she still had to give me a piece of paper to ensure I wouldn't be fined for this change; NOO rush. I speed-walked and barely managed to avoid bowling over a couple of bystanders, but I got my train. Together with 8 police officers, who also happened to get on a bit further up. I chose to believe they were there for my safety and nothing else.

4 trains and 5.5 hours later, I arrived at Darlington train station only 45 minutes behind schedule. Luckily, my accommodation was only a 5-minute walk away so I was settled and chilling on a big bed within 10 minutes. AAHHH. I can't wait for the fun to start and to discover the beauty of this area. Huge YEAY time

Reeth to Colburn - 14 miles

I woke up well-rested and excited for the days ahead. The two buses to Richmond and then to Reeth went off without a hitch. Knowing I'll be walking back from Reeth to Richmond was a bit strange, but that's where I finished last year, so that's where I shall restart my journey today. The official time was 9.30 AM, which is usually a very late start for me, but this time, I was simply happy to have got here so easily. The air was damp, the path muddy, but the skip in my steps didn't lose its bounce for a second. I was walking again with only a couple thousand sheep and cows as a company. A mile later, I meet some Ozzies, then two more and two more after that. I started to wonder whether this was an invasion or I simply took the wrong turn and may have ended up in Australia then I remembered the drizzle and the fog, and the first theory won.

A few miles down the line, I ran into this legend of a guy who has completed the C2C 40 times. FORTY TIMES. To celebrate his seventieth birthday with style, he completed the journey 7 (seven) times last year. He is known by all the locals in all the pubs on this route and has some cracking stories to share. Meet Alby, the National Treasure of the Coast to Coast.

We chatted all the way to Richmond and had the most amazing lunch and hot chocolate a couple of wet and cold walkers could ask for. My boots must have reached their expiry date as I noticed a bit of dampness inside them after only a few hours of walking. Heyho, this might be their last journey, but I'll make sure it's a memorable one.

To try to reduce tomorrow's 23 miles, we carried on for 3 more miles to Colburn where free camping and a hot shower were on the menu. After a quick setup and a very slow hot shower, I was introduced to every local in 10-mile radius as the 'Vampire.' The jokes and the drink offers kept coming. I laughed at the first and stuck to juice for the second. Yesterday's long day and today's journey were catching up with me, so I said my goodbyes at 7 p.m. and headed off to my beloved home away from home, my amazing mini tent. I haven't set plans for tomorrow, but I'll try for 20 miles. If it works, great. If not, it's still great