Coast to Coast Walk (East to West) 2010

[posie]

Did ye tak the High Road, or did ye tak the Low road ? If it's your blood sugar levels that need maintaining, a biscuit or similar every hour or so will do the trick, that's no excuse for full English and three courses etc etc. Kayleigh.

[Jim Ford]

Don't be a wimp - just tough it out and start breaking down body fat reserves!

Jim

[posie]

Yes, I know you are right Jim, I personally have got a small excess of 'body fat reserves' that need breaking down, must couple doing that with sticking to sensible eating. Watch this space. Thanks for giving me the incentive Jim.

[foxy mars]

Been trying to get a draft route done for 2010 Coast to Coast, got a few idea's in mind, probably different from May's walk. One idea is get the early morning train from Middlesborough to Whitby via the Esk Valley Line, then walk directly to Glaisdale via the Esk Valley Way, that will save me about 6 miles of walking on the first day. However the 2nd day to Blakey Ridge is only 10 miles, so probably push on to Clay Bank for Beak Hills, that would be 23 miles.

Next will be Ingleby Cross 12 miles or push onto Danby Wiske at 21 miles, although Ingleby Cross would be better, then I can camp at Colburn near Catterick Garrison and that would be 20 miles. Reeth would be a ideal stop at Grinton Lodge YH, a chance to freshen up a bit and then next day, Keld a lovely place to camp out.

After Keld, I have a choice of either Kirkby Stephen or a bit further onto Bent's farm, although Kirkby Stephen might be better after crossing the Nine Standards Rigg which is rather boggy and has a very good campsite and music while on the lav.

The next usual stop is Shap which has a excellent Fish & Chip Shop, then wild camp after Patterdale. I hope to do Striding Edge if weather is good enough to do and then youth hostel in Grasmere or wild camp on Upper Easedale if I can't get in the hostel.

I hope to get to Black Sail Youth Hostel and try get in there, if not. Then wild camp again on the upper reaches of Ennerdale. Next day, if weather is fine and clear, then I will do High Stile and Red Pike via the Scarth Gap Pass.

After the long hard ridge walk, I will then descent down 2000' to Gillerthwaite to push on to Ennerdale Bridge for Low Cock Howe farm.

My final day will be St. Bees and camp there.

The gear is probably go light-weight as possible, that is take the Laser Comp minus inner and take the Karrimor Meridian Low eVent shoes. I've yet to decide on the cooking, but probably take the 6 sided Honey Stove with a meths burner and cook the one pot meals on the MSR Titan Kettle. I've been on a few web blogs to pick up some tips, most important is to get the weight down. I carried too much on the May crossing or did I.

[Kayleigh]

Where do you fit the internet cafes into this to keep us all posted on your journey..

21 miles 23 miles...

it takes me about 2 hours to do 3 miles..

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by foxy mars

I've yet to decide on the cooking, but probably take the 6 sided Honey Stove with a meths burner and cook the one pot meals on the MSR Titan Kettle.

339 grams for the Honey Stove - I thought you wanted to keep your gear as light as possible! You're also taking meths, which is inefficient for its weight.

I've got meths stoves only as museum curiosities, and use my Coleman F1 Lite with Titan Kettle for lightweight camping. The F1 Lite weighs 70 grams.

Jim

[foxy mars]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Where do you fit the internet cafes into this to keep us all posted on your journey..

21 miles 23 miles...

it takes me about 2 hours to do 3 miles..

Not many internet cafe's or access on the C2C, although there are a few hostels along the route that may do this.

3 miles in 2 hours.....the average walking pace is between 2.5 & 3 mph, you do walk very slowly.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by foxy mars

Not many internet cafe's or access on the C2C, although there are a few hostels along the route that may do this.

3 miles in 2 hours.....the average walking pace is between 2.5 & 3 mph, you do walk very slowly.

Or maybe my pedometer was set wrong.

[posie]

Foxy is FAST obviously, Kayleigh, anyway it's not a race. Hello ........POE

[foxy mars]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

339 grams for the Honey Stove - I thought you wanted to keep your gear as light as possible! You're also taking meths, which is inefficient for its weight.

I've got meths stoves only as museum curiosities, and use my Coleman F1 Lite with Titan Kettle for lightweight camping. The F1 Lite weighs 70 grams.

Jim

Has I said, to keep gear lightweight as possible. However, the pros and cons are always there. The trouble is with the MSR Pocket Rocket Stove is it's too light, however it is a super burner. On the last crossing of the C2C, the MSR Titan Kettle was a little wobbley on Pocket Rocket once the water and rice were in and in windy conditions, this was a little dicey.

The Pocket Rocket pan supports measured 4.5" across and the base of the Titan Kettle is again 4.5", which is not much to play with, also the base of the Titan is very smooth and tends to slip on the Pocket Rocket.

However, the Colman F1 Lite looks to be a nice stove, but having the Pocket Rocket, Primus Gravity EF, Trangia 27 and the Honey Stove, I don't really need another stove.

Getting back to the Honey Stove, yes, 339gm is it's total weight. But, I'm omitting the grill & base plate, that will knock it down to 250gm. Still a tad heavy against the Pocket Rocket or F1 Lite, but the Honey Stove measures 5.5" across and the Titan Kettle nests snug and safe on the stove, also the Honey Stove is windproof and stores flat and in it's case for stowing in the rucksack. I would of liked to just taken the 4 sides of the Honey Stove, but can't use the simmer plate, which is needed for simmering rice.

The meths is not bad and only takes average of 5 minutes depends on conditions to boil water for a cuppa. The meths is only 500gm in the 500ml Trangia fuel bottle which would last awhile, although I don't know how long 500ml would last, not gone in that field yet. But guessing it should get me to Kirkby Stephen or the Lakes where I get meths, although it might last the whole trip if I had a meal from time to time.

So, probably stick to the Honey Stove for the above reasons.