Distance: 10 miles
Ascent: 1,500 feet
Time: 4 hours
Weather: Cold. Cloudy. Easterly wind returned, but at least it's keeping the rain away.
Conditions: Country lanes, tracks, footpaths (some muddy), farm fields, booby trapped forest. Mainly flat. Hills in last 3 miles.
[photo: Another new day]
We were all a little creaky first thing after a bruising day yesterday. But after the usual routine of a hearty breakfast (plus for me Berocca, "you but on a good day"), preparing our walking gear and packing up belongings, and settling up with the landlord we were ready to go again.
Rob and I were both nursing slightly worrying niggles. Overnight one of my Achilles' tendons had tightened up, and Rob's boot had worn a tender spot on his heel. We would see if we could walk them off.
[photos: Adios amigo - taking turns to open our eyes!]
Dave headed south in the car whilst we set out east on foot once more. Learning the hard lesson from yesterday, today we set out with a plan. We would travel fast and light (well, as fast and light as our bodies would take us) with the aim of blasting off the miles by lunchtime. Indeed, after dropping off our bags at the inn in Osmotherley Dave texted to let us know that the fish & chip shop there was open today, and this provided additional motivation.
We carried only basic supplies to keep the weight of our rucksacks to a minimum. I wore my trail shoes rather than boots. These are lighter and would allow me to travel quicker, unless we encountered serious mud. Rob stuck with his tried and tested boots, but carried with him his leisure trainers in case his heel caused further problems. He does have new boots, but bought them only 24 hours before joining coast to coast so didn't have time to try them out. I waited until we were a couple of miles outside Osmotherley before saying "I told you so".
[photos: Level crossing at Long Lane]
The route today was essentially as close to a bee-line as we could get between Danby Wiske and Osmotherley. Some sections were on road, mainly quiet country lanes, and others were on tracks, paths or across farm fields. The terrain was as flat as yesterday (possibly flatter?) but we were able to tick off the short sections as we moved along quickly.
[photo: Flat]
[photo: Still Flat]
[photo: Still Flat]
[photo: Still Flat]
[photo: A Hill]
As we approached West Harsley, some three quarters the way through our journey the landscape started to change.
[photo: Uphill]
It started with a modest climb up to West Harsley, although after the best part of two days of walking on the level it did burn a bit and tested my sore Achilles. Then after we crowned the hill our objective for tomorrow came into view, now much closer: The North Yorkshire Moors.
[photo: Proper Hills - the moors are close now]
As we descended from West Harsley we could see the A19 ahead. This is the last major road or rail crossing on coast to coast, and Osmotherley is sited just beyond. With little over a mile left to walk we felt we were almost home and dry.
Now most land owners and farmers are pretty relaxed about people walking across their fields, provided they stick to the paths and leave it as they found it. One or two however clearly object to such legal trespass by the "bog trotters". I've encountered it a few times since St Bees. On one occasion a sheep feeding station was sited slap bang on the public footpath such that you could get through but only by tramping through a smelly boggy enclosure. Others have made sure the path they permit through their land is especially sludgy or hazardous in some way.
A mile outside Osmotherley we came across another. This one was pretty determined. The path marked on my map was inaccessible, in a field securely barb-wired off. The only option was to cut alongside it through some dense woodland. There wasn't really a path, but progress could be made by jumping from one side of the stream to the other, clambering over fallen trees and under canopies of branches. At times the rotting undergrowth would give way or brambles would trip us. We zig-zagged through the strip of forest, occasionally making our way across to one side or the other to see if we could get to easier ground.
We eventually came across an old metal gate in the line of the fence. Like the rest of the stretch it was still wrapped in barb-wire but because of the bars on the gate it could be climbed. It's clear now that it was a trap, the land owner deliberately created this weak-point in the defences. There was one obvious hand-hold, a post that could be grabbed to pull oneself up onto the gate. Rob went first, and placed his hand directly on a huge pile of wet sticky bird lime. He leapt back from the gate as if he'd been stung. His face was a picture (although sadly I didn't capture it). It took some time to wipe the mess away such was the stickiness, and for some time afterwards he held his hand as far away from himself as he could.
I bravely took the lead at this point, grabbing the now clean post and hoisting myself over the gate. Rob followed, chuntering.
[photo: The Booby Trapped Forest]
At the end of the field we cleared a further barb-wire fence into more woodland that led directly down to the A19. The thundering of the traffic was tremendous as we fought through the undergrowth and onto the hard shoulder.
I think my route planning might have been a bit off here. On my maps I could see a path leading to the A19 (we'd just travelled along it) and another a little further up on the other side of it. I hadn't thought how we might cross this busy dual carriageway though.
There was only one thing for it:
[photos: Crossing the A19]
We passed through a further section of woodland, up and over a hill, and then gradually down into the village. This felt more like the triumphant march into Richmond on Saturday than the limp into Danby Wiske yesterday. Despite the challenges of the final hour of the walk we had achieved our objective and had completed the stage quickly and in good spirits.
I've been to Osmotherley a couple of times before, but only to start the Lyke Wake Walk, in the middle of the night and on both occasions it was therefore closed. On an Easter bank holiday Monday afternoon it is a pretty and busy place. There are several pubs, a coffee shop, and one or two shops all clustered around a green. And a very good fish & chip shop.
[photo: Fish & Chips for Lunch, Osmotherley]
I would say that spirits are high at the end of this stage. We had a plan and executed it, and it was a short day by comparison. This leaves plenty of time for rest ahead of the walk tomorrow. At 18 miles and nearly 3,000 feet of ascent this is penned in as the longest hardest day of the coast to coast. We are both a bit daunted by it, but we are as well prepared as we could expect to be.
Physically I'm in better shape than I was last night, or this morning. I did get some knee pain at times and my Achilles nagged a bit, and I also got a bit footsore late in the walk, but nothing to write home about.
Rob has an injury that is a bit of a concern. The heel pain that started yesterday worsened today to the point where it became too uncomfortable to wear his boots, even with additional protection on his heel. At a little over half way he switched to his back-up pair, even though they wouldn't support his feet as well as boots, and after this they would probably be useless for dancing in!
After this his heel was fine. On arrival in Osmotherley we could see it was sore and swollen, but after a shower and a rest it is looking and feeling better. He will wear his new boots tomorrow, and possibly carry a back-up pair. It is a risk as these haven't yet been worn in anger, but it is the only practical option.
Whilst today was fast and light, tomorrow we will be prepared for a long day in the hills. Full winter gear, a full-day of supplies, back-up GPS and plenty of liquid will all make it into our bags (in bottles of course!).
It will be a tough one. But the landscape will give us more feedback and we will need to focus on our task, so we won't be victim to tedium. Also, our family and friends will be waiting for us at The Lion if more motivation was needed.
[photo: Rob's "Harold Fry" Walking Shoes]
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