Guided Coast to Coast Day 1
20:36
The Coast to Coast walk was devised by the intricate and devious mind of that curmudgeonly bugger Alfred Wainwright.
It was a follow up to his successful guide to the Pennine Way. He'd been pretty depressed when writing A Pennine Way Companion, as he was going through a messy divorce, but for A Coast to Coast Walk he was all loved up. It shows in the writing.
Day one of the walk packs in huge variety of scenery, just like the last day. There is a cliff top walk (also like the last day), some quiet roads, a few small villages and Dent hill and a stroll along the lovely Nannycatch Beck.
There are several bookend features on the walk. For example, you enter the Lake District beside Ennerdale Water and Leave it beside Haweswater.
The old man liked walking alone. But eventually let his new love, Betty, come walking with him. But she wasn't allowed to talk and had to walk 10ft behind him.
Wainwright expected the C to C to be compared to the Pennine way. He says in the book:
"If there happens to be something in your temperament that makes you like the ladies the odds are that you will prefer the C. to C. You may not meet any but you will be reminded of them. On the PW you will never give them a thought...well, hardly ever.
I finished the Pennine Way with relief, the Coast to Coast with regret. That's the difference."
Presumably he wasn't expecting many women to read/walk the C to C.
Beer of the day: In the Shepherds Arms in Ennerdale Bridge I had a pint of Keswick Bitter 3.7% very smooth and drinkable dark brown beer. ****
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