Guided Coast to Coast Day 6

Millions of years ago, Shap was underwater. Corals and molluscs died and formed sedimentary layers on the sea bed which formed the rock called limestone. 

After crossing the M6 you see the first signs of limestone. You are out of the volcanic area of the Lakes and into Limestone Country. This is good news as Wainwright explains:

"...as every walker knows, a limestone footing invariably means easy travelling on velvet turf."

I've a feeling AW might have over estimated the general knowledge of the average walker...

He goes on to describe the limestone pavements you walk past on the first part of the walk:

"Crinkled, fissured and often grotesquely sculptured...a delight to the eye always."

Once your eyes have been suitably delighted by the limestone pavements keep them peeled for granite boulders sat on limestone. They were brought here by an ice sheet!

Throughout the walk today are several working and disused limestone quarries and lime kilns. The best example is in Smardale. 

But Pete, "What was/is the lime used for?" I hear you cry. Well, fear not, here comes a chemistry lesson...

The answer is lots of things. It can be used as a building block (the Pyramids are built from limestone) and to make cement and mortar. It is also used to produce white pigments and filler (it's in your toothpaste!). 

Chemically, limestone is calcium carbonate. If you heat it with wood or coal in a lime kiln it decomposes to calcium oxide (also called quicklime) and carbon dioxide. 

Quicklime was used in earlier times for mortars, flooring and in agriculture. It is used in the manufacture of paper, cement and petrol. It was also used for light. When heated to 2400 degrees it emits an intense glow. This was used in theatre productions and is the origin of the term "limelight". If you add water to quicklime it will release heat as it hydrates to form calcium hydroxide. This reaction is used in self-heating-cans. 

This calcium hydroxide stuff you get when putting water on quicklime is called slaked lime and it has lots of uses too such as in treating sewage, using as a lime wash on buildings, making brake pads and as an insecticide. 

Lime is also used in glass making. Silica (basically sand) has a really high melting point but if you add sodium carbonate (ash from seaweed) the temperature is lower and it is easier to work with. The only problem is that the glass will be water soluble. This is solved by adding lime. Soda-lime glass is the most common form of glass. It makes good good glasses for putting vodka, lime and soda in. 

Wainwright wouldn't have been keen. He rarely drank. Sometimes he'd have a half pint after a long walk. Maybe the 20 miles to Kirkby Stephen would deserve a whole pint? "A walker on limestone is well favoured."

Guided Coast to Coast Day 5

The best day of the lakes is saved for last. Angle tarn, Kidsty Pike and views back to the rest of the lakes make for terrific scenery. 

After the steep descent from Kidsty Pike you walk along side Haweswater which was dammed in the 1930s to supply drinking water to Manchester. In doing so the village of Mardale was destroyed. A new village, Burnbanks, was created at the far end of the lake. I find it feels a bit creepy with its identical bungalows. 

Guided Coast to Coast Day 4

Another day going up and down Lakeland vallies with fantastic mountain scenery around. Grasmere is a bit too posh for the Lakes and it feels good to walk out and climb to another pass. 

At the top there is a treat with Grisdale Tarn, a nice spot for a brew or a bite to eat. 

Wainwright describes the transition down Grisdale as going from "savage desolation to pastoral loveliness." This comes at the end of an epic sentence that fills a quarter of a page. He had a tendency to purple prose and I expect he had a thesaurus handy at all times. 

Guided Coast to Coast Day 3

Day Three of the Coast to Coast takes you out of Borrowdale with great views of Eagle Crag. It seems imposing until, by morning tea break, you are looking down on it from the top of Lining Crag. 

Like much of the Lakes this is an area run wild with Herdwick Sheep. These hardy sheep are prized in the Lakes for their hardy nature and ability to live of foraged food. The name comes from old Norse: herd= sheep herd, wick= farm/pasture. 

These sheep have a debt of gratitude to Beatrix Potter. She spent the latter part of her life, and a lot of her wealth, championing the breed. On her death she gave 15 farms to the Natural Trust. 

Walkers need to do what we can to help out farmers. If 100,000 people walk across your land, and just one in a thousand forgets to shut a gate, that's 100 times they have to round up their sheep. 

Guided Coast to Coast Day 2

Walking along Ennerdale Water on day two of the Coast to Coast walk you go past Robin Hood's Chair. It's the first of a trio of RH related things. You pass Robin Hood's Grave on day 6 and of course you finish the walk in Robin Hood's Bay. 

Also on day two you walk past 4 youth hostels. Several of these leave out cakes that Coast-to-Coasters can buy so it's worth having a few quid in your pocket. Black sail hut is probably the most interesting. An old shepherds hut in a dramatic location at the head of the valley and a welcome lunch spot for many. 

Guided Coast to Coast Day 1

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. ****

Guided Northumberland Walks from £20

Northumberland is a fantastic county for walkers with coasts, castles, pubs and hills to be discovered.

The hills have their own distinctive character.  Often with a remote feel, there are many hidden gems such as waterfalls, local wildlife, stunning views and impressive crags.

I lead walks in a variety of locations in Northumberland in the hills such as:

- Cheviot and Hedgehope Hill from Harthope Valley.
- Comb Fell, Hedgehope Hill and Linhope Spout from Breamish Valley.
- Simonside Hills from Rothbury.

And also along the gorgeous coastline.

- From Berwick to Holy Island.
- From Bamburgh to Craster.

Dates

We guide walks in Northumberland throughout the year. Please get in touch to arrange a location and date that suits you.

Accommodation

If you require guest house, hostel or camping accommodation in the area, I can make appropriate recommendations for your budget.

Prices and booking

£20 per person.
Please get in touch with your preferred dates and which walks you are interested in.

Guided West Highland Way: Day One - Craigallian Fire

West Highland Way Day One: Milngavie to Drymen

Within minutes of starting the West Highland Way you are out of the town and into countryside.  But the crucial part of the first day for me is the first sight of the Campsie Fells. This catches you by surprise as you turn the corner around Scroggy Hill.  Craigallian Loch appears out of nowhere with Dumgoyne in the distance.  It's the first inkling of the mountain scenery to come.

Beside the loch is a memorial to the Craigallian Fire.  The fire was kept alight for many years around the 1920s and 30s and became a meeting point for working class walkers and climbers from Clydeside.  They would sit and brew tea and, most importantly, share ideas.

Many of the firesitters went onto great things. Such as Tom Weir a Scottish climber and writer.  He's best known for his Weir's Way TV show, wearing a bobble hat and his environmental campaigning.  You'll see a statue to him on Day Two by the shore of Loch Lomond.

They talked politics and some would go on to fight in the Spanish Civil War.  They talked mountains and some would go on to explore the Himalayas in the 1950s.  They talked climbing and founded mountaineering clubs.  They defied landowners and opened up the Scottish hills to ordinary people. In doing so they began a campaign for greater access to the countryside that eventually led to the 2003 land reform act.  This effectively gives walkers, climbers, mountain bikers and canoeists free access to any wild places in Scotland so long as they treat them respectfully.

High Level Alternative

Every day of the West Highland Way there are hills above you, teasing you as you plod along the trail below. On day one it is Dumgoyne that does the teasing.

Not to include this shapely 427m hill means missing out on a great viewpoint.  To do so, veer off the West Highland Way after Carbeth Loch and follow quiet roads and tracks to Craigbrock and from here you can follow a track up to the top.

To get back to the West Highland Way from the top, head down the west of the hill to pick up a track to a whisky distillery. From here  you can join a path that intersects with the Way.


If you are looking for a guided walk in Northumberland, the Lake District, Scotland or further afield, with a mountain leader, please get in touch.  I also offer wild camping weekends and navigation courses.  I am planning to offer a Guided "West Highland Way" and "West Highland Way High Level Route" in 2016. Details will follow.  Find out more at exploring-etc.co.uk.

Mountain Navigation Courses

Basic Navigation

Pete’s Basic Navigation course, run over one day, is ideal for beginners to mountain navigation or those looking to build confidence with the basics. We will spend a day practising following large features like paths, walls and rivers. The course is very practical as the best way to learn to read a map is by doing it.

On the day we will cover:
- Orienting the map
- Locating your position by prominent features
- Route planning
- Map scale, symbols and features
- Understanding contours
- Taking and following bearings
- Pacing and timing

Advanced Navigation

Our Advanced Navigation course is also run over one day. It follows on naturally from the Basic Navigation course but this is not a prerequisite. The goal of this course is to help develop the skills needed to navigate confidently off paths and in poor visibility. The course is very practical as the best way to learn map reading is by doing it. We will spend a day practising navigation on pathless terrain.

On the day we will cover:
- Route planning
- Map types
- Contour interpretation
- Using a compass
- Taking and following bearings
- Pacing and timing
- Relocating your position
- Robust strategies

Dates and locations

We run navigation courses throughout the year please contact us for availability. The course can be run in a number of locations in Northumberland, the North Pennines, the Lake District or further afield. Please get in touch to arrange a location and date that suits you.

Prices and booking

£30 per person.
Please get in touch with your preference of basic or advanced course, dates, location and group size.

Wild Camping Adventures

Waking up surrounded by a mountain landscape is a revitalising experience. Wild camping takes you away from everyday life and makes you feel part of the outdoors. It’s also a fantastic way to extend your walking or cycling adventures into more remote wild areas.
As well as being a great experience, the Wild Camping course will help build your skills and confidence. The course is ideal if you want to go on to plan your own wild camping trips and expeditions.
Pete has wild camped over 300 nights often in remote mountainous areas and has a wealth of knowledge to share on the topic. The course is run over two days and will cover the following topics:
- Map reading skills for wild camping.
- Choosing a good site, avoiding environmental damage or disturbing other hill goers.
- Finding water, water purification and avoiding polluting water.
- Sanitation and hygiene.
- Keeping warm and dry.
- Food and drink.
- Things to do in the evening.
- Wild camping and the law.
- Equipment choice.
During the course we will walk for about 4 to 5 hours for two days carrying our overnight gear and food. Our rucksacks are likely to weigh about 15kg. You will need to a good level of fitness and some previous experience hill walking would be very useful.

Dates and locations

We run the Wild Camping courses from March to September. The course can be run in a number of locations in the Lake District or further afield. Pete is particularly keen on wild camping trips in Scotland! Please get in touch to arrange a location and date that suits you.

Prices and booking

£50 per person based on a group of 6
Please get in touch with preferred dates, location and group size.