Hey Folks,

First post here, nice find though.

After about 10-15 years of talking about it, I'm finally getting around to my first coast to coast. Looking at West to East, Solway to Wallsend. Also looking to do this over 5 days.

I haven't looked closely for our planned stop off points yet. First just wondering if people think 5 days reasonable? I've read people recommending 7 days but some also done in 4? At the moment I'm toying with :

Bowness - Crosby - 20 mile
Crosby - Greenhead - 17 mile
Greenhead - ??? - 16 mile
??? - Heddon - 16 mile
Heddon - Wallsend - 15 mile

We're looking at walking from Fri - Tues late May / early June.

Fitness wise, Im ok, need some training though. At the moment my walking consists of 8-12 mile hikes around Northumberland and around once a month. Also starting training for the great north run this year but thats a different kind of fitness/training.

I'm really looking for input from those who have done this for general tips or advice on anything!

Thanks,

An average of just 17 miles a day should be easy if you're reasonably fit, and it will allow plenty of time for the pub each day.

Welcome, JawD - I'm just up the road from you near Pontop Pike.

I posted a link to the walk I did two years ago when I covered HW W2E quite comfortably in four days. Might give you some pointers.

You can get some good training in using the Lanchester Railway Walk through to Consett and then picking up the C2C cycleroute back towards Stanley - that was a regular training walk that I did.

www.blencathra.org.uk/cfwalk

Hi thanks both for the replies. Looks like the last week in may is set in stone now so I best get training. Done a 10 mile the other week (Haydon Bridge, Allenbanks, Planky Mill etc) and wil likely go out a week on Sat again.

Also looking to go around Lanchester and along to Concett as you suggest. Theres that hill behind where I live that runs up to Burnhope which is good to get the heart pumping...

You want to look at doing consecutive days.

15-20 miles for someone reasonably fit as a one-off should be no problem but it is repeating it the following day which will tell.

I'd either work on walking around your planned daily distance with roughly the same weight and speed or using a lighter pack and a slightly faster average speed.

Well, things are moving on.

Got my justgiving page set up - http://www.justgiving.com/darrelbirkett

Also started training (Im doing the c2c as well as the Great North run. Walked yesterday from Haltwhistle to Lambley Viaduct up the old rail line and back across the moors and by the river. About 10 mile all in. Its a start!

i think i am missing some thing here, all this talk about training for a walk, a mate and i bagpacked the c2c in 11 days and i reckon that is over 17 miles day, some day's we may have done more some day's less, we had no training apart from doing 20 milers once a month.he would have been 45 years old and i was 55.
was the same with the Pennine Way,i bagpacked that with other three mates in 14 days
that is average 19 miles a day.
and all of us worked at sedentary jobs

Well, I certainly wouldnt recommend anyone just get up and do a few 20 mile days back to back without preparation. Asking for trouble in my opinion! But, even doing a 20 mile a month is conditioning you. I'm not that concerned about the distance each day, more the day after day after day.

So long as the B&B has a good bath to soak in Im sure I'll be fine!

Was looking at the route tonight. At the moment its looking like :

1) Bowness - Crosby - 19 mile
2) Crosby - Haltwhistle 19+2 mile
3) Haltwhislte - Chollerford - 2+16 mile
4) Chollerford - Heddon on the Wall - 15 mile
5) Heddon - Wallsend - 15 mile

Not sure about stopping at Haltwhistle. Though 2 mile isnt far off the road, I'd prefer somewhere closer.

Why not carry on to the YH at Once Brewed?

Hmm, might look into that. Thanks.