Hi, just reporting that our party of me, mother-in-law and my two kids 6 and 8 finished the Coast to Coast two days ago. We had no dramas, no injuries and didn't get lost thanks to a trusty compass. Fantastic time, great views and some came across some terrific people.

It took us 19 days including two rest days. I thought the rest days were a must for the kids, allowing them to be simply kids. They played mini golf, saw Harry Potter and had a fun time exploring Richmond Castle. Our stops each night were:
1) Cleator through showers
2)Ennerdale Water YHA after long stretches of pouring rain and near zero vis over Dent- this set us up for a route over Haystacks the next day but very low cloud put an end to that plan
3)Borrowdale camping after low vis that did open up
4)Ambleside after low cloud that opened for good views over to Hellvellyn. Two nights for the rest day in the 'big smoke'.
5) Angle Tarn wild camping via Fairlield (highest point of trip for us, higher than Kidsty, and St Sunday Crags. Skipped Hellvellyn since we have all already walked Striding Edge. Great weather, and good weather from now on sometimes overcast, fab spot, highlight of the trip.
6) Shap
7)Orton stayed at Scar Side Farm. Fave B&B of the trip by far.
8)Kirkby Stephen
9)Keld Camping - lots of midges. Took the Nine Standards Rigg path which surprised people but the kids don't sink into the bogs much and the bogs were not too bad anyway.
10)Reeth via the high route, kids loved the mining things. We were meant to camp but the fantastic people moved us into a static van.
11)Richmond for two nights for a rest day.
12)Danby Wiske via the non road way. I'm not sold on it but I have not done the alternative. The kids were a bit frustrated by all the single file walking and all the nettles that are just the right height to sting them and not the big people. People who went the road way said it was a nice quiet plod.
13) Osmothley. Cute, worth the detour.
14)Beak Hills farm camping. Lord Stones is open and thriving by the way, not sure why ******* told me it was closed. Beak Hills is well placed, not a big side trip, no taxi needed and good showers but they didn't offer any food. Luckily we came prepared. Lots of animals for the kids.
15)Lion Inn after a massive but short downpour. It was great as a pub but I'd stay at the place over the road next time.
16)Egton Bridge. My original plan was to break the final day into two but I couldn't get any decent accomm so decided to do a 30km day. The kids loved playing in the stepping stones and EB was pretty but Grosmont would be a far better option.
17) Robin Hood's Bay after a little drizzle. Arrived at low tide too so the kids got to play on the beach.

So there you go. I hope the kids never forget the experience.

Congratulations to you all ... a great achievement.

The important issue with children is to plan the walk (as you appear to have done) so that it becomes an enjoyable experience rather than a slog. Too many people go walking and drag the children along irrespective of how they feel about it. Once this happens I suspect that the sprogs will never walk for pleasure again once they are free to make their own decisions.

I like your description of Osmotherley as "cute". Not heard that one before!!!!

I hope they have lasting memories and some memento of it, perhaps to put on the Christmas tree to remind them about it every time they hang it up!

Here was me thinking 14 was too young to do the walk,and your two only add up to that.WELL DONE to the both of them,and to the rest of you taller peoples.
Now all you need to do is blog your trip so we can join you on it too.

Congratulations, I was wondering how you all got on as we didn't see you after Reeth. We were all amazed at how well the kids were doing. I remember at Scarside the first thing they did after getting in was to expend more energy on the trampoline (I agree that this was a first class B&B as was Grosmont House)).

I also agree that the barley/nettle fields on the new route to Danby Wiske is really no better than the road route (I have done both)and on a wet day the fields would be worse as the path is old plowed packed earth.

When we got to RHB (Tuesday) the tide was in so we got to dip the feet and sink the pebbles. We came in with Justin, Rachel (Doctor) and dad Alf and Californians Kim + husband.

Geof (Colin and Don)
Old Farts

Very well done on the crossing and the kids too. I did part of the Coast to Coast this week from Robin Hood's Bay to Reeth, called it a day, either too bored with many times doing C2C or simply lack of interest . Anyway, I was the road from Danby Wiske heading to Layland's and was talking to a guy who was walking the Coast to Coast with his 7 year old daughter, who seem to be enjoying every minute of it. I thought that was wonderful for a young kid to be doing such a long walk.

I'm back home now, but doing the Cleveland Way this week coming.

What was the scarier for the kids: Fairfield or Harry Potter?

We checked for your names in the book at the Bay and saw you all made it safely. Esp happy that Colin recovered. He was looking good on the way to Richmond. I liked reading your account of the trip. See you on the next trip????

I find it a lot easier to walk with my kids in the mountains as they can see the objective and get a sense of achievment when they get to the summit. It's the long slogs across the Vale of Mobray that are the hardest and scariest!

My 6 year old says that the nettles were the scariest things on the trip! His favourite thing were wild camping at Angle Tarn and climbing on the rocks next to Ennerdale Water and Fat Betty.

My daughter loved the stone circles. I think I have strange children. They were both really into all the traditions - dipping boots in, collecting rocks (which were carefully washed whenever they could have a bath, swapping food at Fat Betty etc. I'm going to make some up for the next walk. There is a photo of my kids from last year's Hadrian's Wall walk in the new (sept 11) Country Walking. No socks yet though.

I forgot to say in this that we took the route over High Raise and Low Raise down to Haweswater. That was an excellent choice and thanks to forum members who posted about it. It gives you just that extra bit longer of Lakes views and drops you next to a lovely beck in time for lunch.

Got to agree, I have a feeling that will become the adopted route eventually.
Dave.