You might think I've a nut loose, but I'm planning on doing the Coast to Coast next year, for the seventh time from west to east, both on foot and bike, separate of cause.

I've decided to back out of the SUW. Frighted of midges

Go before they come out ..... mid May, or after they die out .... September.

Thanks SC, never thought about that one. But after failing the coast to coast this August, I would like to do it again next year - west to east and never again in August.

We three old gals are thinking of doing the C2C again next year and then due to some kind person putting their experience of the Cleveland Way on a blog, we may do that. Considering we were going to do the South Down Way which is now put back to 2013, it will have to be either C2c or Cleveland Way.

Watch this space!

It rained so much when we did the WHW there wasn't a midge in sight, so either go in the wet season (in our experience that was May) or use plenty of Deet.

The Moors are full of St Mark's flies at the moment. Totally harmless but scary looking beasties.

SC, are these what I encountered on the South Downs Way - sound like a doodlebug - quite big, perhaps a bit bigger than a Ladybird that swarm all over things?

Easy to identify as they are fairly sizeable and they drop their back legs in flight. If they are entirely black they are St Mark's Flies, if they have red legs they are a variation, Red Legged Bibios. Normally seen in largish swarms

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=st+marks+flies&hl=en&biw=1600&bih=708&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=RnprTq_UL5C08QOdh4Ef&sqi=2&ved=0CDcQsAQ

That didn't work try this.
http://www.warrenphotographic.co.uk/photography/cats/28028.jpg
Dave

Ugly little critter.
But enough about me.

Forgot to mention that they are particularly attracted by the smell of ........

Dunno what you mean.
I smell lovely.

As I always say to people ... if your feet smell and your nose runs you were created upside down.

I'm still planning for the Coast to Coast next year, but aiming for 10 days based on 19 miles a day. Anyone done it in 10 days.

I've settled for 13 days and the route is worked out. One question is I've had some difficultly in obtaining accommodation in Patterdale, so now booked into the hostel up on Greenside. Now that's all fine and well, but I had the idea of using the steamer in the morning from Glenriddding to Howtown and walk to the Cock-pit and over Askham, to Shap, but it seems from Askham there is little and no paths until Bampton and Rosgill.

You can follow the Westmorland Way between Askham and Rosgill via Bampton.
The ROW path from Askham Bridge on the OS map goes Southroughly following the river down to Whale across a field or tow then a bit of road and a path to the suspension footbridge then floow the river banks again to Bampton.
You can see a couple of photos of this section in my Blog of the Westmorland Way.
http://sloggersww.blogspot.com/
Dave.

Apologies I missed the replies to my bug query. Not as in that pic Dave - more like a flying beetle I would say. Never seen 'em before or since. As I remember the legs were dropped like a bees in flight..?
Is that a pic of a St Mark's Fly?

Was it a may bug? They are huge flying beetles, and look like they are wearing false eyelashes....
They are quite brown though...

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=may+bug&hl=en&biw=1138&bih=535&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=IJkjZ4dPO7i-CM:&imgrefurl=http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-53448919/stock-photo-may-bug-tree-beetle-melontha-vulgaris-isolated-on-the-white-background.html&docid=M2Nyg7Ac7eIdHM&imgurl=http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/54709/54709,1274292315,2/stock-photo-may-bug-tree-beetle-melontha-vulgaris-isolated-on-the-white-background-53448919.jpg&w=450&h=321&ei=I1MtT9DMK8ey8gPbrszoDg&zoom=1

Hi Heather, I think they may well have been - they probably get darker by July when I encountered 'em. They were very noisy in flight and completely covered this monument near Birling Gap:

here

I wondered if they travel in swarms and had just arrived on crossing the channel..? or maybe conditions were ideal that summer on the south coast,
thanks for the link!
mick

This sounds like the way we went last September. Reluctantly we missed out Kidsty Pike because it was the really windy (and wet)day when we got the tail end of the hurricane. We walked from Patterdale along Ullswater and then cut across from Howtown. From Askham, paths and a bit of road walking, but not too mcuh - quiet road. We had intended to walk to the suspension bridge and along the river to Bampton but could see it was flooded so kept to the road. Luckily we were staying in Bampton!

The Coast to Coast walk is still on and booked up most bb, hostels and a bit of camping. Looking at the route, that I was thinking of using the Kidsty Pike section and omitting the Haweswater shore path and instead going around the head of the water to the main road, visiting the Haweswater hotel for a pint or two and maybe a light snack in there.

Anyone done this alternative.

Yes but not while 'Coasting'.
If you do decide on that you may as well go up the 'Old Corpse Road', out of the valley and then the route to Shap from there is easy to find on the OS map.
Dave.

Cheers, Dave, never thought of the Old Copse Road, trouble is, I won't get a pint. However, the OCR looks like a good alternative to do.

Hi all, I did the Coast to Coast walk after all and did the walk in 13 days, that was in mid-May. The accommodation was a mix of B&B, YHA, Bunk-House and Camping, which worked out pretty well. I carried all the gear, but maybe next time, it would be nice to have it carried by the luggage van. Weather, well what can I say, that apart from the 2 first days and the last day, it was very warm and sunny and on Live Moor, I recorded on my digi-temp gadget, 33c, that is hot. Best bed and breakfast was the Lion Inn, great meals and breakfast, not forgetting the beer. Wasn't too keen on the Jolly Farmers, next time it's camping or the hostel. Most expensive beer was the Patterdale Hotel, at £3.80, next time, keep it. Cheapest beer was White Lion in Kirkby Stephen. Patterdale stores do a wonderful Cumberland sausage baguette with loads of brown sauce, that was better than anything for lunch. Met loads of wonderful people on the walk, esq the yanks, there were really friendly. This is my 7th completed coast to coast walk to date and next month, I'm going complete the west half, that I did the east half last year and that will be my 8th crossing. Next year, I'm going to do the coast to coast again and maybe in 2014, I will do 2 halves and that will complete my 10th crossing.