Somewhere on the moors (so far).

My wife and I will start the walk on May 1. I hope some of the wet weather moves out. The cold is not a problem. This is our first time. We are from Phoenix Arizona. Our last 2 training hikes will be this weekend and the temperature in the afternoon will be 101 degrees F (38 C) in the shade. We hike early in the morning to prevent brain damage (LOL). We are very much looking forward to the cooler weather and scenery with a little green rather than the grey and brown of the desert.

Stephen

There wasn't much green around earlier this week ..... just the grey and brown of the hills.

My daughter and I are making our first crossing 10 June and plan to finish on the 29th. We're taking two rest days, the first about a third of the way through and the second about two thirds.

If I said I wasn't a little nervous, then I'd be a big, fat liar. I'm a little nervous. (Now I'm just big and fat.) My daughter doesn't seem to have a care in the world but that's because she's 13 and is invincible.

We are using the Sherpa Van to schlep our bags and we aren't camping, so that should make things easier. All of our nights are in B&Bs or small farms. Expensive but I want to do everything I can to make sure we walk from beginning to end.

7 weeks and counting...

As you fly in and get the first glimpse of the land, the green landscape will strike you immediatley.
We who live in the UK take it for granted and don't notice it as much tourists from much warmer climates.
I remember in my army days returning to the UK from Cyprus late in May. We had had just a couple of months on excercise in the dry barren landscape, and the sight of the gpatchwork reen fields as we flew back in, left us awestruck.
Dave.

Typos!

Will do! How far are you planning to go the first day? We're only doing 8 miles and will stay in Moor Row. Hope to see you along the way or better yet - in the evening over a pint.

Hi Stephen and BigMamma

May the sun shine on your every footstep. You are unlikely to be alone on the Coast to Coast. It's popular, and you'll probably make friends (and if you're lucky, they'll know about hiking in the UK!)

It's a while since I walked in the US, but as I remember it the trails were well made and clearly signposted.

Most places where I walked there was no confusion over exactly which path I should take.

Things can be different over here. At some locations you might find a number of paths to choose from, all equally inviting but none of them signposted. So whether you opt for GPS &/or guidebook &/or map and compass, you'll have to find your route.

You'll soon get the hang of this, and any worries will evaporate. You'll enjoy the walk - but the Lake District provides the toughest challenge, and for most people it begins on the second day of a west-to-east walk.

Some people give up at that early stage. They realise it's harder than they expected. But you can get a ride (Sherpavan might help, and there are buses too) round some of the mountains. People do that if they've suffered an injury or simply need a rest day before they walk the remaining 170 miles. No shame in that: in fact it's common sense.

I'd love to tell you the weather will be good - but I won't. I'm confident the wild flowers will be in bloom, lambs will frolic in the fields, and your legs will ache some evenings but will feel better next morning.

Enjoy it. Travel without fear. Good luck.

Stottie,

I understand that the second day can be challenging. I expect it to be similar to one of our training hikes with an accumulated elevation gain of 4000 feet. We are lucky to have may hills and a few mountains that we can train on in the Phoenix valley. The only thing we are not used to is hiking in the rain. I expect we will be much slower in hard rain.

I have the entire trip in my GPS along with optional longer legs over several peaks that my not be the normal route. Depending on the weather and our legs, we really like to hike to the high ground whenever possible to take advantage of the view. My wife is actually a stronger hiker than me so I am usually keeping up with her (she use to be a distance runner before knee surgery).

Only 8 days till we are hiking.

Stephen