Gary's Coast to Coast Walk

Not been on a training walk for a while - it seems that real life has a habit of getting in the way. The C2C route is taking shape now with some final tweaks - looks like we might be able to afford to stay in one or two camping barns rather than camping, so where we can we'll be doing that.  It'll make life easier on my Dad (setting up camp every day), and it'll probably be a bit more comfortable!

Recently booked two days over the next couple of months to ensure that i at least get out monthly.  I'm gonna have to step up the training after Christmas, and increase the distances I am walking.  I also want to fit in at least two '2-day' walks, one locally, and one up in Derbyshire.  I need to know that I can walk at least 10 miles one day, camp, and then get up the next morning and do it again!  When I can do that, I feel I will be as ready as I'll ever be.

For my local '2-day' walk I intend to do some circular walking and stay at home overnight.  I would like to head up over Beacon Hill, the highest point in Leicestershire and back home. Then in Derbyshire, there's a couple of places I would like to visit near Tissington, and Alsop le Dale.

The picture at the top is me with my son Lachlan, when we took an amazing New Years Day walk out with some lovely friends, and climbed to the top of Beacon Hill!  I had to carry him down on my shoulders!

Anyway, make sure you keep following me and my progress, and tell your friends about the mad fat bloke who's going to walk from one side of england to the other !  Pass them  this website address.  Let them know what a good cause it is.  I'm a quarter of the way to reaching my target already, and there's still 11 months to go! 

So this is the revised route which i'm currently thinking is almost finished.  A few changes towards the second half of the walk means that I should only have one very long day (day10). 

Spent a lovely couple of hours completing my first training walk today.  Was out early and spotted loads of deer - you never see them if you're in the park later when there's more people about.

Really got to work on my stamina tho - I'm knackered now!  One more next week!

Check out my walk on Runkeeper by clicking the link below.

http://runkeeper.com/user/gbrown227/activity/37161965

Please tell all your Facebook and Twitter friends about my charity walk!  Just click the 'Tweet' or 'Share' buttons on my webpage!

The National Forest!!

It's not very up and down but it looks like there are some great walks to be had.  Need to get my boots limbered up!

No it's not an equation!  It's the new tag for my walk! 

Thanks Dave!  After persuading me that it's the only way you'll sponsor me, I will be taking my Uke on my C2C trek.  I hope to serenade my fellow campers with renditions of N'Ukes standards such as Mr Sandman, Day Tripper, Happiness Pie and many many more.

I will play at least one song at each stop along the way.  So if anyone would like to sponsor a tune . . .

perhaps . . .

Mr Sandman in Robin Hoods Bay?

Button Up Your Overcoat in the Lake District?

. . . now there's a thought!

Here's the provisional route for my walk, dependant on being able to book accommodation.

Of course this could all change by the time I actually do it, but I think  its a good route, with most sections looking managable.  There's a long day on the penultimate leg, but I think that's manageable - it shouldn't be too up and down!

I also need to get the school holiday dates confirmed but if I need to shift the timetable a day or two backwards, that shouldn't be a problem.

And . . .

A BIG thank you to all the people who have already donated to the website.  We already have 12% of our target raised, and we've only been going a week.  Thanks you so much you know who you are!

Keep checking back to see whats happening.

Cheers

G

Now got both the guides in place that I'll need for the walk. 

Wainwright's Guide is the orginal and some would say the best.  His poetic writing style more reminiscent of a novel than travel guide, it is both beautiful and inspiring and I may need his fine words when I get to that point in walk where I feel like it's a struggle to go on!

I've also already got the Stedman 4th edition guide, which is more up to date and the main one I'll be using on the walk.

This one has more accurate maps and is more easily readable whilst out walking, but I will be taking both as a balance between the poetic and the practical.  Gradually getting everything together . . .