Coast to Coast backwards

Back from updating Trailblazer's Coast to Coast guidebook. This will be the 5th edition. I did the 200 mile hike backwards. I didn't actually walk backwards but did the reverse to what everyone else does by walking from Robin Hood's Bay to St Bees. As everyone else tackling the walk is heading east I found myself having to say a lot of hellos around about lunchtime every day.

Weather was lousy but camped anyway. Tried to avoid the organised campsites and - even worse - the hideous caravan parks and found some great wild camp spots instead. Angle Tarn and Ennerdale Water in the Lakes were highlights.

Lowlight was a night with the lowlifes in Shap who turned the tiny campsite into an all night rave venue. I ended up packing up at three in the morning and re-pitching on the pavement next to the A-road. Pegs don't go easily into concrete so spent the rest of the night in a saggy bag of a tent in the rain and got woken up by lorries from the quarries thundering past at 5am. Camping in the hills the next night was a great antidote.

There are more pictures on my Facebook page.