W16 Grosmont to Robin Hoods Bay - The End

Wainwright leaves everyone going from West to East with a convoluted, hard last stage. He must have been a bit of a sadist because we started walking up 200m and then climbing up a messy, muddy, woody valley before entering a boggy moor and finally walking along the coast for over 3 miles. We were pretty exhausted by the end of it, having walked 18.3 miles and climbed the equivalent of 110 floors. It took us around an hour to actually realise we had done it. Now we are beaming at each other with a great sense of satisfaction. If you are slightly interested in doing it yourselves, I have put some thoughts in at the bottom.

Longer version
The last day is a zig zag which can be cut by miles and miles if someone heads direct to Robin Hoods Bay. We decided not to, however. We set off from the Gallery B&B in Grosmont just after 9. The Gallery is opposite the car park for the 2 stations in Grosmont: National rail on the left and steam on the right:

Unfortunately (sadistically) every step for the next 40 minutes is up, primarily on the road with one bit 1 in 3, and 2 sections 1 in 4. It's not the best start for the final day but eventually you get on to yet another moor, with off to the left Whitby. We then wandered down into a valley called Little Beck, overtaking Chris, who was in right state, having decided to do it in 10 days. The valley is lovely but after heavy rain the previous night, it was muddy, slippery and hard work.

After climbing the valley we were on to yet another moor for 5 miles. This moor was very boggy and we found out later Eric sank up to his waist: luckily we had none of that.

It was a slog but we ended up near Whitby before walking down the coast for 3 miles to Robin Hoods Bay. The cliffs all seem to be eroding btw

At Robin Hoods Bay you have to take your pebble to the coast and you have to sign the book in the pub. We did it all as well as finally getting the last selfie

So another kick the bucket idea done. It is a wonderful feeling. I am pretty sure with getting lost and various deviations we did over 200 miles but 192 will do :-)

IF YOU ARE THINKING OF DOING IT
These are few thoughts:

• It is not a stroll. If you do it continuously, it wears you down. This is a tough walk.
• Go West to East. Its the most popular by far and you get the Lake District out the way
• The Lake District is a bit of killer but afterwards it does get easier
• Chris was doing it in 10 days, Speedie did it in 12 and most were doing it in 14. We took 16 and there were others doing it slower. It is not a race - enjoy it
• Yes you can carry your own stuff but everyone doing it looked shattered. Packhorse and Sherpa will carry your bags if you go west to east (and even you) - the east to west is limited
• We used North West Walks - who planned the whole thing for us
• Only do it from April to September - everything gets more limited after that
• Wear boots with ankle support - quite a few people dropped out with twisted ankles. One person fell and cracked open his head - ambulance whizzed him off. Most people fell at some point - included me: I need to buy an new mobile phone :-(
• Hope for the best but plan for the worst - we were extremely lucky with the weather. Others have had a torrid time. Waterproof for you and for the rucksack are essential
• Buy the O/S maps or get a GPS device - many, many people got lost
• One older couple were doing an alternative route from Morecambe Bay - shorter and less challenging - planned by Contour. Others warmed up on Hadrians Wall

Where we stayed:
- St Bees
- Ennerdale
- Rosthwaite
- Patterdale
- Brampton Grange
- Orton
- Kirby Stephen
- Muker
- Reeth
- Richmond
- Danby Wiske
- Ingleby Cross
- Great Brampton
- Rosedale
- Grosmont
- Robin Hoods Bay

W15 Rosedale to Grosmont - I like roll topped baths

This was the day we dropped off the moors into some beautiful villages, arriving in Grosmont after about 5 hours. We only did 10.3 miles but we had to stop at a small cafe (annex to a bungalow) at Glaisdale for tea and cake, and then we also stopped at a lovely pub (Horseshoe Hotel) at Egton Bridge. The weather was good - in fact we have been so lucky. Grosmont is famous (well in my opinion) for its steam engines, being the location for engine sheds etc that are part of the North York Moors Steam Railway. Tomorrow is the last day and the last post.

Longer version
Another great day weatherwise. We left the moors of Rosedale and walked gradually down hill to the village of Glaisdale. Supposedly the best time to see the moor is late August, early September when the heather turns purple, but to us it was peaceful, calm and quite beautiful in June.

The only annoying thing that ruined the calm was a series of scramble bikes who charged up the moor causing dust storms (each to their own: I am sure they were having fun). Due to the easy walk (and with Eric and Neal from Northern Ireland speeding us both up) we made cracking time.

The C2C is the small business / retirement plan dream. The majority of the B&B's we have stayed in are run by people who are semi-retired. But in Glaisdale we met a retired couple who had set up a small cafe: the cheese scones were the best Andrea had eaten in years. At Glaisdale you start to walk in the Esk valley: it is again easy walking with lots of woods and small villages. At Egton Bridge we stopped at a lovely pub

We are staying very close to the North York Moors Railway - so close we can see them. This is a LMS Stainer Class 5 4-6-0 built originally in 1937

It is a major tourist attraction but I do wish they would not insist on blowing their whistle so often. They run it as a proper railway with full servicing etc. More than I can say for this tractor we met on our travels

Supposedly it still goes.

BTW it is raining but who cares when the B&B room today in the Gallery at Grosmont is this ! I have never had a bath in the room but I could get use to it :-)