This enticing walk across northern England runs from St. Bees on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea, crossing through three distinct national parks: the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors. I had walked the Coast to Coast (C2C) Path the previous year, but in the reverse direction. When three of my friends heard about that adventure, they eagerly asked if I would walk it again, but including them. It took me about one second to respond with a resounding “Yes!” This time, however, we would walk the direction (west to east) taken by most hikers since it places the prevailing wind at the hikers’ backs. The hike’s official length is 192 miles, although we took a few side trips (planned or otherwise) and ended up at 206 miles. With no rest days and at a leisurely pace, we stretched a 13-day walk to 17 days. An abundance of pleasant places to take tea-breaks during the days and charming B&Bs every night added to the ambiance of the experience. In the evenings, cozy pubs often found hikers sharing their day’s adventures over a pint. A bonus of this particular hike is that you might see the same people day after day. By the end of the hike, we had gained several lifelong friends! I highly recommend this walk to “get your feet wet” (and they will get wet) in the world of long-distance walking.
