rest days

[EileanB]

Hi everyone, I have just registered with walk highlands after years of lurking and pinching ideas for walks.
A friend and I are planning to do the Pennine Way this year. We are (late) middleaged women, reasonably fit for our advancing years and have done a few multi-day walks but nothing so long and challenging. Reading guide books, blogs etc. I notice that a lot of people take a rest day in the middle. We have a suspicion that we might stiffen up, lose impetus, and generally collapse if we don't just plod on, and wondered about building in a couple of short days instead. Any advice and suggestions would be gratefully received. I have a feeling that I am going to be putting in a few requests for the benefit of everyone's greater experience between now and arriving in Edale...
EileanB

[bootsandpaddles]

I think a rest day is a good idea. When you start off again you are raring to go. When I did the Cape Wrath Trail a few years ago I had a day off in Ullapool and went on a trip to the Summer Isles and had a really good meal which made a change from camping food. So long as your day off is not totally sedentary I don't think you would seize up too much.
Good luck!

[Kevin29035]

They're a great idea. I've had a couple of trips where due to a mates work commitments, we've tried to cram and left no space for a rest. I didn't enjoy it much! Equally, I've found that rest days can become a momentum slump (despite physically, desperately needing the respite) and it's hard to pick up the flow again.

I think the best way to approach it is to push your finishing date forward one or two days (depending how many days you plan to rest) and then just start going with those days in hand, instead of pre-planning your rest stop. That works best for me, both tactically and psychologically.

[Sgurr]

All my walking companions are beginning to suggest rest days This is fine in theory but ideally one would like to spend a rest day on a bad weather day, and you don't know when these are going to come. Do you need to book into accommodation in advance, and thereby commit to a rest day? Otherwise kevin's advice is very sound. What tends to happen with us now, is that we go away on holiday and walk all the nice days there are. If we find ourselves getting tired, we try to pick a smaller hill (bear in mind we are probably "late middle age" too....73 and 74) If you have to pre-plan where you stay, your short couple of days sounds ideal, but I wouldn't think you would just fold up with a single day off, after all, you are going to be in the middle of the Pennines, in some village somewhere, and are bound to go for a short wander just for something to do.

[Gordie12]

I guess everybody is different.

My preference is not to have a rest day but I always plan to have a short day built in to my schedule so that I can have an easier day with a few extra hours to myself either to rest up or to have a wander round the area I am staying in. This work best for me and as I do my long distance walks solo I can just please myself.

Good luck with the Pennine Way, you're a year ahead of me as I hope to do it in 2015.

[rohan]

Next year I am planning a long distance walk with my granddaughter. We have "rest days" planned but these will be full of stuff like playing around on the chain walk at Elie, visiting the Bell Rock lighthouse ( weather permitting). Just really activity days without the packs.

[arlo]

I am like Gordie12 - short days rather than rest days. On the Pennine Way it was Greenhead to Once Brewed: a late start, leisurely 7 miles, rest, then a look at the Housesteads Roman fort without my pack.

[raykilhams]

Hi there EileanB,
We,re like Gordie 12 too , we tend to have the odd short days walk when doing LDWs , on the Pennine Way this year our short day was from Malham to Horton ,( although to some it may not appear to be a short walk ) arrived there about 2pm and spent the rest of the day lazing around in the shade .
A couple of suggestions for rest days are as follows ......1. Hawes . 107 miles into your walk. The village of Hawes is probably the best place to stop for a day off . It's a lovey market town with a number of shops ( you can stock up on goodies) plus pubs and the delightful Wensley Dale Creamery ( popped in there on our way to Hardraw and had some great scones) . You can also stroll down to the river to keep the legs from seizing up......2. Onced brewed. 208 miles into your walk. A days rest will enable you to take the bus to Hexham for a look around or check out Chesters Roman Fort or you could just have a liesurely stroll along the Wall. That will leave you about 60 miles to Kirk Yetholm.
The great thing about those two places is that you're not stuck out in the wilds , in some small town where there are no amenities , and there are a few , believe me , when you're tired and looking forward to maybe popping in to the local pub or shop or restaurant , only to discover there are none ...totally deflating.
PS If you're camping it's important to make sure you find out beforehand that the campsites are still operating , even if they are shown on ordinance survey maps , some maybe ( are ) closed. Good planning is the key to any LDW , and I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy it . So remember Keeeeep Walking.

[EileanB]

Thank you all for your input, I am taking it all on board. We always feel that at the end of a 5/6 day walk we are just getting into our stride, but weren't sure whether after 12 or so we would be superwomen or on hands and knees. I quite like the idea of leaving things open, but am not sure how much of a risk that is as we are dependent on hostels and B&Bs. I was thinking of a short day between Middleton in Teesdale and Langdon Beck, being about half way and really pretty, and if we are going to potter about then we might as well potter to the next village, and there is at least one other day of about 10miles. Being wimps, we are trying to avoid any days of more than about 18 miles but do have a bit of a time constraint. We are allowing ourselves 18 days, so I realise we won't be breaking any speed or distance records however we organise it.

[colgregg]

An ideal place for a rest day would be Hawes. Almost halfway and with bus links to take you down dale to visit historic Richmond, Leyburn or Aysgarth to visit the falls. Great chippie too along with plenty other eating / drinking spots.

[simon-b]

I notice that a lot of people take a rest day in the middle. We have a suspicion that we might stiffen up, lose impetus, and generally collapse if we don't just plod on, and wondered about building in a couple of short days instead.

Hello, Eilean. I agree with others who've replied that you shouldn't have too many problems with stiffening up, but a few gentle mobility excercises and some stretching should keep you in condition on rest days, if you get the chance. Short walks in the local area, as others have suggested, are also a good idea.

If you are relying on B and Bs on a popular LDW such as the Pennine Way, I think you'd be better booking them in advance. Although I don't know much about accommodation along the PW, I do know that B and Bs etc. along the N. English coast to coast route become fully booked well in advance. Obviously this limits flexibility, but it's better than ending up with no bed for the night!

Best of luck with your plans; I hope you enjoy your celebration in Kirk Yetholm.

[Graeme D]

Weaselmaster has an interesting outlook on rest days!

[neilfromperth]

I have worked off and on for years with various commercial companies. Policy was always to include at least one rest day in any trek that was over a weeks duration. It was not just about rest , but an aid to logistics. Apart from anything else, its best chance to sort out your washing. Factor in a rest day , you wont regret it. As for stiffening up, try stretching.