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No Wainrights or Hewitts bagged on this occasion I'm afraid - so I'm not sure if this one counts (?). We did however take in several minor peaks on our route and climbed a total of almost 6,000 feet from start to finish (!).
For those not familiar with the Lyke Wake Walk, it is a 40 mile crossing of the North Yorkshire Moors from Osmotherley in the West to Ravenscar by the sea in the East. You can travel the route in either direction and by completing the walk in under 24 hours you are entitled to join the Lyke Wake Club (see
http://www.lykewake.org).
Because of the distance and duration, and the need to complete some of the walk at night, most people use a support crew to carry spare food, drink and changes of clothes. There are 6 recommended checkpoints along the route, where a road crosses the walkers path.
This was in fact our second attempt. We came close to finishing in January this year but had to give up when darkness came in for a second time making navigation in the critical closing miles extremely difficult. By this time fatigue and cold had also taken their toll. Still, we learned a lot of valuable less for this successful attempt.
We started our crossing at 8pm on Saturday evening - 3 walkers and a 1 man support team. There is a tricky piece of navigation not far from the start and our plan was to get through this section before it became completely dark. This start time also meant we could use all 24 hours available if necessary without it getting dark for a second time.
The route changes personality as it progresses. The first quarter of the walk (when starting from the West) is the hilliest, comprising a succession of short-sharp ascents and descents with a little walking through forests in between. To give you an idea of the extent of the climbing - we ascended over 4,000 feet in these first 10 miles!
The second 10 miles - taking us to the half-way point - is a high moorland walk. It begins with the longest steepest climb of the walk and then levels out into a long easy stretch on good moorland paths. This is also the fastest part of the course (and to be honest the only part where walking is straightforward).
This was also (as it was 1st time around) my favourite part of the walk. Because the underfoot conditions were good and pretty consistent it gave the best opportunity to take in the scene around us (not having to be always looking where we were treading). There was hardly a cloud in the sky and it was a full moon - visibility was so good we were able to walk long sections without using our head-torches. Being on the high moor in the middle of the night - in the middle of nowhere - is a magical experience I would recommend to everyone.
The first half ends at Checkpoint 3 on the road between Hutton le Hole and Castleton - about a mile north of the Lion Inn (a fine hostelry, but sadly not open at 4am on Sunday morning). Time for a breakfast of sandwiches and soup kindly prepared by our one-man-support-team. We were a little ahead of schedule and all feeling pretty good despite 20 miles of hard walking through the night.
The half way point also meant that most of the hard climbing was over and the route was predominantly down-hill for the remainder of the walk. Downhill should not by mistaken for "easy" though - and the second half of the walk is considerably tougher than the first - mainly due to more difficult under-foot conditions.
The first section after half way is just 5 miles, and notorious for being the "boggy section". It is even mentioned in the official guide as such. It was at this stage the first time around that we lost a lot of time and finished the section in some distress. This time we were ready. We had decided to keep as straight a course as possible and not deviate in search of dryer land. This meant we got a little wetter then we might have but we finished the section in good time and in good shape.
It was during this section that the sun rose on Sunday morning, making for some spectacular light-shows as we headed east. This really is a bleak and wonderful place.
25 miles down and looking good. This is where the walk really starts. The next two sections, covering 13 miles, are brutally tough. In places there is simply no path - you are wading through thigh-high heather with unsure footing - not sure whether you're going to stumble over a rock or sink to your knees in bog at each step. For much of the way there are paths but again punctuated with rocks, pools and mud - usually winding and the route ahead often hidden until you're upon it. All this meant it was impossible to make even pace - with constant changes of gait and direction. Our pace slowed progressively and exhaustion crept up on us.
To add insult to injury there are a couple of what can best be described as ravines - at 32 miles and 36 miles - very step descents into a valley and an immediate climb out the other side. The very last thing you need when travelling on auto-pilot just to keep moving forward.
It was during this time that we each went through our own trials of physical and mental challenges. Bodies stiffened, muscles and tendons popped, blisters formed, and the impact of a night without sleep and far too many hours hard labour beat up on us. Each checkpoint was an exercise in reparing injuries, looseing tight bodies, and going through mental preparations for more toil.
At around 35 miles the final significant high-point is reached - Lilla Howe. From here you can see the sea - and the radio mast in Ravenscar signifying the end of the walk. The thing is it seems so far distant that it is not the motivational sight you might think it should be (quite the reverse!). It was here we looked at each other and swore never again to visit this part of the world!!
The final checkpoint is at 38 miles. It's really there so that the walkers can drop all their gear with the support team and travel light for the easy final two miles up to the finishing mast. I am pleased to report that one of our team made it all the way to the mast. As a gesture of defiance I decided to pull out at 38 miles - I had pushed myself harder than I had ever done before and proven everything to myself that I was ever going to prove on that day. This was my gesture of defiance - my "two fingers" to this beast of a challenge. I decided that I didn't need to join the club - I knew I'd done it.
So, one week on, what to make of the Lyke Wake Walk? There are a very small number of individuals who would regard the LWW as little more than a mid-distance hike - they are a special breed and few and far between. For us it was a massive challenge - right near the edge of what we are able to achieve in one day. This must be one of the toughest 40 miles in England. I suspect this would be the case for most who attempt it.
Anyway - funny how time heals - we are currently planning another crossing next spring - this time in the opposite direction. It seems there is something addictive about the Lyke Wake Walk!
