The Cumbria Way - Thoughts in Conclusion
The Coniston Fells on Day 1
As is customary, we thought we would put together a few thoughts that may help in the planning & execution of walking The Cumbria Way. Most of these points are pretty generic to long distance walking and are therefore much the same as in previous blogs we have written. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and the advice given is not exhaustive. The best form of research is other people’s blogs, guide books and using plain old common sense. Some of the advice and thoughts below may be repeated from the Planning & Preparation page at the start of this blog - apologies for that!
The walk itself
As walks go this was an absolute cracker. Apart from the urbanisation of Carlisle at the end of the walk, the route passes through beautiful countryside and fantastic scenery. Taking into consideration we were walking the Cumbria Way in May & August we saw surprisingly few people once away from the towns & villages. The route is extremely well way marked and with a bit of forethought can be split down into manageable chunks and also added to in order to fit whatever your stamina & walking pace.
The Cumbria Way website by Dik Stoddart (link below) is a must read and should be the first port of call during the planning stage as there is lots of extremely useful information contained within it.
Having now eventually completed the Cumbria Way it is fair to say that, whilst a shorter walk than ones we have completed before it certainly provides the walker with an ever changing variety of walking terrain, views & scenery and is jam packed full of historical interest.
Give it a go and see for yourself.
Planning and Accommodation
The planning for this walk was very simple as we were near home. In order not to have to travel south on separate days, we based ourselves in Langdale for Days 1 to 3, utilising public transport and two cars. The Britannia Inn at Elterwater was a very good base for us - great food, beer and a very comfortable room. For those of you travelling with a dog, don't be put off. Most B&Bs are coming around to the fact that it pays to be dog friendly and more and more are making the transition.
Kit & Medical
As we were based in the same place for Days 1 to 3 and travelled from home for Days 4 & 5 we did not have the worry about bag weight. We carried a rucksack each with the usual items contained within it for a day on the hills.
To keep snacks and spare water cold, we used a small cooler bag with 2 slim ice packs in. Each night we asked the B&B owner to put the ice packs in their freezer ready for the next day.
Medically, we used a fair bit of Vaseline on our feet and micro porous tape that resulted in no blisters. In a nutshell, each morning tape up any areas where you have had blisters appear in the past and then rub a light coating of Vaseline over the rest of each foot and in between your toes. It really does pay to rub your feet at night with some foot lotion and also buddy up getting your feet ready in the morning. No matter how much training you have done before the walk, your feet will hurt at some stage. When resting up or whilst having lunch, get the boots off and air your feet and change your socks if necessary.
After about 20 minutes walking have a stretch of the hamstrings, calves, groin and quads. Repeat this before and after any lengthy stop and on completion of the days walking. This stretching routine will pay dividends.
It goes without saying that a basic first aid kit is a must.
Rucksacks
Apart from your Boots this is the second most important piece of kit you have. Make sure it is comfortable and fits your needs. As stated earlier, we used a couple of Osprey Daysacks (with rain hoods) and these were just the job. One thing we would say is fill it up and test it out before you start - make sure it feels comfortable and get out and walk with the weight in it. Additionally, make sure you have dry-bags in your kit for those rainy days.
Water
There is a link below to Refill - a website giving information with regard to water refill points etc. Another thing you could do is just apply common sense - if you get the chance then top up. Cafes and shops you visit - they will more than likely help you out.
Mapping
We carried the relevant OS Maps, two Compasses, a GPS and the Cumbria Way guide book complete with hand drawn mapping. Suffice to say we did not get lost. Additionally, we have the OS Locate App on our phones and should the GPS have failed the App would give us a 6 figure Grid Reference which I could then plot on the relevant paper map. It pays to have a navigation back up system.
Useful Links
The Cumbria Way Website - a must read for anybody thinking about undertaking this fabulous walk (and this blog of course!)
www.cumbriawaywalk.info
Accuweather - a very good weather update service.
www.accuweather.com/en/gb/united-kingdom-weather
Refill - a national, practical tap water campaign to aid you in topping up your supply on route. Well worth "tapping in to" (nyuk, nyuk).
refill.org.uk
The walk itself
As walks go this was an absolute cracker. Apart from the urbanisation of Carlisle at the end of the walk, the route passes through beautiful countryside and fantastic scenery. Taking into consideration we were walking the Cumbria Way in May & August we saw surprisingly few people once away from the towns & villages. The route is extremely well way marked and with a bit of forethought can be split down into manageable chunks and also added to in order to fit whatever your stamina & walking pace.
The Cumbria Way website by Dik Stoddart (link below) is a must read and should be the first port of call during the planning stage as there is lots of extremely useful information contained within it.
Having now eventually completed the Cumbria Way it is fair to say that, whilst a shorter walk than ones we have completed before it certainly provides the walker with an ever changing variety of walking terrain, views & scenery and is jam packed full of historical interest.
Give it a go and see for yourself.
Planning and Accommodation
The planning for this walk was very simple as we were near home. In order not to have to travel south on separate days, we based ourselves in Langdale for Days 1 to 3, utilising public transport and two cars. The Britannia Inn at Elterwater was a very good base for us - great food, beer and a very comfortable room. For those of you travelling with a dog, don't be put off. Most B&Bs are coming around to the fact that it pays to be dog friendly and more and more are making the transition.
Kit & Medical
As we were based in the same place for Days 1 to 3 and travelled from home for Days 4 & 5 we did not have the worry about bag weight. We carried a rucksack each with the usual items contained within it for a day on the hills.
To keep snacks and spare water cold, we used a small cooler bag with 2 slim ice packs in. Each night we asked the B&B owner to put the ice packs in their freezer ready for the next day.
Medically, we used a fair bit of Vaseline on our feet and micro porous tape that resulted in no blisters. In a nutshell, each morning tape up any areas where you have had blisters appear in the past and then rub a light coating of Vaseline over the rest of each foot and in between your toes. It really does pay to rub your feet at night with some foot lotion and also buddy up getting your feet ready in the morning. No matter how much training you have done before the walk, your feet will hurt at some stage. When resting up or whilst having lunch, get the boots off and air your feet and change your socks if necessary.
After about 20 minutes walking have a stretch of the hamstrings, calves, groin and quads. Repeat this before and after any lengthy stop and on completion of the days walking. This stretching routine will pay dividends.
It goes without saying that a basic first aid kit is a must.
Rucksacks
Apart from your Boots this is the second most important piece of kit you have. Make sure it is comfortable and fits your needs. As stated earlier, we used a couple of Osprey Daysacks (with rain hoods) and these were just the job. One thing we would say is fill it up and test it out before you start - make sure it feels comfortable and get out and walk with the weight in it. Additionally, make sure you have dry-bags in your kit for those rainy days.
Water
There is a link below to Refill - a website giving information with regard to water refill points etc. Another thing you could do is just apply common sense - if you get the chance then top up. Cafes and shops you visit - they will more than likely help you out.
Mapping
We carried the relevant OS Maps, two Compasses, a GPS and the Cumbria Way guide book complete with hand drawn mapping. Suffice to say we did not get lost. Additionally, we have the OS Locate App on our phones and should the GPS have failed the App would give us a 6 figure Grid Reference which I could then plot on the relevant paper map. It pays to have a navigation back up system.
Useful Links
The Cumbria Way Website - a must read for anybody thinking about undertaking this fabulous walk (and this blog of course!)
www.cumbriawaywalk.info
Accuweather - a very good weather update service.
www.accuweather.com/en/gb/united-kingdom-weather
Refill - a national, practical tap water campaign to aid you in topping up your supply on route. Well worth "tapping in to" (nyuk, nyuk).
refill.org.uk