The Cleveland Way & Tabular Hills 2018 - Thoughts in Conclusion
The end of The Cleveland Way at Filey
As is customary, we thought we would put together a few thoughts we have that may help in the planning & execution of walking both The Cleveland Way & Tabular Hills. 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!
Planning and Accommodation
It is never too early to plan a long distance walk. We started the planning for this 12 months before Day 0, as always to get a foot in the door with B&B bookings. Accommodation was not that difficult to organise and as we were carrying all our own kit, were keen to try and utilise public transport between legs - mainly to avoid having to pack up our kit each day and also to allow us the odd day or so with a light rucksack.
We dealt in email or booking confirmation only - this meant we had proof of our booking and not just a telephone conversation should anything go wrong. Also make sure you call each B&B for confirmation about a month or so before start date. Some of them are not as good at administration as they think they are! With regard to eating out in the evening, it is probably best to make sure you can be fed and if in doubt make a booking.
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. Sure it was a bit more difficult to find accommodation but not too onerous. Most B&Bs make a charge of between £5 - £10 for a dog to stay and will insist that you bring your own bedding - some don't charge anything.
With a couple of exceptions the standard of B&B on the entire route was very good.
Kit & Medical
Knowing exactly what to take is always a conundrum no matter how experienced you are. The basic rule of thumb is to adopt a "What if" and "So what" policy when undecided on a particular item. Weight is an extremely important aspect of this walk and we were prepared to take the risk with leaving certain items out. Therefore "What if we leave this item behind? "So what is the effect of not having it" and then measure the risk accordingly.
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. Take the opportunity to review and top up your first aid supplies, particularly in towns and villages that have a Pharmacy.
Rucksacks
Apart from your Boots this is the second most important piece of kit you have. As stated earlier, we used a couple of 75:100 Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre Rucksacks 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.
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.
Washing
Gone are the days when you can turn your underpants inside out and wear them again the next day!! Utilise local Launderettes where possible and also ask the B&B owner - we did this several times and for a small fee will put a load on for you.
Mapping
We did not carry any OS Maps apart from those on our GPS - we simply took it on risk we would not need them and we didn't. We did however cut out all the maps from the Cicerone Guide and laminated them to provide a rain proof guide to the walk.
Charity
We managed to raise £2800 in total for Spaniel Aid. We would like to thank everybody who donated to this wonderful and worthwhile cause.
Useful Links
National Trails - more information for you to lean help from including the contact details for the Trail Manager.
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/south-west-coast-path
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).
www.refill.org.uk/refill-schemes/
Planning and Accommodation
It is never too early to plan a long distance walk. We started the planning for this 12 months before Day 0, as always to get a foot in the door with B&B bookings. Accommodation was not that difficult to organise and as we were carrying all our own kit, were keen to try and utilise public transport between legs - mainly to avoid having to pack up our kit each day and also to allow us the odd day or so with a light rucksack.
We dealt in email or booking confirmation only - this meant we had proof of our booking and not just a telephone conversation should anything go wrong. Also make sure you call each B&B for confirmation about a month or so before start date. Some of them are not as good at administration as they think they are! With regard to eating out in the evening, it is probably best to make sure you can be fed and if in doubt make a booking.
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. Sure it was a bit more difficult to find accommodation but not too onerous. Most B&Bs make a charge of between £5 - £10 for a dog to stay and will insist that you bring your own bedding - some don't charge anything.
With a couple of exceptions the standard of B&B on the entire route was very good.
Kit & Medical
Knowing exactly what to take is always a conundrum no matter how experienced you are. The basic rule of thumb is to adopt a "What if" and "So what" policy when undecided on a particular item. Weight is an extremely important aspect of this walk and we were prepared to take the risk with leaving certain items out. Therefore "What if we leave this item behind? "So what is the effect of not having it" and then measure the risk accordingly.
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. Take the opportunity to review and top up your first aid supplies, particularly in towns and villages that have a Pharmacy.
Rucksacks
Apart from your Boots this is the second most important piece of kit you have. As stated earlier, we used a couple of 75:100 Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre Rucksacks 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.
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.
Washing
Gone are the days when you can turn your underpants inside out and wear them again the next day!! Utilise local Launderettes where possible and also ask the B&B owner - we did this several times and for a small fee will put a load on for you.
Mapping
We did not carry any OS Maps apart from those on our GPS - we simply took it on risk we would not need them and we didn't. We did however cut out all the maps from the Cicerone Guide and laminated them to provide a rain proof guide to the walk.
Charity
We managed to raise £2800 in total for Spaniel Aid. We would like to thank everybody who donated to this wonderful and worthwhile cause.
Useful Links
National Trails - more information for you to lean help from including the contact details for the Trail Manager.
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/south-west-coast-path
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).
www.refill.org.uk/refill-schemes/