The St Cuthbert's Way 2020 - Planning & Preparation
The following notes are pretty generic to most long distance walking therefore are similar in text to other long distance walks we have undertaken and have simply been altered as and when for each different walk.
Our Charity
Sadly we were unable to arrange to be able to walk for Charity this year due to the short notice arrangements for the walk. Suffice to say, hopefully our next long distance walk will be free of all the problems and uncertainty that a worldwide pandemic brings with it resulting in us able to once again walk to try and raise much needed money for Spaniel Aid. This wonderful charity is run completely by volunteers who own Spaniels themselves. They aim to advise owners of the dangers associated with advertising dogs on internet selling sites and to take into their care any dogs whose welfare concerns them. They have become increasingly concerned by the number of these wonderful dogs being offered for sale – or worse. Spaniel Aid place dogs into foster care and then assesses them for rehoming to suitable “forever” homes thus giving many dogs a second chance. They need every penny they can get in order to provide this wonderful service. If you would like to send a donation or simply to read about the wonderful work they do then a link to Spaniel Aid's website is here.
Our Charity
Sadly we were unable to arrange to be able to walk for Charity this year due to the short notice arrangements for the walk. Suffice to say, hopefully our next long distance walk will be free of all the problems and uncertainty that a worldwide pandemic brings with it resulting in us able to once again walk to try and raise much needed money for Spaniel Aid. This wonderful charity is run completely by volunteers who own Spaniels themselves. They aim to advise owners of the dangers associated with advertising dogs on internet selling sites and to take into their care any dogs whose welfare concerns them. They have become increasingly concerned by the number of these wonderful dogs being offered for sale – or worse. Spaniel Aid place dogs into foster care and then assesses them for rehoming to suitable “forever” homes thus giving many dogs a second chance. They need every penny they can get in order to provide this wonderful service. If you would like to send a donation or simply to read about the wonderful work they do then a link to Spaniel Aid's website is here.
Planning - Initial Thoughts
As usual the devil is in the detail! We first started planning this journey in October 2019. Having planned long distance walks before we were keen to get our accommodation pretty much boxed off in fairly short order. In addition to this, the question was posed as to when to start. We did not want to walk in the busy months of July & August as the route and accommodation would be busy therefore this time we plumped for early June 2020 however due to Covid this was changed to October the same year.
Accommodation
Dead easy this was!! We managed to find a hotel on the route that offered a very competitive package whereby we would base ourselves there for 7 nights and utilise a pick up & drop off service to/from each leg.
Fitness
Anyone undertaking a long distance walk should not underestimate how hard it really is. To prepare it is recommended that in the preceding months you get used to walking with weight on your shoulders (particularly if wild camping or you are not using baggage transfer) and for a significant distance. We also made sure we did plenty of cardio vascular exercise in the lead up to the walk. Additionally, it does help to stretch out the hamstring, calf, groin and quads before, during and after each days walking.
Feet
The most important aspect of any long distance walk is how you look after your feet. We have a regime for any walk we do and that is on a daily basis tape up any areas of your feet which have suffered blisters/rubbing in the past. Use a micro porous tape to protect each area. Additionally, once taped up, smear vaseline around the sole of the feet and in between the toes - it really does make a difference. During the walk it is important to air your feet and let them breathe out of the boots - you may also wish to change your socks, particularly on the longer days. On the days we did this then we applied a soothing foot spray also. In the evening and after a bath/shower you can also apply some Peppermint Foot Lotion which will soothe aching feet.
Kit
As usual the devil is in the detail! We first started planning this journey in October 2019. Having planned long distance walks before we were keen to get our accommodation pretty much boxed off in fairly short order. In addition to this, the question was posed as to when to start. We did not want to walk in the busy months of July & August as the route and accommodation would be busy therefore this time we plumped for early June 2020 however due to Covid this was changed to October the same year.
Accommodation
Dead easy this was!! We managed to find a hotel on the route that offered a very competitive package whereby we would base ourselves there for 7 nights and utilise a pick up & drop off service to/from each leg.
Fitness
Anyone undertaking a long distance walk should not underestimate how hard it really is. To prepare it is recommended that in the preceding months you get used to walking with weight on your shoulders (particularly if wild camping or you are not using baggage transfer) and for a significant distance. We also made sure we did plenty of cardio vascular exercise in the lead up to the walk. Additionally, it does help to stretch out the hamstring, calf, groin and quads before, during and after each days walking.
Feet
The most important aspect of any long distance walk is how you look after your feet. We have a regime for any walk we do and that is on a daily basis tape up any areas of your feet which have suffered blisters/rubbing in the past. Use a micro porous tape to protect each area. Additionally, once taped up, smear vaseline around the sole of the feet and in between the toes - it really does make a difference. During the walk it is important to air your feet and let them breathe out of the boots - you may also wish to change your socks, particularly on the longer days. On the days we did this then we applied a soothing foot spray also. In the evening and after a bath/shower you can also apply some Peppermint Foot Lotion which will soothe aching feet.
Kit
|
Rucksacks We utilised our Osprey Stratos 36L Rucksacks - an excellent piece of kit which we use for everyday hiking. Plenty of room in the main compartment with a separate area for foul weather/dirty kit and zipped pockets on the waist strap. The rucksack is also fitted with a rain hood. We have had these rucksacks for quite a few years now and they show no signs of giving up although they are pretty manky! |
|
|
Boots
We both have Scarpa boots and there is no doubt that whilst they may be slightly heavier, what they lose in weight they more than make up for in comfort and reliability. We had these well worn in before we commenced the walk. Depending upon space in your rucksack, you may wish to consider taking a pair of trail shoes for the flatter sections of the route. I can heartily recommend the Inov8 X-Talon Ultra 260 which I used for the first time on sections of the Coast to Coast this year (2020). |
|
Daily Wear We were lucky with the weather for the most part therefore hardly wore a fleece. We both wore light walking trousers and a cool max t-shirt although when the wind did blow and on the occasions we had a bit of light rain then we wore our featherlite pull on jackets. The one opposite is the Montane version - we had the Rab (Dave) and a Paramo (Angie) version. The jacket rolls up to nothing and weighs virtually the same. A fantastic piece of kit. |
|
Did you accidentally forget to fill my bowl up??
|
Food & Water No real issues with food on this walk. Huge breakfast prior to the start, a packed lunch and a hearty meal in the evening ensured we had plenty of calories to burn. |
As far as feeding ourselves then it was just a matter of getting as much calories inside us each day as we could. We tried to vary our breakfast intake as much as possible - lots of cereal & fruit plus the odd bit of fried food but not much. Lunch was normally snack bars, cake etc with a big meal in the evening.
Water is vitally important on a walk such as this. We did ensure that we had places to top up on a daily basis and also made sure we got as much fluid into our system when needed. We had some pretty humid days during the walk therefore it was vital that our water intake was sustainable. Additionally, it was vitally important not to forget Fudge - he drank a lot on a daily basis and also took every opportunity to swim and prat around in the water.
Therefore, before leaving for the day we had a 2 Litre Camelbak each plus 2 x 1 litre water bottles for Fudge. Every opportunity was taken to top up whenever we needed to.
Therefore, before leaving for the day we had a 2 Litre Camelbak each plus 2 x 1 litre water bottles for Fudge. Every opportunity was taken to top up whenever we needed to.
Our walking package at The Templehall Hotel, Morebattle
We cannot speak highly enough of the staff at The Templehall. From start to finish our stay was seamless and made our walk all the more pleasurable. Our point of contact, Kerry was well used to dealing with the issues that long distance walking can have on the logistical aspects. Included in our package was a large double en-suite room, breakfast, a packed lunch and a free evening meal on our last night. They even provided us with a free copy of Ron Shaw's excellent guidebook (see below). What was even more impressive was the Hotel's routines during the pandemic - rigid & proper therefore we felt safe from arrival to departure.
As for daily transfers to/from the start of each day, the hotel uses a local taxi firm in nearby Hownam and our driver Chris was certainly knowledgeable about the walk and the surrounding area. We were collected and picked up on time and he was very flexible regarding pick up times. All we had to do was provide an ETA and there he was. Chris provides transportation all over this area including the finish of The Pennine Way - a link to his website is here.
Mapping
We utilised a combination of 4 methods of navigation during this walk. Firstly the relevant OS Maps & our compass and secondly referring to the illustrated maps in the 2 guide books pictured below. Thirdly we used our own pre planned routes downloaded to our trusty Satmap Active 20 GPS and lastly the well appointed St Cuthbert's way marks. Additionally, we had OS Locate installed on our phones and carried a back up power pack for both our phones and the GPS. We had no navigational mishaps and the signs are plentiful - just remember to add common sense into your navigation, know how to use a map & compass and ensure you have a back up power supply. Common sense is not rocket science!
We utilised a combination of 4 methods of navigation during this walk. Firstly the relevant OS Maps & our compass and secondly referring to the illustrated maps in the 2 guide books pictured below. Thirdly we used our own pre planned routes downloaded to our trusty Satmap Active 20 GPS and lastly the well appointed St Cuthbert's way marks. Additionally, we had OS Locate installed on our phones and carried a back up power pack for both our phones and the GPS. We had no navigational mishaps and the signs are plentiful - just remember to add common sense into your navigation, know how to use a map & compass and ensure you have a back up power supply. Common sense is not rocket science!
|
|
With the planning all done we were ready to take on the St Cuthbert's Way - read on to see how we got on.