Coast to Coast! St Bees to Robin Hood Bay 200ish miles - going solo

A passing suggestion (hmmm yes, that's all it takes these days!!), a trotting passenger of 200ish miles, a giggling suitcase, standing on top of different mountains at dawn, misty moors, following a random male runner* for a 10 mile detour ;o))))))))))), a pressure blister, an old JW on hot coals, a few river dips, stunning t-shirt tan, passing many fantastic people, conversations and giggles with even more amazing people, cold beer at the end of each trot, 'heat wave' and of course not forgetting those who let me go. There are too many memories to put here - just ask the very kind and lovely London bus driver who just kept on laughing! ;o)))) 
 


Beach of St Bees - Starting point.

The starting point with two stones.
The only black and white stone that I could find ...
and the only yellow 'sun beam' flint stone
that I could find on the beach at St Bees.
 




My home for a few nights ;o))

This whole 200ish mile solo adventure was initiated by a passing RC who will never appreciate the impact.  This short journey went way beyond foot miles. Thank you ;o)))))).
 

 
 
  Ohh the  Cumbrian hills - amazing! This adventure lasted 7.5 days - it should have been 7 days but I was unable to carry enough water on one very hot day so had to split my 42 mile day into two! This of course has now resulted in me buying a cement mixer!... for the huge chip! ;o)))) 

Flat fields - hard underfoot - the sun was amazing! I was trotting between 25 - 35 miles per day (number of mountains in between pending) .... with a day around the 15 mark. Not a hint of stiff muscles during or after the trot! I arrived in most days early/ mid afternoon. - so made quite good time. 



Moors - adding to the variation.

Room with an amazing view ;o) shame about the midges in the morning ;o)))))))))

...and of course the woods too!

 
 

 
 



The finish- at Robin Hoods Bay - both rocks made it too!

 

 Robin Hood Bay! Quite an amazing feel.  Walking down to the beach and out to the water through crowds of people who had no idea that my (and many others) walk to the water had 200ish miles behind it. However, during the 200 miles ... life shifted in quite a profound way.......  
So what did I learn? Well that is a conversation for another day ;o)) but marker it left that's for sure ;o))

 

So much to say, so many memories, 10 mile detours and wonderful thoughts ... too many to write here although the passengers that had to sit next to me on the train back from Leeds to London may have a different take! ;o)))))).  ooops! luck of the draw ;o))))

 

*ok, so the male runner was part of a race across the moors to the coast - the race ( I had passed through some of their checkpoints) seemed to be on my path ..... so when I became lost on the map .... I followed.....and 10 miles later I found out that it was a race to another part of the coast!! ;o)))))))

Street Luging! - Fun at its finest.

Street luging is off the wall fun! Ding dong! ;o))) Ok, so I must have been one of the most senior by about 25 years - but who says that you have to be 20 years old to lie on an oversized skateboard and scoot down a hill as fast as you can?

 2D pictures can't show hills and corners!!

After 'kitting up' with full leathers, helmet and 'army blister boots from the good old days' the first hour was on the flat getting used to turning/ weaving an ironing board on wheels through a few cones using my own body weight. We had to stop at the top of the real hill each time - otherwise the walk back up would be long and hard!




made it around the 90 degree turn! This time ;o)

 Then the real fun began.  Timed runs down the hill (individuals), followed by even more fun group mayhem (which I won one ... as I was only one of two that didn't crash - clearly I wasn't pushing it hard enough!!) followed by a girly competition of two (which of course I won).  I have to say that even though the group comp was mega fun .... the whole day from start to finish was a giggle. Even lunch was filled with mad stories of scars, daredevil stunts?!? and prediction of future fun.  The huge grin and reflection giggles didn't leave for a few days...
Can't wait to go back again!
So much fun as the video shows below:   Yes - I am the one in the front! ;o))))
http://youtu.be/1UCCXUiE3O4

 

 

Abergavenny Three Peaks

Great to return back to Wales to trot around the three peaks of Abergavenny. Although they are not mountains .... the three altogether had an elevation of over 5000ft with a total mileage of about 30ish miles.  Weather was perfect and I even learnt some Welsh in double quick fashion. Pont Wan! (Sign next to a metal bridge) didn't initially appear to make sense until I was at the point of no return! A gaping hole in the middle of the very wobbly metal floor that even made me stop and think twice.
The rest of the trot was uneventful, apart from the  usual off piste adventures and landing up in the wrong town but I just expect these things to happen. Compass? Yes, I did have one but no I didn't think that I needed one (well until it was too late)..... Nae matter .... I was on holiday and so what if I arrived an hour or so after my ETA? The day was finished off with some excellent company, cold beer and interesting life stories. A grand day.

Rap jumping in Stoke Newington, London - October 2012

Absolutely brilliant! Rap jumping is great... more than great in fact!  It really has a very different feel (cause you face down rather than up) than abseiling. Although it was only 150ft high .... my heart definitely added a couple of extra beats above what was needed to climb up the tower. Fun, pure original fun! Weighing up abseiling down a skyscraper and rap running ... I have to say rap running definitely had the extra edge! It was like eating a sugared doughnut without licking the lips...... running down the side of a tower holding a rope in your hands without squeezing the fingers (aka braking) is equally difficult especially when you jump out and away from the tower! Great fun .... Really great fun, I just wanted to go faster!! I have to say, what was really good was being able to have a go three times!  But I STILL need to find something that will get the heart really going and the knees knocking ..... I think I need to find something a little different..... height isn't the issue now..... Time to go underground.... next ..... potholing in December........ ;o)))))))))))

  

Ok, so this is it! Rap running down a 150ft tower! This has to be a blinking fantastic giggle and a half. Why? Well, when I abseiled down a sky scraper it didn't even make my heart flutter, skip a beat or speed up even a nano second! Result? Time to run face down, down a 150ft tower..... Ok, so this picture is just a building ... But it gives a flavour! ;o)))

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=ycCy6Qs2N7E

All done ;o) and I have to say, the build up during the days leading up-to the abseil was more nerve wracking than the actual event! After yet another busy day, I arrived and felt very /too laid-back.  I thought that when I got up to the top of the building the nerves would kick in ... they didn't. Surely then stepping onto the side of the 540ft skyscraper?.... Nope, not a bit of it!

The views were amazing... truely amazing... Looking out and then down the side of a skyscraper whilst perched on the side was great!

This was someone's else's video of the view at the top! 

I have to say that this was one for the books but also what I learnt is that my threshold appears to have risen even higher! Oh dear .... That leaves me with another dilemma .. what will I do next!?!?!? It's got to be higher, push the boundaries and well it has just got to make me think twice! But what?!? Suggestions on a postcard please! :o)))))

Photos to follow!

This has to be one of my top ten giggles to date.  In two sleeps time, I will be abseiling down a little skyscraper. The weather is looking good, wind is down and unless the tubes and trains all breakdown at the same time .... it seems that there is no way of stopping this from happening. I am so excited I can barely contain myself.  
Hmmm, ok, so I would be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous.. I am... but the excitement of knowing that I am going to be pushing the boundaries again outweighs the nerves 10000 fold. Day to day, life is simple, logical and straight forward and the opportunities of pushing the boundaries are seldom (although I admit to having more than some).  So when I know the opportunity is near, the excitement just goes through the roof. 
However,  as I sit here, I am already planning and thinking about the next, how I can follow in Prince Andrews abseiling steps and how I can fast track high lining and base jumping! 

But for now ... It's two more sleeps until Broadgate tower ... the fourth tallest building in London ......That should keep me occupied for this weekend ;o) 

Broadgate tower