COAST TO COAST TRAIL
The Coast to Coast Trail in the UK is a famous long-distance footpath that extends approximately 309 kilometers long (192 miles) across the northern part of England. This traverse will bring you from St. Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay. During the hike you go through varying landscapes, including the Lake district, Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. We needed 14 days to complete the hike.
Perfect start
The Coast to Coast Trail was our first significant hike together, and we still believe it couldn’t have been a better choice! Originally, we had planned to go bushcrafting with a personal guide in Sweden the same year we hiked the Coast to Coast. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to cancel that plan and find an alternative. After some research, we discovered that the Coast to Coast Trail would be an excellent introduction to long-distance hiking. Despite encountering some setbacks along the way, our experiences on the Coast to Coast remain some of the best hiking memories we have to this day.
LOTS OF FUN!
The Coast to Coast Trail is quite popular, ensuring you’ll encounter many interesting people along the way. Furthermore, you’ll traverse several nature reserves, leading to significant variations in the surrounding landscape. Beginning in the Lake District with its dramatic mountainous backdrop, progressing to the Yorkshire Dales characterized by river valleys and hills, and finally, crossing the North York Moors, one of the largest expanses of heather moorlands in the UK, all of these areas host a diverse range of wildlife.
During your journey, you’ll pass through numerous towns and campsites, eliminating the need to carry food for a 10-day period
Some amazing memories
We faced several challenges along the way as we hadn’t planned out all our campsites, resulting in the necessity for sporadic wild camping. This proved more challenging than anticipated, as our map-reading skills for suitable wild camp locations were lacking, and encounters with locals were unhelpful, leading to hiking until late hours. Additionally, during the Coast to Coast, we hiked with waterproof boots and no gaiters, which proved insufficient in protecting us from both rainfall and tall grass encountered on the trail. Disliking our soaked hiking boots, we decided to exclusively hike in trail runners thereafter. However, amid the challenges, we had the opportunity to meet an exceptional couple who graciously invited us to their home for a delightful BBQ, complete with a cake baked in celebration of Bob’s birthday. This hospitality constituted the most memorable trail magic we received and likely will ever receiv.
