Sandy Curry served 20 years in the United States Air Force and then worked for the Department of Defense before retiring in 2018 at 56. After that, she and her husband went on a six-month trip to Australia and New Zealand before settling in Florida. Since then, she has enjoyed rambling in different parts of the globe, each time pushing herself to new heights!
My husband Bill and I first got interested in hiking in 2017 when we hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. He was 63, and I was 55.
Since then, we have done many day hikes in the US National Parks and multi-day hikes in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. We love that those countries have hikes where you only need a daypack. Your luggage is transported daily and is waiting upon your arrival at that night's lodging, typically an inn or B&B. I need a bed and a real bathroom!
Preparing For The Hike.
Bill was turning 70 in May 2024, and we knew we wanted an adventure for that milestone birthday. We started researching hikes and settled on the Coast to Coast (C2C) hike in England, which begins at St. Bees on the Irish Sea, travels 192 miles, and finishes at Robin Hood's Bay on the North Sea.
It was twice as long as our longest previous hike, and we knew it would be a challenge, so we prepared by watching YouTube videos about the hike, joining C2C Facebook groups, and reading the Trailblazer C2C guidebook.
We decided not to use a tour company this time, as we wanted to take our time. We decided on a 15-day hiking itinerary with three rest days. We started booking the B&Bs and inns a year in advance because we wanted to sleep as close to the trail as possible, and closer accommodations book up fast!
We started training in early 2024. Since we live in Florida, our walking trails are mostly paved and flat. So, we traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina to train on trails similar in distance and elevation to the C2C.
Day One
We arrived in St. Bees on May 10th, settled into our B&B, and then found the trailhead, so we were ready to start the hike the following day. After that, we located a local pub and enjoyed the first of many steak pies we'd eat along the way!
We set out after breakfast and a cup of coffee to calm my first-day jitters. We took our obligatory "starting line" pictures, then stepped into the Irish Sea and picked two rocks we would carry for the hike because there is a tradition of starting the hike by stepping into the Irish Sea and picking up a rock you will later toss into Robin Hood's Bay in the North Sea on the final day.
Our first few days of the hike took us through the Lake District, a beautiful but very hilly region! We climbed the hike's first hill and followed the coastline for several miles before turning inland.
It was an unseasonably warm and sunny day, and I soon discovered that hills and warm sun don't work well for me - I found the sun to be brutal. We finally reached the top and took a short break before starting down the Raven Crag, the steepest hill of C2C.
As bad as I am at going uphill, Bill is almost as bad going downhill, so it was slow going walking down without falling. Finally, after 9.5 hours and 15.5 miles, we arrived at Ennerdale Bridge, our home for the night. We enjoyed a couple of beers with dinner and chatted with fellow travelers before calling it a night.
Day Two
The weather report on day two called for afternoon thunderstorms, so we skipped breakfast and got an early start. We had to choose between the north track of Ennerdale Water and the south route, which is a more challenging, technical hike. We decided on the south route, and it turned out to be scenic and fun.
It was relatively flat along the lakeside, but there were many rocks and roots, so we had to watch where we were stepping. We also had to scramble over boulders in a couple of areas, but the beauty of the landscape around us, the serene lake, and the lush greenery made every step worth it.
After a few miles, we reached the end of the lake and joined the north trail, which we followed for another four miles. We reached the YHA Blacksail bothy—a remote shelter with bunks, a bathroom, and an honesty box selling snacks and drinks. It was the perfect place for a lunch break before starting the second half of the hike.
Sitting at the Blacksail, we could see the hill ahead of us, and I felt nervous because it looked like a big climb. I've completed many long hikes, but I often feel like I'm not a real hiker but rather an old, "fluffy" lady who doesn't belong out here. Imposter Syndrome is a real thing!
Climbing that hill was brutal, and I counted my steps to distract myself. Bill was concerned that I wouldn't finish and might have to turn around and get a ride to our next stop. But I persevered, and the feeling of reaching the top was an indescribable moment of triumph.
Then, we had another long, steep descent, followed by a break at the Honister Slate Mine Visitor Center, which served the best brownies! We then continued another 15 miles until we arrived at our lodging at the Royal Oak Hotel in Rosthwaite—a lovely place with comfortable rooms and great food.
Day Three
Day three was shorter, around 10 miles, and I was feeling a bit cocky after having completed the previous two days without dying. We started with breakfast and met some fellow hikers, including Rod and Carole, an Australian couple that we would meet up with multiple times during the hike.
Bill warned me that it would be a challenging climb despite the shorter distance, and he was right. Fortunately, it was a bit cooler, but the climb felt endless. I’d see the peak and get excited, only to find out it was a false summit and find another steep climb; we scrambled on the rocks, using our hands to pull ourselves up, thinking it was the end, only to find it was another false summit.
Finally, we reached the top and started our long descent into Grasmere, our destination for the next two nights, where we planned to take a rest day, do our laundry, and go sightseeing. Torrential rains kept us from doing any of that, but at least we weren’t hiking in the downpour!
Day Four
Our fourth day was also relatively short, with only 9 miles, but there was yet another big hill to climb. We enjoyed an uneventful and incredibly scenic hike to the Old Water View Inn in Patterdale. I was relieved because I knew the next day was going to be a big one.
Day Five
On this day, we crossed Kidsty Pike, the highest point of our 15-mile, 3,500-foot elevation hike. We started at 7 a.m. and began climbing. The cool temperatures at the start didn't last long, as the sun and the climb soon had us both sweating.
We continued upwards, passing Angle Tarn and The Knott before finally reaching Kidsty Pike. As we arrived, clouds descended around us, obstructing our view and making it difficult to see the trail. We traversed steep, wet meadows, where I slipped and twisted my ankle.
Afterward, we joined the main trail alongside the Hawkesworth Reservoir. By the time we arrived in Shap, our stop for the night, I was limping. However, another hiker gave me a tube of ointment, and with that and some ice, I was good to go the following day!
Day Six
Day Seven
The following day, we had an easier trek, covering 13 miles with only a 1400 feet elevation gain. We walked through fields, climbed over several stiles across stone walls, and traversed rolling hills. We reached Kirkby Stephen early and received a warm welcome at our B&B.
I had booked our stay over a year in advance and informed the innkeeper that we would be taking a rest day there for Bill's 70th birthday. They remembered our plans, decorated birthday banners, and baked cookies for him. If you find yourself in Kirkby Stephen, I highly recommend staying at Old Croft House.
Day Eight
After having a meal at Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe in the nearby village of Settle, we set off on our 8th day of hiking. Our destination was the Nine Standards Rigg in the Pennine Mountains. The Nine Standards are a group of large cairns built at the top of the summit for an unknown reason.
After reaching the top, the terrain changed as we started hiking through wet, muddy bogs. We'd heard stories of people losing their shoes in the bogs and the trail needing better marking. We found a couple of large rocks that served as a table and chairs for our packed lunch before beginning our descent into Keld, our next stop and the halfway point of our journey.
Day Nine
Day nine took us from Keld to Reeth—over 1300 feet elevation gain and 12.5 miles. We traversed multiple stiles, crossing farmers' fields. There are various types of stiles, some much easier to cross than others. Some stiles were only narrow openings in stone walls, which enabled you to cross from one field to the next.
This was a challenge for me because I am on the fluffier side and was carrying a backpack. One of the stiles was so narrow that I couldn’t fit through. I thought my backside was going to knock down the rocks along the top part of the wall. Fortunately, I found a nearby gate that I could pass through!
Overall, we had a good day and arrived in Reeth without incident, but I was concerned about the next day. Bill always tells me to just hike the current day’s hike and not worry about the future days. But I was worried after hearing the weather forecast for the next day, which predicted heavy rains for much of the day.
Day Ten
On day ten, we walked 11 miles from Reeth to Richmond in the rain. Our B&B in Reeth had a quote on the wall in the breakfast room: "There is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing." We realized that our clothing was only somewhat suitable for the weather. Waterproof raincoats kept the rain out but made us sweat, so we still got wet. Although our boots were supposed to be waterproof, they ended up sopping wet. Surprisingly, our waterproof socks worked well.
We finally reached Richmond, where we would enjoy our last rest day. After removing our wet clothes, we had lunch and a couple of beers before checking into our hotel. Our room had a large bathtub, and I enjoyed a relaxing bubble bath. The bathroom also had towel warmers, which helped dry our wet clothes and shoes. We had a good rest day, exploring and doing our laundry.
Day Eleven
Our 11th day was 23 miles from Richmond to Ingleby Arnecliff. We had only walked 23 miles once before while training. I knew this one was a biggie—not only long, but there were things to watch out for, like the possibility of arriving too late at our B&B for dinner or the risk of trying to cross the A19—a dual-lane motorway with a speed limit of 70 mph, or the chance of encountering a bull in a field that might chase and trample us. Fortunately, none of those things happened.
Next, we walked through fields where the farmers don't like hikers, and who made the trails very narrow and right up against the barbed wire. After the previous day's rain, I also found a portion of the path that was like ice skating uphill in the mud.
We came up to the A19, which we had to run across during rush hour on a Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend. After worrying about this for some time, we managed to run across it without any issues! I was so relieved to be alive that I ran the last quarter mile to our B&B with a skip in my step!
Day Twelve
We hiked a short 12-mile trail in North York Moors National Park, which had multiple steep hills. As soon as we descended one side, the next climb began. Around two-thirds into the hike, we took a break and had lunch at a café where we met a couple of Australian women who were also doing the hike.
They were worried about reaching the hotel at the end of the day as it was the only place we couldn't walk to. Instead, we had to call the hotel for transportation. Since our new friends' phones weren't working, they asked if we could call the hotel for them. We agreed to meet them at Wainstones further along the trail. After navigating over rocks and up and down hills, we reached the meetup point and found the Australian travelers.
Day Thirteen
On day 13, we had an easy hike, covering only nine miles. After an initial climb, we walked on a flat, wide trail through the North York Moors. We spotted several birds, including grouse, which have a unique sound, as well as curlew and lapwing. We reached our lodging for the day, the Lion Inn (established in 1553) in Blakey Ridge, just after noon. We were able to check in early, dry our clothes, and warm up. I enjoyed my first Sunday Roast dinner and looked forward to the next day's hike!
Day Fourteen
On our 14th day of hiking, we traveled from Blakey Ridge to Egton Bridge, covering a distance of 12 miles. The terrain changed noticeably as we moved from an easy trek through the moors to a more challenging hike through the Esk River Valley. We encountered muddy trails shared with mountain bikes, making it quite a slippery journey. However, the highlight of the day was catching our first distant views of the North Sea. After reaching Egton Bridge, we checked into our hotel to prepare for our final day's hike.
Day Fifteen
On day 15, we completed the final 17 miles of the C2C. The last five days encompassed 73 miles, which we had referred to as Hell Week for the past six months. The climb out of town was described in the guidebooks as "savage" and "calf-popping," reaching an elevation of 2300 feet.
It was the second-longest hike of the entire trek. Because we were moving slowly and rain was forecasted, we decided to skip breakfast at the inn and start early. The initial part of the hike involved a long, steep climb through the town of Grosmont, which surprisingly went well — I made it up the hills without taking breaks or slowing down much.
The second portion of the hike took us through the Littlebeck Nature Reserve. It began as a lovely hike through the woods and then transitioned into a very muddy trail, where we slid around before returning to a nice trail. Along the way, we encountered "panda cows," a sheep farmer, and a dog herding sheep. Aside from the muddy section, it was a great hike!
The last portion of the hike involved traversing sheep fields that quickly turned into bogs. We couldn’t take many pictures during this section because walking was difficult! It was so wet that our boots were in danger of being buried in the bogs, with water overflowing into them. Our socks got soaked, and we trudged through this for a couple of miles — at times, I was worried that my boots were going to be sucked off my feet!
The final part of the hike — the coastal walk into Robin Hood's Bay — started off okay, but we soon found ourselves on a slippery, muddy trail along the cliffs. I'm always afraid of falling, so these last few miles took much longer than expected. We eventually arrived at Robin Hood’s Bay and walked down a very steep hill to the North Sea, where we dipped our toes in the water, threw our rocks in, and just like that, we were done!
I got emotional at the finish line. It was the longest, most demanding hike we’ve done. There were times when I wasn’t sure that I could finish it. Bill supported me on the uphill, and I supported him on the downhill. And although at times I still don’t feel like I’m a real hiker, I look back at what we did —walking 192 miles across England and feel very proud of myself.
We may not have been fast or graceful, but we did it—just one foot in front of the other, sometimes loving it, sometimes hating it, but with such a feeling of satisfaction at finishing.
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