COAST TO COAST DESTINATION GUIDE. RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 1

Transcription

1 COAST TO COAST DESTINATION GUIDE RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 1

2 Traverse the breadth of northern England through the wild remote fells and dales of the Lake District before dipping down to the emerald valleys and hills of the Yorkshire Dales. Storybook fields criss crossed with tumbling drystone walls and the world s most charming sheep lead you across the Pennine Hills to the wide open spaces and colour of the mysterious North York Moors. The Coast to Coast is an unparalleled adventure through three of the UK s finest national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty. This walk will physically and mentally challenge you while capturing your heart with its sheer charm and beauty. Call me to discuss one of the world s best long distance walks. Sandra Coast to Coast Specialist sandra@rawtravel.com ph. (03) The iconic UK Coast to Coast walk passes through glorious English scenery in three of the country's best National Parks; the Lake District National Park, Yorkshire Dales National Park and North Yorks Moors National Park. RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 2

3 The walk was originally created and described about by the famous English fell walker and author Alfred Wainwright in his 1973 book 'A Coast to Coast Walk'. Although the route has been adapted over time the essence of the walk remains the same, a ramble that takes you from the shores of the Irish Sea at St. Bees in Cumbria across the Pennines and Moors to embrace the North Sea at Robin Hood's Bay. En route you'll walk through the best of northern England with countless small villages, majestic views and warm welcoming pubs. As with other long distance walks the Coast to Coast provides an opportunity to meet with fellow walkers from the world over. It is an exceptional way to enjoy the English countryside and its many layers of history, literature, pubs and colourful characters. SELF GUIDED WALKING Self guided walking allows you to travel in your own time from place to place and from one comfortable accommodation to the next. You walk without a guide by carefully following your Raw Travel supplied guide book and maps. It is perfect for anyone who is hesitant of group travel or who wants to travel with friends and set their own pace. Those restricted RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 3

4 to travelling at a particular time can choose their own suitable departure date (dependant on accommodation availability). Our self guided walks can be tailor made to suit the requirements of groups and individuals. Access to St Bees from Airports The nearest international airports are Glasgow and Manchester, which are 3 to 4 hours from St Bees by train. We can help book your international flights from Australia to the UK if you are an Australian resident. ACCOMMODATION Bed & Breakfasts We like to use small family run bed and breakfasts for a warm friendly welcome and homely feel. With older, historic buildings rooms are usually small but adequate and there may be a shared or private bathroom and public area for sitting/dining. Hotels As part of your itinerary we occasionally include stays in small nongeneric country hotels that offer a good standard of room and amenities. Other possible entry points include Edinburgh, London Heathrow and Gatwick. The UK west coast train line connects Scotland with London and stops at Lancaster & Carlisle from where you can take the local train to St Bees. See Virgin Trains for bookings. or Rome to Rio website for more info on transport options. National Express runs a regular London to Whitehaven coach service that is the nearest point to St Bees. You can then take a local bus or taxi from Whitehaven to St Bees which is 4 miles away. The coach is cheaper than the trains but slower. Departing the Coast to Coast at Robin Hood s Bay you can get a local bus to Whitby, from where you take a train to Darlington which is on the East Coast main line connecting London to Edinburgh. MEAL INCLUSIONS ARRIVAL INFO You will need to travel to your start point accommodation in St Bees. Our RAW Travel Specialist will confirm your St Bees accommodation (dependent on availability) on your chosen dates. Breakfast is included each day at your accommodation and usually consists of coffee, tea, cereal, yoghurt, fresh fruit, bread and conserves. Often there will be a cooked breakfast on offer with eggs, bacon and toast but offerings will vary with each establishment so this should only be considered a rough guide to what you might find each day. RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 4

5 Packed lunches are not included and should be arranged through your accommodation prior to your days walk. Evening meals are sometimes offered at your accommodation (hotels) and other times you may need to venture out to the local pub or restaurant, where the food is of a surprisingly good standard. The old jokes about English pub food don t ring true now and you ll usually find a good selection of well priced meals on offer. TRANSPORT Your luggage will be transferred daily by private vehicle on a shared service. IS THIS THE RIGHT TRIP FOR ME? When considering booking a trip it s important you look at the descriptions in the trip notes relating to accommodation, food and difficulty level to ensure our walks match your experience and expectation. Particularly with the physical difficulty rating as it s vital to select a trip that is representative of your ability. With physical gradings it s important to understand that a label, of say moderate can mean two differ completely different things to two different people depending on their experience, fitness level and mental attitude. For our Australian based walking trips there is now a track grading scale that we refer to (developed as an industry standard). For overseas walking trips you need to interpret the information provided by relating it to your own fitness levels and abilities. RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 5

6 If a trip describes daily activity of 5-7 hours walking you must ask yourself are you currently doing walks of this distance in comparable terrain? If a walking trip involves ascents of m each day you should undertake a mountain walk with a 1000m ascent to see how you cope. While we often see amazing improvements in people s fitness with a programme of regular training before a trip you need to be realistic as to whether you can commit to regular training based on your current lifestyle. If you feel you are unable to commit to the training necessary to achieve that level of fitness you should consider a trip that is less demanding. This is the only way to accurately judge whether you can cope with the demands of any given trip. WHAT S IT LIKE UNDERFOOT? On the Coast to Coast you will experience a variety of tracks and trails underfoot. Typically the mountain sections of the Coast to Coast run on single-track paths that can be rocky and muddy in sections. At times there are steps but mostly the walk is on natural terrain with some sections on sealed country lanes. Unless you are walking in winter you will typically not find snow on the mountains and mud will be a more common factor. each day involves an ascent and descent on the hills (see day to day itinerary descriptions for details). Please refer to the Australian walking track grading system for more information and guidance. We expect people to have a good level of fitness where they are taking regular physical exercise in the lead up to the event. This can be from walking, cycling or going to the gym. You will also need to practice hiking in a hilly or mountain environment with your equipment that you ll be taking to England. You should prepare for walking several hours (5-7 hours per day) a day with long ascents and descents. You will average almost 800m a day in ascents so your training should reflect this in the led up to the event. Choose hills with ascents to train on and push yourself to do long days to prepare yourself adequately. You should have some experience in walking in a mountain environment to consider this trip as the signage is sporadic on the Coast to Coast so you should be comfortable with using a map & guidebook to help find your way each day. PHYSICAL RATING - GRADE 4 You will be walking on mountainous terrain in the Lake District sections for between 5 and 7 hours a day carrying a daypack. You will need have reasonably good walking fitness and confidence to enjoy this route as RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 6

7 IMPORTANT NOTES 1. Self-Guided This is a self-guided trek so you will not have a trek leader to guide you. You will receive comprehensive guidebook, waterproof maps and accommodation notes to help you navigate throughout the trek and find your overnight stops. The majority of the Coast to Coast walk is not way marked. You may come across the occasional sign post, and you will find many unofficial signs, often preventing you from walking through someone s private property, but on the whole you are going to be relying on a guide book & maps for the route. 2. Special Meals Clients with special meal requirements must ensure they or their travel agent inform RAW Travel of this at the time of booking. Vegetarian meals are not a problem and usually well catered for in the UK, so this is not a special meal requirement - it s usually enough to tell your host on arrival at the accommodation for breakfast the following day. Options for restricted diets are likely to be limited in the more remote locations and alternatives may be more expensive or unavailable. There may be times when those with special dietary requirements may need to provide their own food. Passengers must travel with all necessary medications for food allergies and be capable of self-administering these medications. 3. Luggage Transfers We will have a vehicle to carry your main luggage from inn to inn. There is limited space available in the vehicle for luggage storage so please only bring essential items on the trip. See Packing List. RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 7

8 4. Navigation Make sure that your are comfortable with finding your way using a map or guidebook as the signage on the Coast to Coast is not that frequent and you will need to consult the maps provided and ask other walkers or locals for directions if unsure. PACKING LIST Generally speaking, you should pack as lightly as possible and we recommend keeping the weight of your luggage under 20kg maximum. Your main luggage is transported for you on the trip, so you carry only a daypack. Suitcases are possible to be used for this trip. Most travellers carry their luggage in a backpack, although a sports type/carry all bag with a shoulder strap would also suffice. You will also need a good hiking day pack when out walking to carry a clothing and personal effects such as camera, sunscreen, water, snacks, blister kit. Travel Documents Travel insurance, air ticket Credit card & spending money Personal Items Blister kit, rehydration salts and any personal medication you use Alarm clock and LED head torch/flashlight Water bottles or Camel Bak system (2-3 litres recommended) Sunscreen, hat and high UV sunglasses Comfortable daypack (30L+) with padded shoulder support & waist straps Waterproof bags for pack rain protection while walking (garbage bags are fine) Compass for use with provided map Clothing Well worn in boots with ankle support 3 pairs of walking socks 3 T-shirts (lightweight quick drying tec fabric) or long sleeved Trekking shirts 2 pairs of shorts and at least one lightweight trousers (for walking in - avoid wearing Jeans!) Thermals for sleeping Warm fleece, sweater, hat, gloves (cool evenings) Waterproof, breathable jacket & over trousers (Goretex or similar) Spare pair of shoes/trainers for inside B&B or if boots are wet Broad brimmed sunhat Optional but highly recommended Walking poles. Good for balance & taking weight off your knees on descents. Can also be bought locally along with carved woooden staffs. Other Suggestions Camera Spare batteries for camera Reading & writing material Knee brace - not essential but useful for injury Hand sanitiser - optional Miniatures of your usual toiletries Mobile & charger Snacks - though these can be easily purchased locally RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 8

9 CLIMATE Being in a mountainous part of the UK you should prepare for all eventualities with weather. Even in summer it can be cool and wet and if cloud sets in on a sunny day you can quickly be cold & damp. The climate of northern England is best described as variable with frequent rainfall occurring throughout the year (though more likely from October to April). The sunniest month statistically is July, but warm days occur June- early September and when it s dry and sunny it s glorious! On average temperatures between April and October range from 4 C -23 C, although it may be slightly cooler on the higher sections of the trail, see more detail below with climate tables based on the Lake District. When to go? May to September is the most popular time to walk the Coast to Coast, though it can also be done in April and October you will have shorter hours of daylight. Once you are into summer the days can be gloriously long, with light from 5am - 10pm and plenty of daylight to complete each days walk at a leisurely pace. July and August get very busy in the main lakeland towns though not necessarily on the rest of the walk. May and September are often the busiest months with walkers and it is essential to book many months ahead of your intended departure date to ensure accommodation at every intended stop due to the limited number of rooms in remote locations. RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL We believe strongly in low impact or rather positive impact tourism. Broadly speaking this means that we try to minimise the negative aspects of tourism on the local cultures and environments that we visit RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 9

10 and highlight the positive aspects. Please see our online policy for more details on our social and environmental approach and commitment. We recommend using zinc oxide tape / moleskin to cover hot spots on your feet to stop potential blisters developing. For more details please visit our website where we have a downloadable document detailing our responsible travel practice and philosophy. HEALTH No vaccinations compulsory. Tetanus recommended. Although there are no specific health requirements for this trip please be aware you need to be in good health to undertake this walk due to the sometimes demanding days. You should consult your doctor if you have any medical conditions to assess your suitability before departure. We recommend that you carry first aid supplies for common ailments as well as any personal medical requirements. Your first aid supplies should include: headache tablets diarrhoea treatment (both a blocker to bring relief from the symptoms and an antibiotic) band-aids blister pads for your feet and zinc tape antiseptic for cuts & scrapes lip balm high factor sunscreen. SAFETY Fire Precautions Please be aware that local laws in Spain governing tourism facilities differ from those in Australia or your home country and not all the accommodation which we use may have a fire exit, fire extinguishers or smoke alarms. Traffic and Driving on the the Other Side of the Road Depending on where you come from please note that drivers in this part of the world may drive on the opposite side of the road from what you are used to. Make sure you cycle on the right side and look both ways before crossing any road. Be aware! Petty Theft & Personal Safety While travelling there is always the risk of pick-pocketing and petty theft, particularly in bigger tourist cities. We recommend that you exercise caution when walking alone at night and only on main, well-lit thoroughfares. Be particularly vigilant on public transport. Simple measures like carrying your day pack on your front, not hanging your bag over the back of your chair and wearing a money belt will reduce any chance that your valuables should go missing. RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 10

11 VISA Australian citizens visiting the UK as a tourist for a period of less than six months do not require a visa. Other nationalities should check with their nearest UK consular office or embassy. ELECTRICAL The UK uses three pin rectangular plugs at 230V. TRAVEL INSURANCE Clients must have insurance to cover themselves for this trip. Travel insurance is compulsory for all our trips. We require that, at a minimum, you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. We strongly recommend that the policy also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. When travelling with RAW you will not be permitted to join the trip until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance company s 24 hour emergency contact number has been provided to us. If you have credit card insurance we require proof of purchase of the trip (receipt of credit card statement) with a credit card in your name. Contact your bank for details of their participating insurer, the level of coverage and emergency contact telephone number. RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 11

12 Our preferred insurance company is CoverMore as they provide an excellent service. Apply for insurance on line. READING & RESEARCH Suggested reading and other resources from our RAW Travel experts to checkout before you travel. Coast to Coast Path by Henry Stedman This is the guidebook provided by RAW Travel for your trip and will be sent out with your travel documents. A Coast to Coast Walk: A Pictorial Guide by Alfred Wainwright First published in 1973 and updated in 1992, this book contains Wainwright's original text and his hand-drawn black-and-white route maps for this much-loved walk. Coast to Coast with Wainwright by Alfred Wainwright & Derry Drabbs A beautiful coffee table book that showcases the stunning scenery and villages of the Coast to Coast. The Lake District by Lonely Planet The usual good quality offering from Lonely Planet focusing on the Lake District. Full of useful maps, history, facts and tips. RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 12

13 RAW TRAVEL NEWSLETTER We have a free newsletter full of traveller s stories and experiences as well as news on new trips that we are running. Please send us an extract from your travel journal at the end of the trip. If you have any suggestions to add more information to our destination guide that you think other walkers would find useful please info@rawtravel.com. And of course us if you have any questions leading up to your trip. We hope you will love the Coast to Coast as much as we do and we look forward to you joining us on other RAW experiences. The information in these trip notes has been compiled with care and is provided in good faith. However it is subject to change, and does not form part of the contract between the client and RAW Travel. RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 13

14 Tear off section to take with you on your travels. This section contains information that will come in handy on the road and is optimised for travel and printing. Simply print from this page until the end of this guide and pack with your other travel documents. RAW Travel - Coast to Coast Notes For The Road Money Exchange The UK uses the pound sterling and at time of writing (2016) the exchange rate was $1AUD = ATM availability: There are a large number of ATM cashpoints that accept Visa and MasterCard in the UK and you should not have trouble using your cards to withdraw cash. Credit card acceptance: in all major restaurants and shops. Spending Money Every traveller is different and therefore spending money requirements will vary. You will have to pay for lunch and dinner each day, any snacks & drinks en route or evening drinks. Allow per day. Some travellers may drink more than others while other travellers like to purchase more souvenirs than others. Consider your own spending habits when it comes to allowing for drinks, shopping and tipping. A typical evening pub meal will cost excluding drinks and a cafe lunch around Tipping Service is included in UK restaurants, although it is polite to tip 10% if the service has been very good. Bar staff and café waiters do not expect to be tipped. Emergency Funds Please make sure you have access to an additional 300 for use if unforeseen incidents or circumstances occur outside our control (e.g. a natural disaster or outbreak of bird flu) necessitate a change to your planned route. This is a rare occurrence but it is well worth being prepared! Communications Mobile coverage is good and generally can be relied upon. Global roaming charges are very expensive and pre-paid plans or cards such as Travel Sim are a good idea: Alternatively if your phone is not locked to an Australian carrier you can purchase a local SIM card. Emergency Contact In the case of a genuine crisis or emergency our Melbourne HQ can be reached on Outside office hours please call: RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 14

15 Other Sightseeing Activities William Wordsworth s Cottage and Museum - Grasmere Sarah Nelson s Gingerbread Shop - Grasmere The mysterious Nine Standards - En route Kirkby Stephen to Keld Kennedy s Fine Chocolates Coffee House - Orton Richmond Castle - Richmond A Red Squirrel - Anywhere! RAW Travel - Destination Guide - Coast to Coast 15