Lyke Wake Walk March 2015

So yes, this is one walk we can't stay away from. March 2015 marked our sixth crossing in approximately 18 months, and somehow I don't think we are showing any signs of slowing down.

This walk saw Claire, Dave and myself do the walk walking west to east, which was definitely a good idea as we had a decent tail wind for the most part on this blustery weekend.

We set off from Cod Beck, having had a chat with some volunteers from the "Osy Toads", AKA the Osmotherley Toad Patrol, whose aim it is to make sure as many toads as possible get safely across the nearby main road and to and from the Reservoir. As we set off, we saw quite a few toads resting on the road and I hope they had a successful onward jouney!

Conditions were great until we reached the ford at Hollin Hill after a couple of miles, when a light drizzle became a more persistent rain - time to get the waterproofs on. The weather calmed down after a while, so we had good conditions which is always nicer when tackling the Cleveland Hills. In January the steep steps down from Carlton Bank and Cringle Moor had been icy and treacherous, so we were grateful for the milder March weather.

We opted to go round the tops of the Wainstones and Hasty Bank using the Broughton Plantation route and this path was much drier than I was expecting, so we made good progress on this section.

The climb up to Urra Moor is always a tough one, but knowing that this is the last big ascent for a long while helps put a spring in your step. By now it was getting a bit colder but after cracking open a couple of handwarmers we soon restored feeling in our hands!

When we hit the track at Bloworth Crossing weather conditions deteriorated rapidly and we were soon battling a howling wind and near-horizontal rain. Not what the weather forecast had told us, and these nasty conditions persisted from roughly 2am through to 5am. Our usual banter dried up whilst our bodies took a lashing, as we put our heads down and rode the storm.

We took the path via Flat Howe and this path is becoming much easier to navigate than it was a year ago. We stopped for a breather when we reached the road, and fortunately the rain started to ease, as I wasn't looking forward to crossing the bog in the wind and driving rain.

The rain stopped and the sun started to rise, making the route much easier to follow. I think this was the first time when crossing the bog that the path itself was apparent. We'd always just muddled our way through this section and more often than not in the dark, but here was an actual path for us to follow - amazing!

With a bit of daylight and better weather our spirits lifted and we were back to babbling our usual nonsense. We had a break for food at Shunner Howe, then headed down the wrong path as usual onto Hamer road, meaning going back up the road a short way to get back on the path through White Moor to Blue Man i'-th'-Moss. Conditions on this section were better than expected and after a quick stop to say hello to the man in blue, we made steady progress alongside the Plantation down to Wheeldale Road.

I love crossing Wheeldale Beck, in particular when the stepping stones are navigable. Despite the steep drop down to the beck, and sharp climb back up, this is a little green oasis after miles and miles of bleakness and a lovely place to rest.

We had another food stop at Simon Howe, with the next section over to Goathland Moor clear in our sights. By now it was apparent that we were making steady progress and we really had a spring in our steps all the way over to Fylingdales and up to Lilla Cross.

I always have a bit of a cheer at Lilla Cross, for a couple of reasons. Firstly the cross itself symbolizes the walk for me. Ancient, steeped in history and mythology, this stone is an indelible mark on the landscape that will outlive us all. Secondly, it also marks the spot where the end of the walk is in sight, so let's hear it for Lilla Cross.

The walk across Fylingdales moor is long and draining and without much variation apart from the cairn at Burn Howe. Surprisingly this wasn't too boggy and before we knew it we were perched atop the drop into Jugger Howe. As always this is a test for tired limbs, but for me the variation in scenery more than makes up for it.

We were still steaming along, straight over the Whitby road and upwards towards the radio mast and Lyke Wake stone, completing in a very respectable 16 hours 30 minutes, and in good time to head to the pub and bed for the night.

Lyke Wake Walk Jan 15

One again the appeal and draw of the North York Moors took hold of us, and a few weeks ago, Claire, Dave, Jimmy and I decided once again to do a Lyke Wake Walk in January. Last January (after an awful walk!) we had more or less agreed to stop these mid-Winter crossings but somehow your mind never stops playing tricks on you and so before we knew it, we were driving up to a very dark mast in Ravenscar in January 2015, ready to meet our partners in crime.

Once again we were crossing unsupported, and I have to be honest, this is the best way I can imagine doing it. I have to stress that we are well equipped, we know what we are capable of and what our limitations, and are aware of how much food and drink we will need. Having done numerous crossings in all weather conditions over the past year we are familiar with the lay of the land too. If you are new to the LWW, or have a larger party then I cannot recommend going it alone - this link is a good guide to some of the preparations that can be done!!

Conditions were pretty favourable - it was cold enough for the ground to have a decent covering of frost, but not uncomfortably so. There was an icy wind on the fell tops, which meant we skipped a couple of traditional snack breaks, but on the whole the weather was OK apart from a brief moment.

We set off towards Coalmire Plantation in fine spirits, looking forward to the night ahead. There is always something magical about night-time walking, and in Winter there is very little chance of anyone else being around so it can be a tranquil experience too.

Fortunately the steep steps up to Live Moor were not fully iced over so the first hurdle was soon overcome. Once we reached the more exposed ground we were hit with freezing blasts of wind, and so we didn't linger at the trig point on Carlton Bank. A quick  walk down and back up saw us warm up with the sharp pull up Cringle Moor. Here again the wind was very cold, but not too strong as the narrow ridge and its sheer drop down to the north can be a bit unnerving.

The next challenge was probably one of the toughest of the walk - the rocky steps down from Cringle Moor were covered in snow and ice and pretty treacherous and made for slow going.

With this in mind we decided to follow the plantation path around the side rather than risking the potentially very slippery Wainstones. This normally very muddy section was cold enough to be pretty solid underfoot and allowed us to make good progress.

The end of the Cleveland hills is a major milestone and a sign that the walk is well underway. The real apex moment here is when you pass the summit of Round Hill, as from here you have a reasonably long section of relatively flat walking over to Bloworth Crossing then along the railway track. On our last walks this has been an enjoyable section, but on this occasion we kept getting hit with icy wind blasts and it got very cold. We were really glad to find the junction which takes us off the railway path up towards Flat Howe. This recently re-opened footpath can be tricky to follow normally, but today the footpath was clearly laid out in the snow and it was actually really simple to follow with just a few muddy sections to navigate around.

Soon enough we were on the roads headed towards the bogs and marshes of Rosedale Moor. At this point the snow started coming in hard and I think all our moods sank a little as visibility was getting poor too. Approaching the bog is always highly anticipated, but with the fog coming in and it was nowhere near getting light, we were quite apprehensive this time round. Soon enough we were in the marsh with the mist swirling around us. Every footstep was tentative as with the powdering of snow there was no way of knowing if the next piece of ground would be solid, liquid or just bog! We made very slow progress through this section, but knowing that the especially bad section is probably only a mile, we eventually made it through and headed up across the moors to Shunner Howe and with daylight fast approaching our spirits were lifting.

Traditionally I have found the section across Hamer Moor past Blue-Man-I-Th'-Moss tough going but this time it was actually pretty straightforward with the path well laid out in the snow. Blue Man himself looked dapper with a dusting of snow on his shoulders. Before we knew it we had made it to Roman road, and would soon find out if we would need to detour should the stepping stones of Wheeldale Beck be under water.

As luck would have it the water was low and we were very pleased to use the stones before heading up towards Simon Howe. Somehow I always forget this section, by now the walk seems to sneak in extra miles here and here when you're not looking! Finally we were starting to get glimpses of sunshine and things were warming up a little.

From here it is a straightforward walk over to Fylingdales, over the NYM Railway line and across the busy Whitby-Pickering road. The section up to Lilla Cross involved the usual stream hopping to get across Little Eller Beck, and sadly along this section the saturated ground won out and I got wet feet. My boots did great up until there though with a couple of full dunkings earlier in the walk - not as bad as Claire who at one point was up to both knees in bog!

From Lilla Cross the route is very straightforward and although we were glad that this clay path was nice and solid for the most part, for me this remains the dullest part of the walk, with a badly eroded path that goes on and on!

Claire's nemesis was up next - Jugger Howe. I personally don't mind this as it engages muscles that have been resting for a while, but it is a tough one at this stage in the game. Dave and Jimmy had pulled ahead here and by the time we caught up with them on the track towards the A171 they seemed quite contented, resting on bales of heather - I think given another five minutes they would have been asleep...

After crossing the road we were all pretty tired but there is that final haul up to the mast and Lyke Wake stone which needs to be done. For me this was a case of putting my head down and waiting for the finish to arrive! Although I do love this section of the moor with the fresh sea air, and the prospect of finishing another Lyke Wake crossing.

We completed in just over 18 hours which was pretty good all things considered and overall I think this was the most blister/ injury free that we as a group have completed the walk. Once again I loved this Winter walk and whilst it's not for everyone, it shows that the North York Moors is a brilliant adventure playground open 12 months of the year!

Lyke Wake Walk September 2014

Well this is becoming a bit of a recurring theme isn't it?! For the third time this year, Claire, Dave and myself found ourselves drawn to this crossing of the North York Moors across land steeped in legend and history.

It would be hard to top the June 2014 crossing where we were treated to perfect conditions, accompanied by a beautiful sunset and sunrise, but this journey once again turned out to be a special one.

It was my second reverse crossing, the first time having been done in atrocious conditions back in January. This time, as we set off, once again in the dark, but with incredibly clear skies and reasonably dry conditions underfoot.

Doing the walk in reverse means that the first ten miles require more navigation than expected - what seems like a straightforward walk during the day from Fylingdales over to Ravenscar becomes a lot more challenging at night. Instead of being one simple track headed towards the mast, paths divert off to the left and right all over the place and you have to keep your wits about you. This time, Fylingdales was completely lit up and looked even more alien at night than it does during the day, but this helped simplify navigation beside Little Eller Beck and along the boundary fence of the RAF territory.

The rest of the night passed almost without incident. Dave couldn't resist the urge to lie down on the few pieces of tarmac crossed to gaze up at the firmament, It has to be said this was possibly the most incredible night sky I had ever seen, and just when I thought it couldn't get any better Claire and I got to see a giant shooting start dart across the skies.

Of course no LWW can be completely trouble-free. The minor incidents this time were getting slightly lost on the trek back up Wheeldale, and a short twenty minute game of hunt-the-GPS-in-the-heather, which Claire won, and for which I will be forever grateful! This happened just as the sun was rising - any earlier and we would never have found it.

With the sun rising in our backs as we hit the railway track, we had the beautiful sight of a mist-filled Farndale accompanying us for the next couple of miles. Rather annoyingly, by this stage I had developed a couple of blisters which slowed me down and make the last twenty miles of walking pretty uncomfortable.

As we headed over Bloworth Crossing up to the heights of Round Hill and Urra Moor we passed the first walkers of the day. Oddly enough we only saw Cleveland Way types, I had been expecting to meet at least one or two other groups of people tackling the LWW from West to East on this beautiful day.

A reverse crossing meant that we got to experience the views and scenery of the Cleveland Hills in the daylight. This means a slow rollercoaster ride over tops like Hasty Bank, with the walk through the Wainstones being a particular highlight. By now the blisters were causing me problems, and I had slowed down a fair bit, but the scenery was more than enough compensation for a bit of discomfort.

We had an additional voice of encouragement when the New Lyke Wake Walk Club general secretary Gerry Orchard gave us a quick call to see how we were getting on, during one of the rare occasions of having a strong phone signal!

The Cleveland Hills were bustling with activities, with plenty of people out enjoying the clear weather and the recently renovated Lord Stones site looks to be very busy which is good news for the National Park.

The last few miles of the walk seem to go on for ever on tired legs, but with a reverse crossing the final stretch crosses a variety of terrain as you come down through woodland after Live Moor, crossing farmland before returning to the wooded Coalmire plantation. The last steps as you exit the plantation have now reached legendary status in our little walking group and they don't fail to disappoint every time - an absolute killer!

All that remained was the last section of tarmac to greet the stone at the start/ end, then back to the car at Cod Beck. Minutes later we were enjoying the welcoming atmosphere in the Queen Catherine hotel at Osmotherley, toasting another fine North Yorkshire Moors experience.

The Hole Of Horcum, North York Moors

I learned about the legend of the Hole of Horcum a while back on a television programme and after having read walk reports in various magazines it has been a place I have been keen on exploring for some time.

On a recent weekend trip to Staithes and Dalby Forest Claire and I headed along the A169, turning onto the steep and narrow lane that took us through the village of Lockton to Levisham for the start of this circular walk. We were not far from Lyke Wake Walk territory and from the top of the Hole we had a great view of the ground we cover on our favourite challenge walk, from Simon Howe to Flyingdales and beyond.

Starting off in the picturesque Levisham, our walk headed onto a path through woodland, skirting the top of a fairly steep valley. The path was quite overgrown in places, but easy enough to follow.

Although we had glimpses of the valley below, it would be some time before we had clearer views ahead and so this is a good build up as you anticipate the glory of this natural amphitheatre.

Coming down the side of the valley, we started the impressive walk that takes you right into the heart of the Hole of Horcum, and it is a very impressive place to be. Either the legend of Wade the Giant who scooped up a giant hole in the ground, or the forces of nature have dug this huge hollow ground that engulfs you as you walk through.

A short steep climb along a heather-clad path brings you out onto the side of the main road, and from here you have fine views over Lyke Wake Walk territory, and a look into the Hole of Horcum behind.

From here we followed the route of the Tabular Hills Walk as it forges its way through the North York Moors.

Although it feels bleak and barren as it can be here, the path is actually a journey through man-made history, with lots of signs telling you of iron age barrows, bronze age dykes, mounds, ditches, Dundale pond and other ancient monuments.I am always amazed at how man's efforts to conquer the landscape inevitably are reclaimed by nature.

From here it was a short walk back along a lane to the top of Levisham village and our waiting car.

Lyke Wake Walk June 2014

Regular readers may recognise a theme. But this is not a repeat, but a tale of another crossing of the North York Moors legend that is the Lyke Wake Walk. Our third crossing in eight months no less. As with our previous two crossings, Dave, Claire and I chose not to use a support party, carrying all our supplies as well as stashing some bottles of water on the moors for later.

For me this was the first Summer crossing, having previously done  the walk in decent to terrible Winter weather. This time around, conditions were pretty much perfect. We picked the longest day of the year, on a decent but not too hot day, after a relatively dry spell.

We set off on Friday night at abut 9:45pm from Cod Beck reservoir just outside Osmotherley. We missed out on a photo at the LWW stone as a large walking group decided to hold a meeting there before setting off on their own expedition. It wouldn't have hurt to move over and let us have the stone for a minute, but these guys weren't about to budge, and so we set off, having a good old moan right from the outset.

I have to say it was a real joy to start the walk in daylight. Not only could we see where we were going, but we were soon treated to a beautiful sunset. There aren't many occasions when Teesside gets described as attractive but this is definitely one of them.

Shortly after we were heading up the first of the Cleveland Hills, making the steep climb up to Live Moor and onto Carlton Bank. By now the light had failed and the headtorches came into action. It was fairly cool for the time of year, ideal walking conditions. We grabbed a bite to eat at the trig point of Carlton Bank before heading down and back up Cringle End.

When we passed the Lord Stones site, we could hear the merriment of people headed home after their night out, but our night was only just starting. We had an interesting moment as we headed towards the Wainstones, walking through a field of cows that were eerily silent as they watched us tramp across their patch. The Wainstones were spectacular even in the dark and this is definitely a place to explore independently of a LWW crossing.

After the Wainstones and the next hill Hasty Bank we had the long steady climb up Urra Moor over Round Hill and over to Bloworth Crossing, before getting some speed up on the railway track. We took the "new short cut", cutting onto the moors to our left over towards Ralph Cross, rather than following the track to the Lion Inn. Although we did lose the path here and there, this was definitely a good time saver. By now the sun was coming up for what promised to be a glorious day.

We stopped for some food at the foot of Fat Betty, before heading along the road to meet the boggy section....

Which was about as dry as you can get! The peat bog was bouncy, pleasant underfoot and great fun to cross. There was the occasional marshy patch and I don't think that the pond not too far from Shunner Howe will ever dry out, but this section was a real highlight of the walk as it was so easy to cross.

The dry ground continued over the road and the path up to Blue Man I' th' Moss was fine too. After Blue Man, it does get rocky making this section possibly the most challenging terrain under foot. The views open right up over towards Flyingdales, but it is a little deceptive as what looks like a fairly flat vista ahead of you hides the fact that Wheeldale is just ahead.

This deep little valley is very scenic, but hard work, with a steep climb down to the stepping stones over Wheeldale Beck. I took the opportunity to take my boots and socks off to dip my feet into the Beck and this was an amazing sensation, totally refreshing. With the sun on our faces and a nice sandwich, this was a beautiful place to stop for a breather.

But the LWW wasn't anywhere near done with us and so we made the steep ascent up to Simon Howe. In the past this has felt like a hard slog - especially when the bank up is wet and slippery, but this time it didn't hurt quite as much. When we get to Simon Howe it really feels like you are well over the halfway mark, and for me this is quite a motivator - all of a sudden the Fylingdales monster isn't a speck in the distance but right there a mile or two ahead.

A look at the clock told us that we were making excellent progress and that also meant that we would get to our pub and hostelry in good time - that's pretty much all we needed to spur us on.There were quite a few people at the layby at Fylingdales a mix of support parties and rail enthusiasts. Just over the road, for an unexplained reason there was a man asleep near the RAF boundary fence. Definitely an odd place and time for forty winks!

The newly cleared path up alongside Little Eller Beck made the section up to Lilla Cross nice and straightforward - the last thing you need when you are exhausted is to go and get lost waist deep in heather!

The dry weather also meant that the rough terrain beyond Lilla Cross was not the heavy wet nightmare that it can  be, but at this point fatigue was setting in and made this section the toughest and dullest part of the walk.

You would have thought that the steep ravine of Jugger Howe that follows would be hell but somehow I don't mind it. I love the scenery here, plus the knowledge that the end is more or less within reach makes it not feel so bad.

However once the ravine is crossed, there is some tough path and road walking to be done and at this stage I knew there were some blisters coming into play. We hit the A171 road, knowing that we only had another couple of miles to go, and that there was a nearby pub with soft beds and cold beer awaiting. Although this last section was quite a killer for myself and Claire as we had both amassed a fair old collection of blisters, it was still a celebratory climb up to the mast.

Sixteen hours and five minutes after setting off from Osmotherley we had once again completed the Lyke Wake Walk, with plans for the next crossing already hatching.

Thanks again to my long suffering partners in crime Claire and Dave. Always a winning team!