This will probably be my last post on our England Coast to Coast walk. I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the journey’s highlights. I am so glad that I have these posts and pictures to look back on, because already, there is beginning to be a sense of, “Did we really walk 192 miles across an entire country?”

Once again, I want to thank all of you who have supported us and traveled along with us via the blog. Your comments, prayers, and well-wishes have been so appreciated.

Overall Impressions:
Overall, this was a wonderful experience. I am so glad we did it. It was an adventure. There were challenging days, but even those were full of interesting experiences. I would encourage others to try something like this. Training is crucial! Good gear is crucial! Taking it slow and including rest days is crucial, at least for folks our age. But it was good enough, that I am looking for other similar, but shorter, walks.

Weather:
A huge determinant of our positive experience was the weather. We walked the entire breadth of England, over three weeks, and never got a drop of rain. That is very unusual. We didn’t expect it and neither should anyone else. Pouring rain, driving wind, and fog-obscured views would likely have made a lot of days feel different to us. And with a touch of irony, now, one day after the end of the walk, it has started to rain.

Favorite and Hardest Sections:
Our favorite days were walking up the Great Tongue Gill out of Grasmere. We had left really early and it was a beautiful morning and that was a very pretty, gradual climb. Another favorite was walking between Keld and Reeth along the Swaledale River and then in the moors high above Reeth. It was so pretty and peaceful and we saw more birds than anyplace else on the moors.

We both agree that our hardest day was climbing five moors in one day between Ingleby Cross and Clay Bank Top. It was hot, almost 80 degrees and both the ups and downs were hard.  There always seemed to be one more to climb and it was crowded with competitive mountain bikers that slowed everything down. It was the only day we both ran out of water.

Most Important Gear:
I think for anyone doing this kind of walk, the most important piece of gear is your boots. We both had excellent boots that fit well, were well broken in, and provided lots of support. For us, our second most important piece of gear were our hiking poles. They provided a degree of assistance to our legs and made all the steep climbs and descents safer and easier. I would never want to be without them, even though there were a few days we didn’t take them out of our packs. If the weather had been bad, it is likely our rain coats and rain pants would have made this list.

These boots have more than 600 miles on them and holes in both heels. Time to go shopping!

Most Interesting Wildlife:
You mean other than the sheep? The most interesting wildlife were the birds. They were so different and interesting: Curlews, Lapwings, Skylarks, Grouse, Pheasant, Golden Plover, Common Chiff Chuff, and Willow Warbler.

Most Memorable Experiences:
Our 3rd day of walking was the longest and had a hard climb, but it also had some of the most amazing views. It was memorable because we had known all through the planning that it would be tough. Could we do it? We did, and it was strikingly beautiful. The day climbing Kidsty Pike was memorable because it was our highest point of the entire walk. It was another hard day, but stunning scenery. We will, of course, always remember our hardest day with the five moor climbs in the heat. But that day will also be a reminder that we can do hard things. And finally, I loved the climb up to the eerie Nine Standards and the walk along the very lonely moors.

Biggest Surprise:
Two surprises: one is that by the end of the walk we could go 10 miles in only 4.5 hours. We were in better shape. We still didn’t want to go 20 miles, but we could sure complete 10 miles faster than when we started. The other surprise was the people we met along the way. Canadians, Aussies, Americans, English, Dutch, German, Irish, were all wonderful companions and we were blessed by meeting them.

What We Learned About Ourselves:
This might not be an especially new learning, but it is a very powerful learning. It is a learning we have experienced in our bodies, not just our minds. Success is always about the little steps. It is about putting one foot in front of the other (literally and figuratively) even when you are tired, frustrated, out of water, and it hurts. This is also about mindfulness, being where you are, and not worrying about what is ahead or behind. It is about stopping to breathe and then going on again. Success doesn’t happen all at once, it is always step by step.

The second learning, again not necessarily new, is that there is nothing as powerful as having friends and loved ones alongside you as you attempt something hard. Simply having each other on this walk was tremendous. We could encourage each other and be strong when the other felt weak. It would be such a different experience by oneself. We felt all of your prayers, love, and support. And for the first half we had friends along to share stories and help the time and miles go by more easily. There may be nothing as powerful as companions on the journey, regardless of what that journey is.

Conclusion:
So those are my reflections. It has been such a wonderful experience. Even writing this blog has been fun. I have done it all on an iPad and it has been pretty simple and quick as long as I had good Wi-Fi and internet. One more time, thanks to all of you. And most importantly, thanks and praise be to God for allowing us to take this journey and complete it safely. Thanks for the blessings of creation and such good people to meet along the way.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home,
And may the land of a friend always be near.

God bless you all,
Coe & Janet