Quad Torture

I was in the breakfast room when they opened at 7 a.m. I didn't have to pack today because there is no accommodation where I’ll  complete my day. A taxi was scheduled to return me to the hotel in St. Bees. I was eager to get started and was out the door by 8 a.m.

Since there was only about 16 miles of walking to do today, I figured I would be done early. They projected that the cab would pick me up at 4:30 p.m. at the termination point. Turns out they were right, and I was very, very wrong.

By the time I got to the top of the cliffs, along the shore, I'd already taken off a layer of clothing and zipped off the bottom of my convertible hiking pants. This was going to be work.

The good news was that it was totally worth it for the views. The sounds of sea birds as they swooped in and out of the cliffs and the views afforded along the trail were incredible. Several times I told myself I was pausing to take in the view. In reality, I was catching my breath. And this was not the hard part.

After the Portuguese Camino I continued to train at home as much as possible, walking 8 to 10 miles a day. The only thing missing from my training regime were some hills or mountains. There is a world of difference between walking on flat lands and covering pronounced elevation.

One of the issues with the Wainwright is the lack of signage. There are very few clues on how to proceed. It was a matter of regularly checking my guidebook and the GPS position to make progress. With all of that I still managed to get off track several times, but nothing too severe. I'm sure, in all, I didn't have to backtrack more than a half mile for the entire day. But I would rather have not had the extra distance, and kept the spring in my legs for the climb that was ahead.

I met very few people along the trail today. The most interesting was a group of three Australians. Duncan was traveling with his daughter and a friend. It was amusing to pass them, get lost, and then overtake them again, only to get lost and repeat the process.

The Australians clearly booked with a better company than I did. Their navigation information was much more precise. If anyone is considering walking the Wainwright Coast to Coast, I would suggest booking with Mac's Adventure.

Even the guidebook I purchased was more descriptive about what was to be seen than how to get down the trail. It was an annoying reminder of when the OS maps GPS system would simply tell me I was “off course.” With some help from my friends from Down Under, I managed to get down the trail safely.

There were several places where the trail dipped and rose.  The Dent was the biggest challenge of the day.  It was a very steep ascent, and on the far side it was a pronounced and rapid descent.  If it was any more steep we would be trying to work our way down a cliff. That might be an exaggeration … however, my quads would argue the point. This video shows Duncan’s walk down. 

Literally and figuratively, it was mostly downhill after cresting at The Dent.  There was actually a reprieve where we walked along a little brook on mostly level ground. It was here that I began to check my estimated arrival time for the taxi that was scheduled to bring me back to my hotel. 

When I started the day I was certain I would be done comfortably by 2:00 or 2:30 p.m. Now it was about 4 p.m. and I would be arriving at the meet-up appointment at 4:25. I guess the people who arranged for the cab have a little more experience on the Wainwright than I do.

It was great to not have to wait for the cab, so I have gratitude for the coordination. On the ride back all I could think about was getting some cold water and a hot shower. Of course, there had to be at least one more delay.

Less than a mile from the hotel we came up to the railroad crossing and the gates were down. That should only cause a short delay, in theory. However, a police officer there told us the gates were defective and had to remain down because they were not safe to be raised. Due to the damage, they could fall on a car without warning. So, we took an alternate route and I waited an extra 20 minutes before arriving at the hotel.

Maybe it was the extra time in the seated position, or maybe my muscles were just incredibly fatigued.  When we pulled up to the hotel I actually had difficulty standing up getting out of the cab. Once I got into the lobby I looked at the stairs and moved toward the elevator.

Now, it was back to the wash, rinse, and repeat cycle. With clothes drying, dinner consumed, and preparation for tomorrow's early departure completed, I do not believe I will have any difficulty getting to sleep tonight.

The guidebook says tomorrow will be another eight  hours of walking to cover about 16 miles. Without hesitation, the scenery I saw today was worth any muscle aches. I expect more of the same tomorrow as I move through the Lakes District.

I am making one change in my plans for tomorrow. Today I wore waterproof hiking boots as recommended, but I'm not sure I'm a fan. Since no moisture can get in, no moisture can escape. Wet feet are where blisters start.

By changing socks several times, I avoided any foot issues, but still I prefer my breathable hiking shoes.  Since there's no rain in the forecast and I won't be crossing any bogs tomorrow, I'm going with the tried-and-true Altra Lone Peak 6s. We will see how that turns out.