Coast to Coast – The Lake District – 9 Days

DISTANCE - ABOVE AVERAGE

Distance training is a major consideration in your overall training program. As you progress, incorporate longer walks into your training plan.

Schedule one or two long walks each week, gradually increasing the distance until you can comfortably cover 17-25 km in a single day. Also include walks on consecutive days to help your body adapt to the demands of walking for multiple days in a row. Take every opportunity you can to walk. If you have a fitness watch or phone, you should try to reach >15,000 steps every day.

Ensure you can comfortably walk the average distance per day displayed in the graph, at least one month before you undertake your hike.

ELEVATION - ABOVE AVERAGE

Elevation training is a major consideration in your overall training program. You must include walks with serious hill climbs.

If you do not have access to hills, it is essential to replicate the elevation level you will be undertaking in any way possible such as on a treadmill or stair climber. Walking up and down stairs at work, at a local oval with a grandstand, or up and down small hills is incredibly useful. Also, prioritising resistance weight training will help you develop overall muscle strength.  Elevation is often where walkers encounter problems, opposed to distance, as it uses an entirely different set of muscles to everyday flat walking.

If high altitude is a factor, incorporate sessions at a higher altitude to acclimatise your body to reduced oxygen levels if you are able to. Ensure you can comfortably walk the average elevation per day displayed in the graph, at least one month before you undertake your hike.

TERRAIN

UNEVEN TERRAIN

Preparation for hiking on uneven terrain demands a blend of physical and mental readiness.

Begin with balance-enhancing exercises, such as one-legged stands and stability ball workouts, laying a groundwork for stability and coordination. Strengthening the lower body is especially important, achieved through the incorporation of squats, lunges, and step-ups. Gradually increase the complexity of the terrain on which you walk, moving from gravel paths to rocky trails. Cultivate mindfulness during your practice, directing focused attention to both your immediate surroundings and precise foot placement.

The importance of suitable footwear cannot be overstated; prioritise options that offer robust support and reliable grip to navigate varying terrains with confidence. Build endurance through consistent hikes, progressively increasing distance and difficulty.

MOUNTAINOUS / UNDULATING TERRAIN

As terrain associated with mountain climbs is often somewhat uneven and rocky, balancing and core exercises are vital.

Try to also include some form of elevation in more than 50% of your walking and prioritise resistance training, whilst incorporating stairs anytime you can. Walking up mountains or hills, up and down stairs at work, or up and down at a local oval with a grandstand is incredibly useful. Elevation is often where walkers encounter problems not distance, as it uses an entirely different set of muscles to everyday flat walking. Concentrate on doing lots of squats and lunges to build your glute muscles.

WHY CHOOSE AUSWALK FOR THE COAST TO COAST

For starters, we’ve actually walked the track and taken the time to curate what we actually offer. The Coast to Coast follows clear walking tracks throughout but there are lots of tracks going in all directions. In areas like the Lakes District National Park, walking tracks are not signposted at all, it is apparently against their “ethos”. Not to worry, our very comprehensive day-by-day walking notes that we’ve created, together with our marked copy of a detailed walking map, will ensure that you can walk the Coast to Coast with full confidence and no fear of becoming lost, even when it is foggy and misty.

AVAILABILITY OF THE COAST TO COAST WALK

The walk is available from March to October. Outside that time please check with us.

August is one of the best months in which to walk the Coast to Coast. The weather is often relatively stable, the heather is in flower, and it is often less busy at this time than one might expect! However, we also recommend spring and autumn as the best time to walk the Coast to Coast track as the weather is pretty good for walking.

HOW TO GET THERE AND GET AWAY

We offer this walk from St Bees to Kirkby Stephen, from west to east so the walk starts in  St Bees. The closest airports to the St Bees are Manchester and Newcastle, then it’s a 4-hour train ride from there. Of course, London is the most popular entry route into the UK. You can take a train which takes 5 to 6 hours from Euston Station central London northwards to St Bees (via Carlisle).

1. Travelling to the Start of the walk

Please refer to your itinerary. To make it easy we have collated some useful information that will assist you in making arrangements for your travel.

By Air: The easiest option would be to fly into the UK, any of the major cities will suffice as the UK’s excellent train network will ferry you to St Bees. The main UK airports for international flights are: Heathrow Airport www.heathrowairport.com, Gatwick Airport www.gatwickairport.com, Manchester Airport www.manchesterairport.co.uk.

The nearest airports to St Bees are: Durham-Tees Valley Airport www.dtva.co.uk, Leeds Bradford Airport www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk, Newcastle Airport www.newcastleairport.com

By Ferry: International ferry services run to UK ports from France, the Republic of Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. There are also local ferry services that run from the Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly, Isle of Man and the Scottish Isles. Visit www.aferry.co.uk/ferryports.htm

By Rail: The easiest way to get to the start of the track from London is by train. St Bees has good train services. For easy train bookings in the UK (and beyond), we recommend using the LOCO2 website https://loco2.com/en. They have an excellent smartphone APP too. Just enter your station of origin, your destination, date of travel etc, and options will be presented (times, fares etc). You can pay online. Electronic tickets or ticket pick up at the station (from dispenser machine). Trains from London connect with the Cumbrian Coast Line (Northern Rail) which services St Bees. There are several trains daily. Trains to St Bees from London will take approx. 5 hr, with 1 or 2 changes required.

If you would prefer not to change trains, consider going direct from London to Penrith and spend the night there before continuing to St Bees by private transfer.

By Coach: National Express Coaches link most major towns and cities in the UK. For details of departure times and to book tickets call 0871 781 8181 (or +44 (0) 871 781 8181 from overseas) or visit https://beta.nationalexpress.com/.

By Bus: Various buses run to St Bees from nearby towns. Please visit http://www.traveline.info/ for up to date bus journey schedules.

By Road: If you have your own vehicle and are thinking of driving up to the walk, we would suggest driving to Penrith where we can arrange secure car storage for the duration of your walk. You will spend the night in Penrith and then get a private transfer out to the start of the walk. If this appeals to you, please contact the Auswalk office about this as soon as possible. For advice on driving to St Bees, please visit www.theaa.com which has a very useful route planner.

2. Travelling from the End of the walk

By Air: The nearest airport to Kirkby Stephen is: Manchester Airport https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk

By Rail: Kirkby Stephen in on the main Carlisle to Leeds Train Line. To get to London from Kirkby Stephen, take the train to Leeds (Northern Rail Line). Then change at Leeds to continue to London Kings Cross Station (North Eastern Railway). Travel time is approximately  4.5 hr. For easy train bookings in the UK (and beyond), we recommend using the LOCO2 website: https://loco2.com/en.
As with flights, the earlier you book, the cheaper it is. Pick up tickets at the station machine – you just need to provide the credit card that you used to book the tickets online, and they’re printed and ready to go.

By Coach: National Express Coaches link most major towns and cities in the UK. For details of departure times and to book tickets call 0871 781 8181 (or +44(0) 871 781 8181 from overseas) or visit https://beta.nationalexpress.com/.

By Bus: Various buses run from Kirkby Stephen from nearby towns. Please visit http://www.traveline.info/ for up to date bus journey schedules

By Road: For advice on driving from Kirkby Stephen, visit www.theaa.com which has a very useful route planner.

3. Returning to the Start of the Trail:

To return to the start of the walk, from Kirkby Stephen take a train directly to St Bees (approx. 3 hrs). Please note that there are different options for this journey, depending on the date and time you wish to travel. We recommend visiting the following website Northern Railway.

WALKING

8 days is the recommended minimum amount of time in which to do this walk. This means that there are days where you walk up to 23 km days and a few as 14 km. The shorter days have a little up and down so there’s enough walking.  We can also adjust this schedule to include rest days if you need to. The track conditions range, but all of the walk is passable, no scrambling required. There is some incline but we are not talking about anything significant. The United Kingdom is prone to having rain, no surprise there, so there may be some boggy sections but this entirely depends on the time of year and the prevailing conditions. Our advice is to prepare and bring the right gear and you’ll have a fabulous walk. See gear advice in the FAQ section.

WEATHER ON THE COAST TO COAST WALK

This walk is not available from November to February. See the United Kingdom Met office or the United Kingdom Meteorological Service for information about the weather and average temperatures and rainfall at different times of the year.

INSURANCE

We require that you have adequate travel insurance against potential losses, damage or injury, including cancellation costs and loss of luggage.

For all trips that require international travel, you must have purchased travel insurance that also includes medical evacuation coverage.

We also charge a cancellation fee if you cancel your walking holiday after we have confirmed it to cover costs incurred from our suppliers and in the office.  See the FAQ section for more information.

INFORMATION PACK

For nearly 30 years we have taken pride in providing seamlessly organised walking holidays, but we know, even with that in mind, that you’ll have many more questions. You will receive a very detailed information pack and itinerary approximately 6 weeks out from departure outlining all the fine detail and much more.

CONTACT

If you have any questions, feel free to ask one of our destination consultants. You can get in touch with us via our contact form, email us at info@auswalk.com.au, or call us on +61 3 9597 9767.