Their story, in their words…
We both set off around 6 AM to get a swift train to Preston. Seeing the change in landscape definitely got us excited for the week ahead but also made real how far we were from home and the increase in independence now that we are up north. This was quite a surreal feeling at first that quickly I became accustomed to and found peace in it. But by following our maps from OS maps and the itinerary that was all printed we managed to reach the first campsite in Coniston just in time for sunset and some canned ravioli.
Over the next 4 days we spent most of our time walking from campsite to campsite and taking part in different famous walks surrounding our campsite. Geocaches, books from campsite shops and card games kept us company when service was rare. We would daily take large walks up the nearest mountain to be able to message family and friends. This lack of service really allowed us to understand the importance of use without phones and find entertainment in the world around us rather than resorting to phones.
The walks between campsites were always tough work. Walking from 9AM to around 4PM was for sure not easy, especially with bags ¼ of our body weight. Climbing the rough terrain, low visibility and elevation gain of 2,300 ft was hard work but taught us about preserving energy and enduring through it. Walking through clouds for hours, rain, wind and scrambling across slippery rocks . We both had our falls here and there but getting back up was quite a laugh. Next time, it might not be so smart to be fueled off of 9 share packs of skittles, 2 packs of wine gums and jelly beans. Our food wasn’t the most nutritious and often relied on us buying eggs and sausages from campsite shops which were delicious and good protein ( Canned beef soup from Aldi not recommended).
On our final day, the 27th, it rained heavily in the morning, making packing up the tent a slow and arduous task. As well as again slicking the rocks and making our bags heavier for the 7-mile hike from Wasdale to Seatoller which reached a peak height of 500m and on which Rafi experienced a large slip and trip ending with him lying on his back and having a cut on his arm which Zach bandaged up. The trip back was quite stressful, leading us to get back home at 4AM after a painful train delay. We were hungry and tired, not a good combination.
Across the whole week we were able to cover around 40 miles. This level of walking helped to learn more about planning that goes into these exploration trips and how technology really isn’t that important when trying to have some fun. Just get outside.
