Their story, in their words…
We began our journey by getting the tube to Victoria, from where we walked to Victoria coach station. After a bit of a mad dash to make it onto the coach in time, we settled in for the long journey to Leeds, from where we got the train to Ilkley and began our hike.
At first our spirits were high, as we were able to enjoy the sunny weather while walking next to the river and even stopped for afternoon tea at a church in the village of Addingham on our way, but as we continued to walk with no end in sight, our energy started to lag. But with a campsite in Howgill already booked for the night, we had no choice but to press on, eventually making it there in time for some dinner. After all that walking, we slept very well that night!
The second day followed a similar thread, as we admired the picturesque views of the river we continued to walk alongside- although we were already a bit sorer from the previous day. A particular highlight was crossing the river using a very old and wobbly suspension bridge, which was certainly exhilarating.
High altitudes on the third day posed a challenge, but we persevered, knowing that after this it would get easier. As we got further into the hike, it felt like it got harder to get up and pack up our tent every day, as our muscles ached more and our blisters developed, but we kept going with the help of some paracetamol and after a few more days walking, we eventually made it to Windemere. From there we got the train to Manchester and then the coach back to London, finishing the journey proud of what we had accomplished, but mostly exhausted and relieved to be coming home.
