After a horrendous journey up the A1 due to 2 accidents and queuing traffic, we pulled off after York to eat. Here the barman/waiter took the mickey out of the boys for drinking lime and soda until they told him how far they were planning to walk! We arrived in Ravenscar and then the four walkers Andy(mountain man) Cardell, Stephen (pilot) Leggott and Dave and Paul from somewhere down south set off at 9.30pm Very sad for me as I am no longer able to do the walk so supporting was the next best thing,
The weather was perfect cool but dry and clear.
We drove round to the crossing on Scarborough Whitby road to make sure they we on their way then we had a quick drive to Ellerbeck where we waited with bated breath for our intrepid explorers. They were late or were we just a bit anxious and enthusiastic!
After fuelling them with jam butties and flapjack, Debbie shooed them out with her no-nonsense school maam voice!
Driving round to Hamer in the dark had its moments with Debbie driving mountain mans car which is twice the size of her own car. We had to stop at the road signs to squint at them to see where we were as I couldn’t see the map in the dark.
We arrived at Hamer and I would like to apologise to the person asleep in their car for the noise we made doing a six point turn on a narrow road.
Sitting in the dark waiting seemed forever and then we spotted their head torches coming across Wheldale moor then as dawn broke, they turned them off and we lost them until they appeared on the path.
Fuelled this time with chicken and bacon pasta and banana cake they were escorted onto the bogs. We then drove round to Ralphs cross. Confident that the bogs were wet enough to slow them down, Debbie settled for a quick nap while I had a walk around checking the road for them coming. Sure, that I hadn’t missed them they crept up on us. More apologies this time to the people in the campervan who were probably expecting a peaceful night’s sleep only to be awoken by a group of nutters eating malt loaf and flapjack at 5 in the morning.
We had to be a bit more forceful ejecting them from the checkpoint and we drove off to Carlton bank.
While waiting in the layby, Julie and Gerry came down the steps with their party crossing west to east. After a chat we asked them to tell our walkers to get a move on when they met them as we were getting bored.
They strolled into the checkpoint mumbling under their breath about not only support party bullying them but other walkers as well!
Apparently the next 4 miles to Lords stones seemed a lot longer. (I remember that feeling well)
We enjoyed a bacon butty and coffee in the café while they stumbled across the track. We then encouraged them to hurry up to the finish as we were looking forward to hospitality at Swan House.
Cod Beck was very busy with families cooling down. As our party rounded the last bend to the stone, we greeted them with gin and tonic and warm champagne and a well-earned bacon butty. Lovely. Walk time 13 hours 37 minutes.
This was then followed by us all enduring Debbie’s severe case of road rage as she drove through a very busy Osmotherley and arrived at Swan house and after a shower and sleep for some we then were treated to one of Christine’s epic roast dinners.
Missed doing the walk with the feeling of achievement you get at them end, loved being support across the Moors.
After a better journey back Pete and Dave (from somewhere down souths) last words to us were “hope we never see you again” That’s gratitude for you
Well done to walkers Andy Cardell, Stephen Leggott, Dave Maytum and Pete Horrel
Debbie Wray and I Lynn Chapman were the support.