NEW LYKE WAKE CLUB

On Saturday 10^th July 2021 we arrived in Osmotherley, as the first cars in the car park, at 3:30 am.

 

Mist obscured everything more than 10 feet round about, and daylight was therefore delayed. Aided by a hastily scavenged bicycle light, we found the stone and started our crossing at 03:45

Following the purple line on out technology, we stayed on track until the dark and gloom succumbed to visibility.

The first landmark was duly included in a “usie” for posterity. This became an oft repeated practice.

The mist rolled away revealing stunning views, but the weather remained kind by sheltering us from the burning sun.

This self-supporting arch was a nice distraction

Soon after we left the Cleveland way we were passed by a female runner and her pacemakers. This is the ‘easy’ section and she was running at an incredible pace, before we knew it, she was seen climbing out of sight up to Blakey ridge. When we (ages later) reached the pub car-park a passer-by told us that the runner was aiming for the 5hr 30 min record – we hope she made it!

The gravel ‘crunch’ is an annoying noise after a while…

…but the reward of our first meal break raised our spirits

Our much-needed support provided bacon buns, hot coffee, plasters, and so much more! We were to meet on all road crossings from here. THANK YOU TRICIA!

The second-half beckoned, with its bogs and rocks!

As we headed along the road across Rosedale head the serene splendour of Ralphs cross was drowned out by a brace of V8 TVR’s

 

…….Perhaps they were providing the ‘Bam-ba-lam’ for our ‘Fat’ Betty

Handy signage heled us find our way into the bog!

Knee deep was the worst outcome of judicious footing

Happy to see the blue man

Fylingdales seem an awful long way away at this point!

Having walked down this steep traverse to the idyllic steppingstones….

…we were surprised to see it signposted as a roman road. It is surely like no other!

As we continued, we edged ever closer to Fylingdales

Tempted to put our ears to the rails here

By the time we met Lila Howe Cross, the mist was returning

The effort of the 70 meter Jugger Howe stair ascent was balanced by the irresistible attraction of the finish. The question was whether we would beat the darkness.

Still smiling at 22:00 – our slow crossing taking 18 hrs 15 mins

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Cheers !

I’d wanted to do the Lyke Wake Walk for a while and thought an overnight crossing would be good bog trotting and navigation training. I had an inauspicious start with a late train and missed bus, but the longer than expected journey gave me a chance to read the guidebook. I stuck it in my backpack when I got off the train and didn’t look at it again! I got off the bus at the Falcon Inn on the A171 and walked through orchid filled woods to my starting point at the radio mast and the Lyke Wake Walk stone at about 3pm. The first section was uneventful, but warm and muggy and I was on the look out for a good stream to keep my water supplies topped up. I managed to keep my feet dry coming down Little Eller Beck, but the bogs were freshly charged with rainwater after the storms the previous weekend. As I approached the A169 the traffic was heavy, but as I came close a gap appeared and I sprinted across. Soon after I’d crossed the North York Moors railway, I heard a steam train approaching, but it was out of sight in the valley bottom and I wasn’t going back!

There was more wildlife along the Wheeldale plantation than on the open moor, and I met a young roe deer, a wall lizard and nearly stepped on a big frog. I had a really clear, sunny evening which made navigation simple. Even where it was most wet underfoot between the Blue Man-i-th’-Moss and Hamer, it was easy enough to squelch along the route following the boundary marker stones (I was wearing trail shoes and merino socks so had soggy but comfortable feet). I stopped to bivi just as I reached the old railway line NW of the Lion Inn, mainly because I was making good time and would have arrived at Osmotherley about 8 hours early for my lift home otherwise! It was about 10:00 and starting to get properly dark. There was absolutely no shelter but it was very clear and quite still, so I just picked the least bumpy and slopey bit of rabbit nibbled grass I could find. Apart from the occasional cross sounding grouse, it was completely quiet. I had to pull my bivi bag over my face when it started spotting with rain, but otherwise I was quite comfortable. I slept patchily, and having been awake for 1/2 hour from 3:30 as it began to get light and the birds were getting noisy, I got up and set off again.

 

 

There had been low cloud early on but that cleared as I came over Wainstones just after 7 in the morning. I had been lying to myself about the likelihood of Lordstones café being open for a cup of tea and when I got there at 8:20 sure enough, it was closed and I pressed on down to Huthwaite Green. In the field after Scugdale Beck, Highland cows, calves and bull were having a lie in, so I gave them a wide berth and continued through Coalmire plantation. After a brief search I found the Lyke Wake Stone at Cod Beck Reservoir and headed down into Osmotherley for that longed for cup of tea, to wait for my lift home and my witchy powers to emerge. Start to finish, I was out for 19.5 hours, 13.5 of them on the move and 6 horizontal if not asleep.