On September 23rd, ten of us embarked on the Lyke Wake Walk. This adventure served as a charity
fundraiser for Neuroendocrine Cancer, a small charity in need of support. We are rallying behind our
friend and family member, Hayley, who has been an inspiration to us all.
The night before, we had a few drinks at the Golden Lion, like pre-gaming for a marathon, but with
pints, not protein shakes. Setting our alarms for 3 AM seemed crazy, but we met at Osmotherley car
park at 4 AM, ready for action.
One of the team had legs longer than a giraffe’s and sprinted ahead, only to be chased back into the
pack by a weird white alien with green eyes. He quickly learned to stick with the group.
We trudged up steep hills in the dark, realising sunrise wasn’t until 6:51 AM. Mother Nature owed us
daylight. However, as dawn broke, we enjoyed some stunning views and realised we weren’t on a
death march.
Our support team was supposed to meet us at mile 9, but my poor planning (sorry folks) led to their
absence. Undeterred, we pressed on toward the Lion Inn, dreaming of bacon and sausage butties.
The walk to the Lion Inn was pleasant, with lovely moorland views, until a local cycle race turned our
hike into a game of dodgems.
Mark, our Chief Navigator with Bieber-like boots, led us smoothly. It felt like the calm before a storm,
but Bieber didn’t make a cameo.
At the Lion Inn Pub, Paul and Geoff, our support crew, greeted us with a mountain of bacon and sausage. Satisfied, we continued.
The next part was entertaining, with peat bogs like trampolines due to the weather. The trail was
too wet, so we detoured to keep our feet dry. It felt impossible!
Jordan had two toilet breaks, and these were number 2’s, on his second squat down in the thick
heather, he lost his phone. Can you guess where it ended up? Hint: not in his pocket!
As we marched on and saw Fylingdales in the distance, we couldn’t help but wonder why it never
seemed to get any closer.
We reached the monument with just enough light to see the finish line. The last five miles loomed in
total darkness. Fatigue set in, but our determination carried us forward. I’m certain there were
moments during the walk when we all took a moment to reflect on why we were doing this. I
certainly did. The thought of Hayley’s strength and determination unquestionably helped us through
this final section.
We spotted a bright white light in the sky, thinking it was the radio mast, only to discover it was a
star. Fatigue had us seeing things!
Finally, we hit the main road at the last mile, with Mark leading grumpily. His Bieber side took over,
as Lee unintentionally poked the bear!
At last, we reached the finish at 21:32. A whopping 17 hours and 32 minutes of Lyke Wake Walk
madness, all for a great cause. We faced white aliens, lost phones, bogs, and questionable
navigation, but we did it!