INTRODUCTION - A Northern Coast to Coast Walk: From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay - page 7

days that you can realistically complete, and even then be prepared to
abbreviate your intentions. Don't be drawn into joining other walkers you
meet and inadvertently pressing on to do more than you feel comfortable
with.
As a general guide, you will need about two weeks to do the entire walk,
give or take a day or so, plus whatever time is needed to get to and from
start and finish points.
The total distance is 300km (190 miles), and involves an ascent (and
descent) of 6995m (22,825ft), no mean undertaking - a Himalayan peak,
in fact.
As mentioned earlier, to avoid imposing any set pattern on the walk
beyond that demanded by the disposition of accommodation, it has not
been broken down into daily sections. The whole route is divided into five
sections of nominal geographical significance. Each of the sections with-
in these divisions represents an artificial linking together of two or more
places that provide accommodation in some shape or form, and even then
there are exceptions, as at Clay Bank Top in the North York Moors.
All this presupposes that walkers want to do the whole thing in one en-
deavour, and this is a commendable and logical challenge. But I've met
up with many people doing it in instalments, and getting just as much fun
out of it, and in some cases rather more, because they can cut out and go
home if the weather gets really bad.
MAPS
The following maps will be needed.
Either: 1:50,000 Landranger sheets
89 West Cumbria
90 Penrith & Keswick, Ambleside
91 Appleby-in-Westmorland area
92 Barnard Castle & surrounding area
93 Middlesbrough & Darlington area
94 Whitby & surrounding area
98 Wensleydale & Upper Wharfedale
99 Northallerton, Ripon & surrounding area
Or: the following Explorer maps (be sure to get those with Access Land
shown) at 1:25,000