Hiking, Scrambling, Mountaineering, and Climbing

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el_presidente in reply to @nauls
Yes, I did it in late September 1999 with a mate. Weather was mixed but generally OK.

Took 15 days. Fully self-supported, mix of camping and B&Bs when we got fed up with the rain.

I had a pair of old boots that were very comfortable, sadly they weren't the highest quality and a sizeable hole opened up on about day 3 so I had wet feet for the whole trip.

Frankly at times it was pretty grim but I was very glad I did it. Some memories:
- Camping in the back garden of the Green Man, Hardraw (site of England's highest waterfall).
- Drinking in Greenhead with some nutter who use to be a submariner in the Dutch Navy.
- Walking up the rim of the South Tyne valley watching a Hercules fly along it below us
- Coming up to the edge of High Cup Nick, so dramatic.
- Getting wasted in the Tan Hill Inn then camping in their back garden.
- My mate kicked Hadrian's Wall in frustration and a 2,000 year old stone fell out of it (whoops).
- Finishing at the Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm, drinking the free half pint courtesy of A Wainwright then several more that I paid for and only just getting the last train south courtesy of a lunatic OAP taxi driver.

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nauls in reply to @el_presidente

Sounds perfect, but probably one where the memories are getting better with age. I
think I'm going to do it mid/late March, I'm not too optimistic for the weather mind

How was the wild camping? I've done it a few times in England now but always felt a little uncomfortable doing it.

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el_presidente in reply to @nauls

You can never guarantee the weather at any time of year, but I would suggest March would be very challenging. Still very likely to get snow on the tops.

We only did true wild camping two nights. Once in the Cheviots (no other options on that leg), and the other time in a disused quarry on Saddleworth Moor somewhere, basically as close to the pub as we could find that was out of sight of the road. So not too extreme. The other times we went for proper campsites or at the very least pub gardens. I've wild camped all over the place so didn't bother me at all, but it's nice to have facilities and as stated we probably B&B'd it 3 or 4 times for a morale boost.

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