Geo and Jack camp it up on the Coast to Coast

[Geo the Sarge]

How often do you change your socks? Something that might help is put a bag over your sock and the shoe outside that...keeps moisture out of the sock a bit...even though your feet will sweat a bit more.

We have been walking with people with the best boots/gaiters and all sorts, no-one keeps their feet dry here in this weather. Fisherman's waders might help but may hinder the walking.

Quite often over the last few days in the marshes you will sink below boot top height into the ground also. The trick is getting the feet properly dried/powdered/aired etc when you do stop for the day and having the boots dried as often as possible. Admin time really needs to be spent on personal admin.

Geo

[Geo the Sarge]

Then to this morning, had a really good nights sleep and only once through the night had to go to the toilets to explode.

Jack and I went over to the Co-op where Jack got crumpets and I bought some quick cook porage. We returned to the hostel to use the kitchen and whilst preparing breakfast, Denise the owner came in, her first action was to give me a warm cuddle and say how pleased she was that I was now looking so much better than last night................money can't buy wee moments like that

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This great lady has now given Jack and I the run of the place, all drying almost complete, packing will be done shortly for our move to Keld (arranged by Denise) and we are now sitting having mince pie and sausage roll for lunch.

In return all she asked is that we check out her PC for her, which as you can see by these postings, we can confirm it does indeed work.

Will finish today with a couple of other pics taken over the last day or so. Views haven't been too great and currently can only rely on my mobile phone pics as camera ones don't want to load at the mo.

Geo

[Geo the Sarge]

For Tom and Tikay............................they don't mess about with moles and the like up this way:

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[Geo the Sarge]

Jack actually looks disgusted with his cream tea yesterday, I doubt that was the case

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[Geo the Sarge]

Only other pic worth taking yesterday, tried to get a decent one of this viaduct but was a bit far away

Click to see full-size image.

[technolog]

I think for me that meeting Denise has been the highlight of the trip so far (which I suppose to be fair isn't difficult).

When we wandered in off the street last night , drenched, bedraggled & hurting, and asked if she'd got room for us, she nodded & gave a lovely warm smile. I'm sure at that moment I caught glimpse of a halo.

Denise - our guardian angel

Click to see full-size image.

[technolog]

So, motorised transport awaits us again. Not exactly what we had planned at all.

I'm hoping that from Keld (our next destination), with the watershed of the Pennines behind us, the weather will improve and the underfoot conditions will dry up. If my feet are up to walking tomorrow then I have a good chance of making it to RHB, if not...

Failure wasn't something that I'd even given a thought to, barring a fairly bad injury. I'd looked on it as an enjoyable, if arduous holiday. The weather has changed all that and turned it into something akin to an iron-man challenge.

[Laxie]

Don't know if it'll help, but Whelley says stuff your boots with newspaper at the end of each day to help soak up some of the water in them.  Mind yerselves.  xx

[technolog]

Don't know if it'll help, but Whelley says stuff your boots with newspaper at the end of each day to help soak up some of the water in them.  Mind yerselves.  xx

Tell Whelly, the boots are on their third change of newspaper and they're still damp! Mind you, with another impromptu rest day at Keld, I'm confident they'll be bone dry by morning. How long they stay like that is another story.

The right foot is starting to feel a bit easier now, so if the left one plays ball too, I'll be on my way with Geo in the morning.

[millidonk]

Piss on it! urine solves everything. Colds, jellyfish stings, sore throats, trench foot. The list is endless!

[Geo the Sarge]

We are now at our next scheduled stop at Keld. Lovely little hotel. I have managed my first proper meal in 2 days

[Geo the Sarge]

Belly and backside feel good. Have completed the surgery required on jacks feet. Think he was quite impressed with my skills with blade and needle. I carry a jar of dettol with a couple of blades and needles for just this occasion. Methinks in morning all will be well

Geo

[technolog]

Belly and backside feel good. Have completed the surgery required on jacks feet. Think he was quite impressed with my skills with blade and needle. I carry a jar of dettol with a couple of blades and needles for just this occasion. Methinks in morning all will be well

Geo

Quite the Dr Kildare is our Geo. Feet freshly sliced & diced and felt a lot easier immediately. Tomorrow's a nice easy, low-level stroll into Reeth or the woods just beyond so, although I'm sure my feet will be tender, I'm now quietly confident of getting there in decent shape. Then it's another shortish leg onto our stopover at Richmond. All being well we'll both be on top form when we leave there on Monday.

Oh and I think I'll try to find a launderette while we're there as I'm starting to offend myself! Dawn, don't forget that change of clothes when you meet me on Wednesday.

[Laxie]

Won't forget the clothes but WTF are ye on about with the slice and dice on yer feet?!  Explain please and ty. 

[technolog]

Won't forget the clothes but WTF are ye on about with the slice and dice on yer feet?!  Explain please and ty. 

Sorry, what I thought were just wrinkles on the soles of my feet caused by constant wetness, were in fact, once my feet had dried out, big blisters. So Geo took a razor blade to them to get rid of the fluid. Now after a liberal application of foot powder to dry them out, I'm good to go in the morning.