day 7 - this is it

day 7 - glaisdale to robin hoods bay, 20 miles 1600ft

after the previous nights shennanigans, the final day was upon us accompanied with great anticipation and rising spirits. the 20 miles would come and go with the great dark and menancing north sea getting ever closer

no trains to robin hoods bay


the route was no less dramatic, no less beautiful than any of the previous six days but im not sure we paid as much attention to it. we were waiting to see the sea and moreso, the cobbled tight streets of the stuning robin hoods bay.

midge hall




richard ditches the salad cream sandwich for..


very relaxed we ran some and we walked some. some of us still hoping for lots of stick throwing capers



nearly there


there it is!


having been brought up further up the coast from here, i felt quietly emotional for the north sea to be our final destination point, like coming home in a strange kind of way



the 3 mile cliff top route from moor wyke hole seemed to go on and on, but each turn brought yet another stunning and different view of the coastline and the huge vertigo-inducing cliffs



then round from ness point there it was..our finish line!

striding down through the steep, narrow street that leads to the beach there was no welcoming reception, no cheers or handclaps. we were just two guys and a dog quietly ,and with our own probably very different thoughts, about to complete an adventure of a lifetime



we ran past the bay hotel and the finish plaque and went for a last minute sprint finish to the shoreline...though i guess it looked nothing like a sprint to any other eyes



some woops of delight, some high fives, we'd done it! 194 miles done and dusted!



id love to know what went through charlie's mind though i'm pretty sure he was too preoccupied messing around in the sea to really notice or care















after lots of photos, texts and calls loved ones and friends, celebratory beers were in order and the signing of 'the book' in the bay

once the euphoria had died down a little, and the realisation that all that fun and the huge challenge was over, an eerie silence began to descend upon me. its funny now to think that such an immense high can without notice start to dip so incredibly
quickly. there was a real 'what now?' in the air.

there was nothing blase about it. richard had achieved what was previously in his mind the unachievable..a completely loony idea i had suggested just six months previously that he never thought possible.
i always felt, or should i say made myself believe it was doable. but i was just so bloody relieved that i got us across and that my navving duties were finally over!..for now anyway.

our final watering hole


and charlie? i think he had the week of his life too. always leading the line, always wagging his tail full of fun, abounding energy and spirit..he was a great inspiration to us both. without him, i wouldn't have ever thought of tackling this.
and along the way, i gradually learned to become more patient with him. our bond has strengthened and im really grateful that this trip could have such an unexpected positive effect

sweet dreaming


this was our adventure. our adventure of a lifetime. 7 days of pure exhilorating fun where time seemed to stand still. a moment away from the maddening world. a time never to be repeated, never to be compared with. it was what it was. and it was bloody bloody brilliant!