All in all it was a hard day. The first twelve miles to Clay bank Top were OK with fine surroundings and I completed them in five hours, having set off at 11:00. The main problem turned out to be food: there was absolutely nowhere along the way to re-stock. For breakfast I had consumed a miserly flapjack and once underway I made do with a diet of sweets, chocolate bars and water.
The initial climb up from Ingleby Cross wore me out after the relatively even terrain of the previous day. Looking back the way I had come all I could see was a vast and flat checkerboard of fields. Rain spat at me from time to time and I could never be sure if I should put my rain clothes on or not! As you approach Clay Bank Top there is a series of three peaks and troughs. Each time you come down thinking you've had the last of them only to discover a new upwards slope! On the final peak (and it really was the final one this time!) were the Wain Stones which I stopped and inspected for a little while.
I met a couple of groups of old-timers: the first lot were doing the Cleveland Way and the second lot Coast to Coasting as I. The latter group pointed out the first glimpse of the sea to me and I promptly whipped out my camera and asked them to take a photo of me pointing and smiling at this delicious prospect!
The views were panoramic along this section. I snapped a few shots but doubted that any of them would do justice to actually being there!
On arrival at Clay Bank Top at about 16:00 I had the best lunch I could: a cup of tea, a pepperami, a mars bar and some boiled sweets. Then I began the 10 mile walk to the camp site. This stretch, although easy walking (along a flat, disused railway track), was so dull that it seemed to take more like three years than three hours!
At 20:00 I got to the Lion Inn, took my boots off and went inside to pay for my camping. Whilst there I also purchased two packets of dry roasted peanuts and two mars bars, my total bill coming to three pounds and fifty pence.
Once I had pitched my tent, warmed myself up with another cup of tea and quelled my hunger with the peanuts it was time to make a phone call. I rang my parents to arrange to meet at Robin Hood's Bay on Thursday (2 days time). If felt wonderful to speak to them, having had virtually no extended conversation for the last eight days, and before I knew it the call had gone on for half an hour! It was also a great feeling to arrange the end of the walk: one and a half days to go and this adventure would all be over. For dinner I heated up some minestrone soup and then I tried my best to sleep.