Anyone here done the Lyke Wake walk?

[Mouseman 10]

Hi there,

 

I'm planning to do this in late June, when the daylight is at its longest, and wondered if anyone here had done it?

 

I'd love to hear any tips or hints from you as I'll be doing it unsupported, so the more information I have the better!

 

Cheers

 

Tom

[Agent Orange 11]

Been up there a few times when I was in the RAF, but never walked that route. I have just looked at the actual route and it looks like a great little walk

 

Sorry I couldn't help.

[Alligin 10]

Hi mouseman,

iv'e done this walk twice once with a group and once solo, and believe me it's not a little walk, any walk of 40 miles plus is not little. To be very honest a lot of advice is given out on this forum by people of very little experience, this includes walking routes and equipment, not just ment at you AO. The only advice I can give is, take at least 3 pairs of spare socks and use them, stick to the original route if possible, plenty of water and good planning plus route finding.

[wytchwood 10]

hello there... i have done this walk twice ,,, befre and doing i again in july.. for macmillan... it is a long but rewarding walk.. to do it unsupported is a big challenge,but good luck... you in a walking group

[megalithic 10]

Nope, never done the walk but one piece of advice i'd give to anyone walking that kind of distance is look after your feet, be sure you wear boots / trail shoes that work for you and are well worn in before you set off.

 

Be sure your rucksack works for you, there's nothing worse than a sack that causes you discomfort.

 

Take as little kit (weight) as possible allowing for safety and comfort, eg, i only carry one 750ml pan on multi day hikes and cope perfectly well.

A well stocked first aid kit is a must, a mobile phone even if only for emergency use is advisable too.

 

Without more specific details of your kit and experience the only other bit of advice i'd offer is invest in a travel tap - http://www.drinksafe-systems.co.uk/products.php#TravelTap which will see you never short of good clean drinking water and lighten your load not having to carry your supply with you, i've been using one for well over a year and i highly recommend them.

 

If you have any more specific questions feel free to ask.

 

Btw, i have a couple of 1 man tents for sale, both vgc and cheap if you need one.

[Agent Orange 11]

Hi mouseman,

iv'e done this walk twice once with a group and once solo, and believe me it's not a little walk, any walk of 40 miles plus is not little. To be very honest a lot of advice is given out on this forum by people of very little experience, this includes walking routes and equipment, not just ment at you AO. The only advice I can give is, take at least 3 pairs of spare socks and use them, stick to the original route if possible, plenty of water and good planning plus route finding.

 

I wasn't meaning 'little' as in small. I was referring to the walk as a little gem

[Mantaspook 14]

I've done this walk three times, it usually takes between 17 and 21 hours which means you'll be walking at night as some point. If you can, time your walk to coincide with a full moon.(Full moon is on the 26th of June, BTW.) Take a good torch c/w spare batteries..

 

We always started the walk between 6 and 7pm from Osmotherley which worked out fine for the night navigation as you're on walking on a disused railway track when it gets very dark. You'll see a radio mast all lit up with red lights to your right. As the night goes on you'll swear it's following you, however, you can take a compass back bearing on it to help plot your position.

 

The Lion Inn is roughly 15.5 miles in, or a third of the way. We got there about midnight. Just past the pub to the right of the path there is a sort of crater which is ideal for getting out of the wind. We usually check & treat any blisters, change socks, have an hours sleep and a brew before setting off again.

 

Navigation is fairly straight forward if you're competent with map reading, however, the moor around the 'blue man-in-th' -moss' stone is fairly featureless so you really have to pay attention. This could be difficult as your body is at a low ebb at this time and the pre-dawn light makes landmark spotting difficult, a flask of coffee to keep you alert is a good idea at this point.

 

Fylingdales early warning station is your next major landmark, we passed it between 10-11am. I've heard more than one hiker say they thought Fylingdales was 'very near the end' - it's actually another 13 miles to go! Have lunch by the stream, check your feet and slog on towards the end. Don't get your hopes up until you see another radio mast which is very close to the trig point at the finish. Like the previous mast, it seems to be on wheels, this time heading away from you. We finished the walk at around 3pm.

 

One year we met a couple & their dachshund at the finish, they all looked knackered, especially the dog. The bloke said it was a great dane when they set off…

 

I hope you have a great time & good luck!

 

Some more info HERE.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Mantaspook
Added a bit.

[Mouseman 10]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

 

I bought the guide book from the Lyke Wake Walk Club and that estimates 13hr 45mins for the walk. What sort of speed are you maintaining? I'm 6ft 2 and pretty fit so whenever I follow a recommended route I almost always beat the suggested time by an hour or two, but maybe you do too?

 

My plan had been to drive up to Osmotherley on the Friday night, sleep in the car and get up just before dawn. On 26th June that is about 4.45am so I should be arriving in Ravenscar at about 7.00pm, unless that sounds hopelessly unrealistic?

 

Any comments more than welcome!

[willman 10]

I walked it once whilst in the scouts we set off at 7ish at night. Dossed down after so far for a kip in bivvy bags and fnished tea time the next day. Bearing in mind the oldest (except leaders) would have been 16.

[chuggster 10]

ok so you've done the walk which is quite a task in itself how do you plan on getting back to your car????????? there are no direct bus or rail links to osmotherly believe me Ive walked over this national park for 30 odd years, my suggestion to you would be to organize a small walking group and get some none walkers to do car shuttles:D( they don't have to support you but it helps when you get a welcoming cuppa at the road crossings), that way when your falling apart at the seams at the finish you 'll not want to throw yourself of the cliffs:gag: just get in a car and rest.(fastest time for me 13 -30 hrs) 8 attempts all successful

regards Martyn the bog hopper;)

[megalithic 10]

I thought this was going to be a walk done over a couple of days hence my comments.

[Mouseman 10]

No, all in one go.

 

I've got someone to collect me at the end so the car isnt a problem.