Summary

At the end we were all very happy to have conquered the Coast to Coast in just 9 days (even Chris - however he did say never again). For me the hardest thing was navigating - this was far trickier and more time consuming than I'd imagined. I was also impressed with our ability to get up and get walking very early (often before daylight). When we did the Istanballers ride last year the earliest I can remember leaving was probably about 9am whilst most of the time (at least at the start of the ride) it was more like 10.30 or 11am. We were very lucky with the weather as we only experienced rain on the first day of walking and even this was a brief shower. It could have been a few degrees warmer but  can't complain as we were walking in October. The best part of the walk (despite being the most physically demanding) was the Lake District as we'd expected as it had the most breathtaking views and scenery. The best place we stayed by far was the Cordilleras House in Richmond - if anyone ever visits Richmond stay here. The best meal we had was at Lion's Inn.

If anyone is thinking of doing the coast to coast walk I would give them the following advice:

• Make sure you have a good pair of walking boots that you have done a decent amount of walking in before so they have been adequately broken in.
• Pack light (just pack the bare essentials - especially if you're gonna be camping as you will feel every extra kilo after having the backpack on for hours on end).
• Make sure there is at least one person in your group who has experience in navigating OS maps. If there is nobody in your group who has read OS maps before allow a good few hours extra navigating time and DO NOT rush navigating.
• Make sure you have a realistic budget  for the whole trip and from this work out a daily allowance (we failed miserably with this).
• Blister plasters, waterproof clothing and backpack (or backpack cover), compass, headtorch, and warm clothing/sleeping bag are essential (especially if you're thinking of doing the walk in October).
• Early starts are highly recommended.
• Make sure you have at least enough food to get you to the next shop (this can be 20 miles or more at times so stock up when you can).
• Don't worry too much if you don't make your planned destination at the end of each day and certainly do not attempt to navigate small tracks in the dark - you can always start earlier the next day to make up the miles. 
• Most importantly have a sense of humour and try to enjoy the experience - there will be probably times when you are cold and wet walking through bog and want to give in. The best thing to do is laugh at the situation you are in and think how you'll feel at the end.

I would highly recommend the Coast to Coast walk and urge anyone who's into walking, fitness or nature to do this!!!