Coast to Coast

Planning a Coast to Coast walk

Planning a Coast to Coast walk requires thoughtful preparation. The full route covers around 192 miles, crossing some of the most rugged and remote landscapes in northern England. Walkers should be prepared for rapidly changing weather, poor visibility, boggy moorland, rocky ground, and sustained climbs and descents through the uplands. At a minimum, carry both digital and paper mapping, a compass, a torch or headlamp, and reliable waterproof clothing.

Although thousands of walkers complete the Coast to Coast each year, its popularity should not disguise the demands of the route. Some sections are physically challenging, particularly in poor weather, and the more remote stages require confidence in navigation as well as a realistic assessment of your own ability.
Carol descending into Far Easedale from Greenup Edge

Rugged terrain on the back wall of Far Easedale, Grasmere.

If possible, complete a few practice walks before setting out. Longer weekend hikes are particularly useful for testing footwear and waterproofs, judging the weight of your pack, and discovering how comfortably you can cover several miles over rough ground. Birkdale Common, between Kirkby Stephen and Keld, gives a good indication of how exposed sections of the route can become in mist, wind or rain.

With sensible daily distances and careful navigation, the Coast to Coast is an achievable and immensely rewarding journey. But in the uplands, familiar-looking paths can quickly become difficult to follow when cloud descends. A physical map remains valuable even when using a phone or GPS device — and knowing how to read it before you need it is more important still.
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Morning mist in the Esk valley shows how quickly visibility can change along the route.

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National Trust land linking the Cinder Track with the Coast to Coast clifftop path near Robin Hood’s Bay.

Three National Parks

The Coast to Coast passes through three national parks, each bringing a different character — and different walking conditions — to the journey:

  • The Lake District is mountainous and dramatic, with long climbs, rocky paths and conditions that can change quickly on the high ground.
  • The Yorkshire Dales bring broad valleys, rolling uplands and the distinctive limestone pavements and scars of a karst landscape.
  • The North York Moors open onto wide expanses of heather moorland, broken by steep-sided valleys and stretches of wet, sometimes boggy ground.
Always tell someone where you intend to walk and when you expect to arrive, particularly if travelling alone. Mobile coverage cannot be relied upon throughout the more remote parts of the route.
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Looking across Great Fryup Dale towards Dale Head, near Glaisdale

What to Take on the Coast to Coast

Essential Gear:

  1. Digital OS mapping downloaded to your phone for offline use
  1. Paper OS mapping, protected from the weather, as a reliable backup
  1. Coast to Coast guidebook — digital if preferred and available offline
  1. Compass — and the knowledge to use it with your map
  1. Waterproof rucksack liner, dry bags or rain cover
  1. Waterproof jacket and overtrousers, whatever the forecast
  1. Spare warm layer — such as a fleece or insulated jacket
  1. Sufficient food and water for the day’s stage, with some emergency food
  1. Whistle — six blasts in quick succession, repeated after a one-minute interval, is the recognised UK mountain distress signal
  1. Durable, comfortable footwear suitable for mud, rock and sustained mileage
  1. Torch or headlamp, with sufficient battery power or spares
  1. Basic first-aid kit
  1. Emergency survival bag or bivvy
Being properly equipped does more than make the walk safer. When rain arrives, visibility closes in or the ground becomes harder than expected, having the right equipment allows you to concentrate on the landscape and the journey rather than simply enduring the conditions.

Prepare for Mist & Mire

Birkdale Common shows how quickly the Coast to Coast can become wet and difficult underfoot. Boggy ground and poor visibility make waterproof clothing and suitable boots essential, while a map, compass and route guide provide important backup when the path becomes difficult to follow.

Expect Steep Climbs and Descents

The North York Moors may appear gentler than the Lake District, but the Coast to Coast repeatedly drops into deep valleys before climbing back onto the moorland. These steep, sometimes rocky ascents and descents add considerably to the effort of a day’s walk.

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Boggy ground on Birkdale Common between Kirkby Stephen and Keld on the Coast to Coast path Steep rocky descent from the North York Moors on the Coast to Coast path