Walking The Challenging Cliffs To Scarborough
According to the weather forecast it was going to be dry and windy today, perfect for a cliff walk to Scarborough I thought, starting off at the country park cafe would make it perfect. Well it didn’t quite turn out that way, the cafe was closed and the walk was quite the challenge. It rained for perhaps a third of the route and I was very pleased that I’d decided to wear my full rain gear, so I was comfortable enough, maybe a little hot. I was windy too, but that wouldn’t have been a problem if it wasn’t for the mud! Why was the mud a problem? well imagine walking along a muddy path a few feet from the edge of a sheer cliff and being blown around by the wind, with no purchase on the ground. Some stretches were a bit like a cliff top ice rink, so slippery! Fortunately the walkers before me had figured out a solution for much of the route, push down the barbed wire fence that separated the fields from the path and walk along the nice grass track that now runs parallel to the official muddy one. There were a few spots where there was no alternative but the mud though and some of those were very steep descents and climbs, totally impassable without grabbing onto vegetation, wire fences or sliding. Fortunately I only had to slide once and my backpack kept me from getting too muddy. One thing that drove me a little crazy though was the farmers habit of running a strip of barbed wire along the top of every fence, exactly where a hapless hiker would want to grab to save themselves from falling and I had a few lucky escapes. Why all the mud? was it all the rain, or all those walkers? no it was horses!!! How stupid and inconsiderate to take horses on such a narrow, unstable and dangerous path, it only took a few to really churn it up. Despite these challenges though the walk was wonderful, challenges often make a great walk, especially once it’s over and I’ve survived, I’m well fed, warm and dry and all my muddy gear is clean and drying.
I slept well again, although I did wake up briefly a couple of times, I was snuggly under the huge quilt and I’d kept the room lovely and cool by leaving the double doors open for a couple of hours before I went to bed. I had a muffin for breakfast and then made myself a pack up for later and headed out in the car, parking up at the country park. I then did the walk, stopping half way for the feast I’d taken with me and that food and rest really made a difference, as I sat looking out over the glorious Cayton Bay munching away, drying off and re-charging. I was listening to Moriarty, a fictional story about events following Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty’s death in Switzerland and I really enjoyed it. The performance was superb, the story compelling, it really had the feel of a Sherlock Holmes novel (even though he wasn’t in it) and it had some great twists and turns.
I arrived in Scarborough nice and dry and buzzing with the achievement and walked along the prom into the centre, settling down for a drink in the Brunswick Centre for an hour before scouting out the cycle path I’m planning to follow tomorrow, it’s called the Cinder Trail and it runs all the way from Scarborough to Whitby along the old railway line, my Mum did it a couple of years ago, I might make about third of it. I then caught the excellent train home and walked back to the car along Filey prom.
Once back I washed all my muddy clothes, my shoes and the rest of the clothes I’ve worn so far, while I made myself the last of the tomato soup that I brought with me. I’m looking forward to one more walk later on tonight, if the rain holds off and after the tides gone out a bit as it will be high tide soon.
I’m planning to watch the last episode of the victorian baking TV series I’ve been watching and maybe episode 2 of the X-Files.
I’m using my phone for internet access this week and it’s proving perfectly acceptable, now that there’s some data signal here at The Bay, much more convenient.
