Saturday, October 3, 2026
Exactly 2 months ago I set off on my C2C walk. In the 6-ish weeks since I’ve been back, I spent about 3 weeks at home in California. Then Lee, the dogs, and I piled into the van and drove to our place in Florida. Lee’s been working remotely, so I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on the C2C and start planning my next long-distance hike (more on that soon!).
The Walk
I’d read that the C2C shouldn’t be your first long-distance walk, because it sets such a high standard that future walks won’t live up to. I can see why they say that. To be able to walk across three national parks, amongst a variety of unique, gorgeous landscapes, soaking up a bit of history, and staying each night in tiny, picturesque villages, all in the span of 2 weeks, is truly special. And on top of that, you get to say “I walked across England” when you’re done, which is pretty cool. Having only been to London before, I’m so thankful to have gotten to see this quieter side of England: the coasts, the fells, the moorland, the farmland, and all the villages along the way. I can’t imagine I’d have found my way to these places otherwise, and now I can’t wait to go back. In total, I covered 208 miles and climbed 35,991 ft over those 15 days, which is still hard to believe.
With about a year to prepare, I did a ton of research, consuming all the books, blogs, and videos I could find. I felt like I generally knew what to expect and what the highlights were, but I couldn’t keep all 15 days’ stages, villages, etc. straight in my head. Now that I’ve completed the C2C, each village and section of the walk holds a special place in my memory. I enjoyed some parts more than others, but I continued to be surprised and delighted throughout each day’s walk. Whether it was a beautiful view, a delightful B&B, a funny sign, a kind exchange with locals, or a fun (or scary) incident with livestock, there was always something that made me feel lucky to be there. Traveling this way is so special because you’re able to slow down and appreciate those small moments. If I do the C2C again (I hope I do!), I will build in a couple of zero (non-hiking) days, not so much for rest, but to spend time in the villages and B&Bs I loved the most, like Crookabeck B&B (Patterdale), Orton, Keld, or The Lion Inn (Blakey Ridge).
It felt like there were exactly the right number of fellow hikers on this walk for me. I’d been reading someone’s blog about the Camino Frances and kept thinking to myself that it felt too social for me. They were meeting up with dozens of people every day, along the way or in the evenings, staying in hostels, and sharing all their meals together. I was looking for more time alone with space to think, but still wanted some opportunity to meet people and get to know them over several days on the trail. Also, if I took a tumble, I wanted someone to find me within hours, not days. The C2C fit the bill perfectly. It was the right mix of solitude and community for me. I’d cross paths with the same handful of people day after day, getting to know each other over breakfast or talking about the day’s hike as we arrived in the village. People like the Dutch family, the Aussies, and the mother and daughter from Sheffield made the walk truly special. We’d share a meal here and there, but just as often I’d walk for hours without seeing another soul.
That sense of trail community did fade a bit in the final segments. There were larger villages, the path overlapped with other long-distance trails, and more people were simply out on holiday or day hikes, with no idea what the C2C even was. Early on, most people I met on the trail were doing the C2C too; by the later days, that was rare.
Because England was experiencing drought and a heatwave, along with some wildfires, I didn’t experience the rainy weather I’d read about. Especially in the final week, there were sections the book warned were extremely boggy but weren’t even a little muddy when I walked through. There was only one day of heavy rain and wind (Day 3); otherwise there was some off-and-on rain, but not enough to be bothersome. A few days were much hotter than I’d expected, but having grown up in Florida and currently living in California, it wasn’t an issue for me. I do think there were parts of the trail that would have been much more challenging, physically and/or mentally, if it had been colder and rainier.
One thing that was difficult to ascertain from all my research was how hard this walk would be for me. I read blogs of people who said parts of it were incredibly challenging, brought them to tears, and in some cases they didn’t finish the C2C or had to skip sections. Others completed it with no issues, in fewer days, carrying all their own stuff and camping. I tried comparing my fitness, preparation, and experience to theirs (which is basically impossible to do accurately) to determine if I’d have an easier or harder time than they did. In some cases, I let myself get too influenced by others’ experiences or the descriptions in the book: I talked myself out of attempting Helvellyn/Striding Edge (Day 4), I was primed to dislike the walks around Haweswater (Day 5) and over the Vale of Mowbray (Days 11 & 12), and I regretted my decision not to break up Osmotherley to Blakey Ridge (Day 13) before I’d even started. If I’d taken others’ assessments with a grain of salt and approached these experiences with a more open mind, I think they would have been more enjoyable.
For what it’s worth, here’s my assessment on difficulty: most reasonably fit people who invest in training can complete the walk. I met people of all ages and fitness levels on the trail; each went at a pace that made it challenging but doable for them, and as far as I know they all finished. If you’re thinking about doing the C2C, be realistic about your fitness level and plan accordingly, in terms of your daily distances, high vs. low routes, luggage transfer, and rest days. In addition to strong legs and stamina, you need the ability to motivate yourself to keep going in the face of difficulty (pain, weather, terrain), sometimes for hours or miles on end.
I went 13 days without listening to a single podcast, playlist, or audiobook, wanting to stay fully present with my own thoughts. Then came the longest, hardest day of the whole trip (Day 13), when even a timely pep talk from Lee wasn’t enough. A few episodes of a true-crime podcast about The Salt Path were exactly what I needed to get me through the final miles.
Preparation and Gear
Since I’d just retired, I treated training like my job, hiking nearly every day for several months. That training really paid off in terms of strength and cardiovascular fitness. Aside from pain in my feet, which was likely from overtraining, I didn’t struggle with the physical demands at all. Of course, this level of investment in training is unrealistic for most people who have jobs, are in school, or are caretakers, and that’s OK. Focus on getting as many miles in per day as you can doing your normal activities, and find time in the early mornings, evenings, or weekends for training hikes. Before you start the C2C, you need to be comfortable with 10+ mile hikes, with your pack loaded as it will be on the C2C, on consecutive days, with hills. If the C2C is your first long-distance hike, I highly recommend doing a shorter multi-day hike first, as I did with my Colorado Trail hike, to be sure your equipment, body, and mind are ready. This will give you confidence and identify any adjustments you need to make before the longer hike.
The one thing I didn’t feel adequately prepared for was the terrain. The actual footing on much of the trail was rockier and harder underfoot than the trails I trained on in California and Colorado. While I figured out footwear that was comfortable and didn’t give me blisters, it didn’t provide enough torsion stability and protection from the sharp, uneven terrain, especially while carrying a 20 lb pack. I’d stopped wearing my heavier Meindl hiking boots because they made my feet sweaty and gave me blisters on my hot California training hikes, but I think they would have been better suited to the Lake District than my La Sportiva boots. I was glad I’d brought my Topo trail runners in addition to boots, because my feet needed the cushier, lighter, more breathable trail runners in the latter days, which had more road walking and also happened to be hotter. Now that I’m back, I’m continuing to experiment with shoes to find ones that strike the right balance between supportive and breathable.
As soon as I decided to do this hike, in September 2025, I tried on every women’s-specific backpack REI had in stock. I eventually settled on a Gregory Jade 28, which in the XS/S size is 26 L and weighs about 3 lbs. This pack is on the large side of daypacks, but I knew I’d need to carry gear for cold and wet weather. From then on, I always hiked with this pack, filled with about the weight of stuff I’d have on the C2C. I got some weird looks going out for 5-6 mile hikes with such a large pack, but over time I became so comfortable wearing it that I didn’t struggle with the weight or balance, even navigating difficult trails, climbing over fallen trees, or tip-toeing across creeks on rocks. For my next hike, I’m looking for a pack that’s a bit smaller, in terms of both capacity and weight, with the goal of reducing my pack weight by at least 5 lbs (including food and water), to ease the load on my shoulders and feet.
As for other gear, I’m still planning to share my packing list, and will annotate it with what was and wasn’t useful.
Personal Learnings
I chose to do this walk, at this moment in my life, to challenge myself mentally as well as physically. It was meant to nurture skills important for my new retired life, like being more in the moment and savoring experiences, finding my purpose and identity outside of work, and feeling more comfortable being myself instead of trying to be what others want me to be. In the months leading up to the C2C, I spent lots of time alone, hiking 3-6 hours every day on trails that were pretty deserted during the work week. It was a great opportunity to reset, learning to slow down and be more present, after all those years of focusing on exceeding expectations in fast-paced, demanding jobs.
This trip thrust me into unfamiliar places, with no one I knew to lean on. What I learned is that I’m already more comfortable in my own skin, less worried about what others think of me. I felt happier and more relaxed chatting with strangers than I ever have, and don’t remember ever feeling like I had to be “on.” I was also comfortable stepping away when I needed time to myself.
The trip also reminded me that I’m totally capable of handling life’s challenges and doing hard things on my own. Even so, a call with Lee most days, usually him getting ready for work while I was finishing up my walk, kept me tethered to home in a way that made the solitude feel like a choice rather than isolation. I’m so lucky to have had Lee in my life for the last 18 years, and we’ve built a wonderful life as a team, but I needed this reminder that I am a very capable individual.
All in all, the UK C2C was everything I hoped it would be and more. I loved the experience, and how I felt doing it, so much. I have definitely caught the long-distance walking bug. I loved going inn to inn and having my luggage transferred so I could just hike with a daypack, and I’ll be looking for that in future walks. I also love the idea of walking across a country. I’m pretty close to having a plan for next year, and will share more about that soon.
Thank you to everyone who followed along on this journey, through the planning, the daily posts, and now these reflections. Your comments and messages have meant so much to me.
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