Carlisle Trip - 5 nights, 5 walks (Hadrian's Wall and Eden Valley)

A Thursday to Tuesday trip with 5 walks:

Notes:

-  Only one of the walks below has been walked on the previous trip 3 years ago in the exact same way. Two others have not been walked at all, and the other two are different this time around (i.e. one is in reverse and with slightly different routing – and minus a rather famous tree; the other has a major option that nobody walked then)

-  Train and bus details are based on the current schedule, which may be different in summer.

-  In case of train strikes and/or track works this schedule will need to be altered, in the simplest case by using Bus Line 685 along Hadrian’s Wall instead of the train for the two Wall walks, or by shifting walks around if the Eden Valley Line is affected, or – in the worst case if there are no trains along the Eden Valley line at all – by walking other routes along the Wall, either repeats from the last trip or sections not covered by the SWC route (i.e. west towards the Sea from Carlisle, back by bus). 

 

Friday 31 July: 08.24 Leeds train, arrives Kirkby Stephen at 09.19.

Walk SWC Walk 416 Nine Standards (Kirkby Stephen Circular or to Garsdale): 18.1 km (11.2 mi) or 29.3 km (18.2 mi), with 584m or 899/819m ascent/descent. Not walked 3 years ago.

Walk Options: loads of variations of the main walk, several involving going through the lovely Kirkby Stephen village rather than straight to the station, but also a tough extension along the British watershed above the Mallerstang valley to Garsdale. 

Saturday 01 August: 09.33 Middlesbrough train to Bardon Mill, arrives 10.12. 

Walk SWC 413d Hadrian's Wall Core Section (Bardon Mill to Hexham). 28.6 km (17.8 mi) with 455/509m ascent/descent. Not walked 3 years ago.

Walk Options: bus shortcut by using Line AD122, which shadows this stretch of HW close-by (every 2 hours in each direction, for example from Walwick Farm last at 16.46 back to Haltwhistle and at 18.39 on to Hexham). 

Sunday 02 August: 09.23 Leeds train, arrives Appleby at 10.07.

Walk SWC Walk 415 High Cup Nick (Appleby-in-Westmoreland Circular): 23.9 km (14.8 mi) with 748m ascent. Repeat walk from 3 years ago.

Walk Options: Shortcuts and car parks halfway up the hill, but also a tough Extension through an MOD Range on the moors (not walked 3 years ago).

Monday 03 August: 08.24 Leeds train, arrives Garsdale at 09.33.Walk  

SWC Walk 417 Wild Boar Fell (Garsdale to Kirkby Stephen): 23.3 km (14.5 mi), with 676/756m ascent/descent. Repeat walk from 3 years ago.

Walk Options: several minor shortcuts and extensions (see the webpage for details).

Tuesday 04 August: 08.52 Newcastle train to Haltwhistle, arrives 09.20 (or maybe a later one?). 

Walk SWC 413c Hadrian's Wall Core Section (Haltwhistle to Bardon Mill). 19.5 km (12.1 mi) with 390/416m ascent/descent. Yes, yes: the stretch with the Sycamore Gap walked 3 years ago but not the same walk: walked in reverse compared to 3 years ago, and descending via the very impressive Vindolanda Roman Fort, enabling a visit of it. 

Walk Options: going over the hill on the descent from HW, rather than going via Vindolanda (i.e. the reverse of the start of Saturday’s walk), or going up to and around Vindolanda rather than going past its entrance in the valley.

 

Last trains back to London from Carlisle on weekdays: 18.54 and 19.49.