What started off as the potentail for another very good year of hiking has imploded on me a bit. I've had a leg pain for about four months now which has been diagnosed at 'iliotibial band syndrome' but thankfully in the last week is beginning to ease. I'm now thinking of hiking a fair distance, maybe from 1 to 2 weeks but not more.
I've started to think of long distances, but circular routes rather than linear. I did one, almost the whole way last year and started at Settle. It was The Pennine Journey', it runs up one side of the Pennine hills, along Hadrian's Wall for about 10 miles, then down the other side of the Pennines hills back to Settle. Another route that I could have chosen was to only go as far as the C2C cross over point and then head towards Keld, then keep going west to the Pennine Journey route again. still long distance enough I think.
When I did the Glyndrw's Way I realised that by starting at Knighton I could have made it into a circular hike by finishing at Welshpool, then hiking south on the Offas Dyke Path back to Knighton, or vice versa.
I also think its a better way of making use of a car, park it in one place and return to it some days later. Any other circular route suggestions please.
Another idea would be to start the Cumbria Way from Carlyle, even Keswick perhaps, then hike south to the C2C then turn west to Keld, then turn north on the Pennine Way to Hadrian's Wall and then turn left to Carlisle again.
My motivation to think of some intersting circular routes is to try to save a bit on my travel costs, return journeys to and from the same station appear to be easier on the pocket, I live in Portsmouth and for example, if I catch a train to Edale that's not a problem. But if I then walk all the way to Kirk Yetholme I then either have to make my way to Berwick or even Edinburgh, then unless I'm really lucky that a big cost cost home!