Like many good trip reports this one starts "It seemed like a good idea at the time".
At the end of July I found myself with a few spare days to fill and decided I could fit in a quick 4 day backpack across the Wolds Way. This would involve a long first day from Hessle to Goodmanham but I was not particularly worried about it and set off full of confidence. I had not planned, however, on the onset of this summer's heatwave.
I started off well enough and quickly reached South Cave where I stopped for some lunch and refilled my water bottle. Leaving the Fox and Coney I discovered that the temperature had climbed rapidly and was touching 30 degrees. By the time I got to the long road section before Arras my water was almost gone and I was becoming desperately thirsty. I managed to get a quick refill from the owner of a house by the road but the damage was already done and I felt more and more dehydrated all the way to Goodmanham. A couple of pints in the pub helped but I still had a very uncomfortable night and more or less decide to abandon the walk.
Eating breakfast outside my tent the following morning with a Red Kite circling overhead I felt much more optimistic and decided I would carry on to Fridaythorpe. This started well enough but once I was past Nunburnholme the water sources disappeared entirely. Climbing out of Nettledale I realised I had made a mistake and I dragged myself on to Huggate where I managed to get a lift into Driffield and a train home.
It took me a few days to recover enough to contemplate returning to the trail and the lack of public transport made rejoining and carrying on all of the way to Filey impossible. I therefore decided to do a couple of circular day walks to take in the section between the place I left and Wharram le Street which I could reach by bus for a final couple of days to Filey. The first of these was a glorious day from Fridaythorpe to Huggate and back with the chalk dales bathed in sunshine and looking magnificent. The second, however, was entirely different. I walked through three separate thunderstorms and a biblical downpour which saw me walking up Thixendale high street ankle deep in flood water. The rain finally stopped just before I reached Wharram Percy but I had a very damp drive home.
My penultimate day took me from Wharram le Street to Sherburn. I had decided not to camp but to get a bus back to my home in Scarborough and return the following morning the same way. Unfortunately this meant that I was walking against the clock and did not have a lot of time to take in the views but it was pleasant enough.
The final day from Sherburn to Filey could take as long as it needed and proved to be my most enjoyable day. I had thought that the leaving the dales between Huggate and Wharram le Street behind meant that I had seen the best of the scenery but the long stretch between Staxton Wold and Muston was every bit as good. By the time I reached the end it was only the failing daylight which prevented me from carrying on up the Cleveland Way to Scarborough.
I assembled many of my pictures from this walk into a slideshow but unfortunately I am not allowed to post a link to this on Youtube. If there is a way to do this could somebody let me know how. I am new here.