This morning no jokes, from 5am, not only does the sun rise, but I hear the first hikers in the park. They’re mad these English! So I quickly clear out, after vaguely trying to dry (wring out) tent and clothes. The lake humidity rose during the night and the dew finished soaking everything.

I don’t really like this feeling when getting dressed again and setting off. Joints crack, I shiver. I take the time to prepare my first coffee of the trip, a simple and ever-renewed pleasure. Finally, around 7am it’s departure. I must say: the first 140 km of the day are disappointing. It’s very flat, I often go on greenways that block my view… not great. Fortunately the weather, on the other hand, is on my side! For the first time, I’m too hot and I can remove my leg warmers and arm warmers. Around one of my many sandwich breaks, I take out all my gear to air and in 20 minutes, everything is dry! It’s a real relief because my bag is down-filled and the humidity would easily ruin its insulating abilities. Finally, after this first half of the day, here I am, around an endless 16% climb, in Yorkshire! And here at last is the England I came looking for, revealing itself. Pastures as far as the eye can see, the sound of bells, blue hills drowned in mist. The road is very hard, there are also many cyclists, sometimes pelotons. But each climb promises an ever more beautiful panorama, as I get closer to the coast and the Lake District. Finally, at kilometre 193, I spot from the top of the road where I’m perched, a tiny “chill” campsite in the evocatively named town of Kettelwell. I can’t resist, even though physically I still feel very good. Bivouacking is hard despite everything, given the effort during the day. The prospect of a good shower wins out. The reception is closed when I arrive, except this time, surprise, there’s a number and the owner on the phone tells me I can leave ten pounds in the letterbox. Finally a bit of simplicity! (And it’s not very expensive, for an English campsite). I’ll try to make up for the accumulated delay by taking small shortcuts in the coming days, to keep my tight schedule! Tomorrow promises to be very hard. A cyclist I met in Newport warned me: the worst elevation will be in the Lake District, he said after experiencing Scotland. So I’ll have to take my courage in both hands, because my legs have suffered nonetheless in today’s climbs.

Comments

Moum

Magnificent Ivan! Finally good news! Yes, we suffer with you…! How charming these landscapes! Thanks for these photos! I’m proud of you, (yes I am)…! It makes me want to be there. You’ll become more enduring, maybe it’s worth reducing the km a bit even if it means doing a bit more next week, right?… I can’t wait to discover your views of Scotland! Since the opportunity arises, a little hello, by the way, to the Ivan’s family fan club, from St-Gilles to La Rochelle!😊

Melou

Wow!! So much performance in so few days! Our hikes next to that are Gaia’s pee :). The fatigue is visible but KEEP GOING!!!! You must so appreciate the calm! Recharge well and don’t forget to hug the trees :)

Dad

After the suffocating 4th stage: Craven A - Chesterfield (luckily you didn’t go through Marlborough and Peter Stuyvesant), we breathe a little easier with you!!! Fearing that your dietary balance was in peril, I searched for days for the place where, blissful, speechless, with greasy hands and wrapped in the smell of vinegar, we had tacitly agreed that we were experiencing a rare moment of sensory fullness. That place is Kirkcudbright, designated by us: best place to enjoy Fish and Chips with of course a Flapjack and a Coke (0%). Today, on your route: SHOWERS. Another reason to appreciate the optimism and humour of the English people: they ask you to consider that the showers arrive right on time to mist the atmosphere, that they are warm and that surely, with a bit of imagination, you can adjust their intensity….. Bravo for your route, thanks for the story and the photos. Come on tough guy and be optimysthique.

L’arbre du chapon

Hello to you Ivan the terribly courageous!!!!! What a feat and what courage to cover all these kilometres!!! But you must be so happy at the end of your day to have discovered all these beautiful landscapes!!!! I love England and Scotland and I can’t wait to discover your photos which will make me travel!!! I wish you a great journey and I will follow your adventure step by step with great pleasure!