Crawleyside was where I lost all credibility as a map reader. We split our route differently so we did Rookhope to Sunderland on the last day and I'd read the route map wrong, not realising that the 'alternative route' dotted line was the one we'd be taking into Stanhope, so my proud assertions of "no, one more short climb out of here tomorrow morning and that's it" were not entirely accurate
Nice to see you did it unsupported too i.e. carrying your kit. Our only disadvantage was that we drove up from Market Deeping (South Lincs/North Cambs border) on our first day so we didn't get started cycling until about 3.00 p.m. but we did 'only' do Whitehaven to Threlkeld, mind you that was enough with Whinlatter in the rain! Our host (roubaixmurry of this parish) who's birthday it was and thus who'd paid for the trip, had told me we were doing the 'road' route, so why were we batting along a slate-surfaced track in a downpour asked I?
I would like, at some point, to do it again and probably more than once to try the Hadrians Wall route. I'd love to take my wife & kids as they'd like the scenery but the kids'd have to be older and wifey a lot fitter and better mounted
