The Lyke Wake Walk

Dedicated to my father, Bernard Yarwood 1929-1998, who would have been on the walk but was taken ill shortly before.

The Lyke Wake Walk is a 40 mile test of endurance across the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, the largest expanse of heather moorland in England. The route roughly follows the watershed across from the village of Osmotherley on the western edge to the North Sea coast at Ravenscar. Established in 1955 it is one of the oldest recognised challenge walks in the UK. To qualify as a member of the Lyke Wake Club the challenge must be completed in less than 24 hours.

The Team at the start (L to R):
Mick Hillman, Pete Hillman, Stephen Yarwood, Pete Steel.

After a comfortable night at the Queen Catherine we left Osmotherley and headed out to the Lyke Wake Stone. Setting off at 5.45am conditions were cool and hazy, soon becoming warm and clear. In such favourable conditions there were superb views from Live Moor. We passed the Gliding Club around 7.30am on the way to further rewarding views from Cringle Moor. Our first rendezvous with the support party was Clay Bank at 9.00am, a little behind schedule.

By this time sun cream was required by some members of the party, others preferred to expose as little of their lilywhite flesh as possible. Progress to Ralph Cross was good arriving at 11.50am with the support party alarmingly nowhere in sight. They eventually appeared 15 minutes later, thinking they were 30 minutes early!

As we looked across Rosedale Moor and beyond from Loose Howe we had our first sighting of the MoD early warning station. The replacement for the once famous 'golf balls' appeared as a shimmering white pyramid on the horizon. It tantalised us for hours, never seeming to get any nearer. Reached Hamer at 2.00pm, 30 minutes ahead of schedule, the support party had taken no chances this time. Wheeldale Moor proved to be as challenging as the late Chief Dirger's book had promised. The rocky boulder strewn terrain demanded careful concentration to avoid injury.
		Rosedale Moor, the road goes on forever, or so it seems.

We lost the path for a short while, but in such beautiful weather visibility was good and we were able to spot a cairn amongst the heather to guide us back. Thankfully we reached Wheeldale Beck unscathed and the going became a little easier underfoot. The path down from Simon Howe seemed endless, finally reaching Ellerbeck Bridge at 5.15pm. By this stage the party was beginning to fragment and around 15 minutes covered first and last. We steeled ourselves for the final push, we were all heading into the unknown, none of us had walked this far in a day before. An adder was spotted basking in the sun on a rock as we headed across Goathland Moor to Lilla Howe, he had the right idea.

By Burn Howe the party was well spread out again. From Fylingdales Moor the sight of a tanker out at sea made us realise the end was not too far away. Reached Jugger Howe slip road at 8.00pm as mist descended and the temperature tumbled. One member of the party declined a rest for fear of seizing up at this late stage. Visibility across Stony Marl Moor was down to about 100 yards and we wore coats for the first time that day. Eventually at 8.50pm the radio mast at Beacon Howe loomed into view and we knew we had made it. By 9.15pm all walkers had finished. Despite aches, pains, sunburn, bruises and blisters, everybody managed a smile for the final photo (left) at the eastern Lyke Wake Stone. After months of planning and anticipation we had done it. We were well within the 24 hour qualification and thus became members of the exclusive Lyke Wake Club.

Grateful thanks to our loyal support team who sensitively attended to our physical and spiritual needs over a long and exhausting day.

Jean Yarwood (Officer in Charge of Mobile Base Camp)
Philip Meades (walked Clay Bank to Ralph Cross & Hamer to Ellerbeck Bridge)
Sheila Meades (walked Ralph Cross to Hamer & Ellerbeck Bridge to Jugger Howe Slip)