Getting to Robin Hood’s Bay was quite fun, for no apparent reason I decided to go over the tops of the Moors instead of going round the boring way on the main roads. Dodging piles of snow notwithstanding, it was very very attractive to look at. This is the Hole of Horcum:

Hole of Horcum, without snow

Hole of Horcum, with snow

In the years since I first started walking this stretch of the Cleveland Way with the Outdoor Society when it was one of the first Big Two walks of the academic year, the route has changed little on average, but plenty up close and detailed. The cliffs have slowly but surely given way to the weather and elements battering in from the North Sea. I would surely be getting my feet wet if I tried to walk the original cliff top path.

The height graph, though it really should have stayed flatter than that

It still a fantastic route as an opener to the year, with no navigation required and little climbing, it lets you take refreshment from the onshore winds whilst stretching out all the post holiday excesses.

The weather today was that typically British drizzle that was a test of how waterproof your equipment is, but the clouds went away as we emerged from the cafe in Whitby opposite the Co-op and wandered back towards the cars in Robin Hood’s Bay. The lights from the village projected through the dusk well, guiding us down the old railway line.

Interestingly, the waterproof jacket I got 13 years ago (eek) still does a grand job of keeping the world out, although the reasonably good “mountain” gloves I picked up in Aviemore rather more recently were about as waterproof as a sponge. Excuse to go shopping perhaps? 🙂

Here’s the full walk, along with photos:

Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby