Hadrian's Wall walk - the whole shebang!?

I've hung back, hoping for more recent experiences, however, since there are none: It's interesting enough (but sometimes tedious/monotonous) since the scenery doesn't change that much. I've walked it three times, the last two because others wanted to do it. I'd already seen most of the forts and wall sections, so I didn't do much stopping to look around. I'd be hard-pressed to do it again. I'd characterize it as something you can puff up your chest and say you've done, rather than being a really great walk. The first time was a graduation gift for my little sister (by twenty-five years). We were living far apart and so spent the whole time gabbing. We walked it in four days, and it worked out pretty well. That was roughly fifteen years ago. The other two times were about five years ago and back-to-back. I left my car at the eastern end and walked westward to meet them at Bowness. Three days was too rough. By the time I started humping the first day it was mid-morning. The middle day I walked close to forty miles over the meanest part, the last three hours in the dark with either an overcast or not much moon. Miserable (more later). Coming back, I'd decided I'd wanted to walk water-to water, which meant on the last day I'd have to walk past Wallsend to the North Sea and then back to the car - - that added about ten miles. The other three were laggards, and I was done and waiting when they showed up. We took five days and that was too much for me. They proabably would have been happier with six. I've known a few other people that have done it and the consensus seems to be about seven.

For background, I'm long in the tooth, but not decrepit. Ten hours of walking (including stops) is about what suits me best. On the flat or semi-flat, twenty-five miles per day is easy, but much more than thirty a couple of days in a row leaves me seriously sucking air. The trail is well-marked with the standard acorns so you can't go astray. You're going to need boots about half of the time, so you might as well wear them the whole way. I have no idea about using public transportation to get to either end, or to get back to the departure point, if that's a factor. Also, I can't address heavy packs/luggage. I walk with dry socks and a couple pint jugs of water. For overnighters, it expands to a clean shirt and a razor and toothbrush. My last two shots were in March, so I was fighting nine hours of sun and working both twilights. In May you should have about sixteen and better weather. Google around and find a gradient profile. There's probably one on nationaltrail.co.uk. Consider doing the rough section (Portgate to Haltwhistle, about twenty miles) in parts of two days if you doubt your humping ability. You might want to plan this part a bit carefully since I can't remember but a couple of B&Bs / hostels, but I wasn't looking for them either.

Thanks Ed,
I, too, am surprised there have not been more responses? But your info is good, paticularly as I think we are in the same demographic! Cheers, Joe

We stayed at the Twice Brewed Inn when we visited Hadrian's wall in May 2011. Good location and close to the wall. Rooms are above the pub, lounge & dining area (good food, clean and quiet). Other guests were 'hiking' the wall, we just walked about 6 miles and visited the fort. The web site is www.twicebrewedinn.co.uk Enjoy your travels!

We walked most of the Wall in 2006, and it was the trip of a lifetime! A few thoughts: You can hire a booking/bag transfer service to help you out, which will make things easier for you, AND you can get good advice for how to plan your walk. We walked an average of 10-12 miles per day, which left us plenty of time to explore the forts and other historic sites along the wall. And we never felt overdone. A booking service will also book your lodging. We used this service, and he was great: http://www.hadrianswall.ltd.uk We walked from just outside Newcastle to Carlisle. We didn't want to walk through the city of Newcastle, or worry about tides, etc. near the west coast. This was a good 6-day walk. The only thing we would have done differently was to plan a rest day in the middle, because even at only 12 miles per day, by the 6th day you start to feel the fatigue. (And if you get any scrapes or sprains, you have a day to recover a bit.) Check around with the different booking services, just to get an idea of distances and number of days, so you'll know if you have time to walk the whole wall or just a section. I agree with Ed that walking the entire wall earns you bragging rights, but in my opinion, the far east and west ends don't have as much to offer. Then again, it all depends on your interests! I don't think you can go wrong. You'll have a great time. Stacy

Wish you'd gotten more responses. I'm also from Colorado and I do a fair amount of biking in the UK and Scotland. On the trains, with my bike, I keep running into people who have done the various walks, Hadrian's Wall, the Coast Path in Cornwall (I've done part of it, spectacular), and the big one along the coast in Wales. Everyone was very happy with their experiences. It's all lovely. Most employed a service that carried the bags from point-to-point, but not all. I think you're in for a great experience, it's lovely countryside that has neat history. The coasts are perhaps more spectacular. Hiking in the Lake District (especially out of the big tourist zones) is a sublime experience. I have found that coming from high elevation in Colorado to sea level in the UK, that I have significant stamina in the first week or so. A nice bonus. Bon Voyager!