Coast to Coast
Crossing England: An Epic Adventure from West Coast to East Coast
18 Days, 309 Kilometers, A Life-Changing Hiking Journey
An Epic Journey Across England
  • A Transformative Adventure!
    Professional Guidance: Experienced guides with a 1:4 student-to-guide ratio, ensuring safety and support.
    Unique Global Experience: 309-kilometer trek through three national parks, an impressive addition to college applications.
    Personal Growth: Challenging journey that helps students discover their inner strength and capabilities.
  • Six Exciting Program Highlights
    Survival Skills: Learn practical outdoor skills like fire-making, cave exploration, and tide pool exploration.
    Historical Immersion: Experience local history through encounters with steam train drivers and medieval castle sites.
    Team Building: Collaborate with international peers to overcome challenging routes like Sharp Edge ridge.
    Memorable Moments: Unique traditions like North Sea stone-throwing and custom achievement medals!
Day 1: St Bees (West Coast Starting Point)

1

Morning: Team Assembly
Equipment Check and Safety Education

2

Afternoon: Adaptive Hiking
Short 5-kilometer hike, collecting symbolic journey stones along St Bees cliffs

3

Highlight: Tide Safety Training
UK's highest tidal range reaches 10 meters, learning coping techniques
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Starting Point: St Bees
Coastal starting line
2
OS Map Navigation
Learning basic navigation skills
3
Crossing Farmlands
Observing ecological transition zones
4
Arriving at Lake District National Park
Destination: Ennerdale Bridge
Day 2: St Bees → Ennerdale Bridge (19 kilometers)
Controlling hiking pace and adjusting load throughout the journey
Day 3: Ennerdale Bridge → Rosthwaite (22 kilometers)
1
Along Ennerdale Water
Enjoy the beautiful lake district scenery
2
Crossing Liza Valley
Challenge rocky slopes
3
Climbing Honister Pass
Practice hiking stick techniques
Day 4: Rosthwaite → Grasmere (13 kilometers)
Route Highlights
Greenup Edge Ridge → Easedale Valley
Survival Training
Building rain shelters, fire-making without tools practice
Cultural Experience
Visit Dove Cottage, conduct Wordsworth poetry writing workshop
Day 5: Grasmere → Patterdale (14 kilometers)
Challenge Striding Edge Ridge
Requires guide accompaniment, learn ridge traversing techniques and team protection
Stargazing Activity
Identify the Big Dipper and locate the North Star
Day 6: Patterdale → Shap (24 kilometers)

1

Kirkstone Pass
Begin long-distance hiking

2

High Street Roman Road
Experience historical sites

3

Haweswater Reservoir
Analyze reservoir ecological controversy (village submersion event in the 1930s)
Day 7: Shap → Kirkby Stephen (20 kilometers)

Crossing Limestone Farmlands
Appreciate unique landscape scenery

Entering Yorkshire Dales
Experience terrain changes

Learning Dry Stone Wall Restoration
Experience UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage project

Interview Local Shepherds
Record traditional livestock terminology
Day 8: Kirkby Stephen → Keld (18 kilometers)
Climbing Nine Standard Stones
Traversing a historically significant stone marker zone
Descending along Swaledale River Valley
Following the scenic route of an ancient river valley
Navigation Competition
Precise navigation and team collaboration
Exploring Keld Limestone Caves
Discovering hidden underground worlds
Today's highlight is Swale rapids wading training (water depth ≤0.5 meters), challenging personal limits!
Day 9: Keld → Reeth (16 kilometers)
Old Lead Mine Ruins Exploration
Participate in lead mine site ecological restoration (planting heavy metal-resistant plants)
Traditional Village Experience
Learn to make Swaledale wool products, experience local culture
Day 10: Reeth → Richmond (18 kilometers)
River Valley Hiking
Slowly traverse the Swale River Valley, experiencing rural tranquility and natural rhythms
Crossing Farmlands
Wandering through ancient farmlands, observing traditional agricultural landscapes
Entering the Edge of North Yorkshire Moors
Crossing the moor's edge, feeling the wildness and expansive open landscapes
Exploring Richmond Castle
Explore Richmond Castle, reliving the historical charm of medieval architecture
Today's highlight is watching the sunset over the Swale River Valley, as captured by the famous painter Turner, experiencing the perfect fusion of art and nature.
Days 11-12: Richmond → Ingleby Cross → Blakey Ridge (37 kilometers, completed over two days)
Day 13: Blakey Ridge → Grosmont (22 kilometers)
22
Kilometers Hiking
From Moorland Highlands to Esk Valley
3
Kilometers by Steam Train
Experience North York Moors Railway (NYMR)
Day 14: Grosmont → Robin Hood's Bay (23 kilometers)
Coastal Cliff Hiking
Enjoy magnificent sea views
Fishing Village Cultural Experience
Learn about local fishing history
Arrive at Eastern Coast Endpoint
Complete the epic traverse across England
Days 15-18: Conclusion and Return

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4

1

Team Celebration Activity
Sharing memorable moments, looking forward to future challenges

2

Personal Reflection Report
Drawing "My Capability Curve"

3

Award Custom Medals
Honoring titles like "Wilderness Scholar" and "Survival Expert"

4

Create Hiking Documentary
Learning editing skills and voiceover techniques
Trip Design Principles
Terrain Progression
From gentle coastlines → Lake District steep slopes → Valley long distances → Wilderness endurance, gradually increasing challenges
Embedded Teaching
Conducting skill training in real-world scenarios (such as ridge conservation protection, valley first aid)
Cultural Anchors
Binding each region with an in-depth human experience (shepherds/miners/railway workers)
Pre-Trip Preparation Checklist
Physical Training
3 hikes per week with 10kg load (10-15 kilometers), 1 rock climbing/stair climbing session, 1 simulated night hiking (rainstorm/heavy fog scenarios)
Essential Equipment
Waterproof jacket, quick-dry underwear, high-top hiking boots, titanium alloy trekking poles, headlamp, multi-functional Swiss army knife, OS map with waterproof bag
Documents and Mental Preparation
EU Health Insurance Card (EHIC), emergency contact card, wilderness first aid manual, team trust-building games, learning risk assessment and positive stress management techniques
Adult Team Configuration List
Lead Guide
Mountain Leader certified, responsible for route navigation and emergency decision-making
Assistant Guide/First Responder
Wilderness First Responder qualification, medical support and equipment maintenance
Team Teacher
School-designated leader, managing discipline, logging, and communicating with parents
Core Gains and Educational Significance

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4

1

Physical Breakthrough

2

Skill Enhancement

3

Cognitive Expansion

4

Mental Growth
Accumulating over 300+ kilometers of hiking, with an average daily elevation gain of 500 meters, improving endurance and mountain adaptability. Mastering 6 major skill categories including LNT environmental principles, wilderness navigation, and extreme weather survival. Understanding glacial landforms, karst caves, and prairie ecological succession, exploring shepherd culture, industrial heritage, and the poetic connection to land. Enhancing stress resistance and decision-making abilities through team crisis simulations (such as getting lost or encountering heavy rain).
Trip Highlights Summary

Geographic Span
From Atlantic waves to North Sea sandstone, crossing three major UK national parks

Skill Practice
Learning survival in real rainstorm/steep slope environments, not simulated classrooms

Cultural Immersion
Dialoguing with shepherds and miners' descendants, touching the historical context of the land

Ritual Closure
Ending with a stone-throwing ceremony at St Bees, symbolizing challenge completion and reverence for nature