The Cleveland Way: A 77-Mile Adventure

Golden Hind Explorer Scouts just completed a life-changing adventure: walking the Cleveland Way National Trail. This trail follows the Cleveland Hills over the North York Moors National Park before joining the coast and heading south along coastal paths. Joined by our friends at Severndroog ESU, we started our adventure in Helmsley and walked through stunning scenery for 7 days, finishing in Whitby.

The days became a familiar rhythm of packing our bags, walking, setting up camp, buying provisions, cooking on our trangia stoves, hand washing our clothes, then resting and recovering before the next day of walking.

We camped in farms and campsites, but our favourite was Pybus Scout Camp below the slopes of the Cleveland Way. We met a friendly Scout group from Middlesborough there, who invited us to join their campfire.

The trail is a test of endurance. It’s far from flat, and the constant ascent and descent was a challenge with our rucksacks. Some of the hills were leg-busting but the effort was worth it for the views. After a few days we noticed we were fitter, stronger, and able to increase the daily mileage. We saw lots of wildlife, ate lots of wild blackberries and had a lot of fun everyday.

We returned home to London with new friends, life-long memories, and a sense of accomplishment. Well done to the Explorers who took part in this adventure. We hope to see you on the trail again soon!