Greetings, all --
I'm an American who is planning to come and hike as much of Hadrian's wall as makes sense in late
May, early June. I'm not very familiar with the area, so I'm trying to do as much research as
possible before I go. I was hoping some of you wouldn't mind sharing your expertise. (I found the
old Hadrian's Wall thread here and read it, but am still hoping for some updated answers --
particularly since it has become a World Heritage site with a full path, etc.)
If anyone can provide answers either here or in private email I'd be very grateful. Here goes:
1) I have found two companies who provide assistance to walkers. Namely, they offer maps and pre-
book you in nearby locations, provide some combination of your meals for the day, return journey
and transport your baggage from place to place. One is called Trek-Inn (www.trek-inn.com); the
other is Mickeldore (www.mickledore.co.uk). There is a decent difference in both philosophy of
the walk from both, and one costs several hundred dollars more than the other. So: Do you think
paying somewhere between 500 and 600 pounds for the organisation of the trip (this includes the
accommodation, of course, and the others mentioned above) is a good way to go? Do you know
anything about either company, and whether one is less reputable than the other? Is there a
British travel association that rates such things?
2) The East/West debate. Trek-Inn says going West-East is the way to do it, due to prevailing
weather conditions (wind at your back, etc.) Mickeldore says East-West is the way to go, and
some postings I read indicated that if you do it this way the scenery gets better as you go,
rather than starting out great and going downhill (so to speak) from there. Is there a general
consensus on this? And while this may betray a profound lack of knowledge about the Wall, does
going one way or the other somehow upset a "chronological" progression? Or does that not matter?
3) It sounds as if much of the Newcastle-area Wall is suburban, tarmac, and not even visible
particularly. That said, where would be a reasonable place to start? Is Newcastle (and environs)
just a dead spot for the Wall and there is more to see East of Newcastle? Also, I realize the
wall does not go past Carlisle; is there a reason to continue all the way to the sea? (Beautiful
scenery is enough reason for me.)
4) My choice of time of year: I'm trying to avoid the worst of any crowds, while still catching what
may be some decent weather. Is late May/early June a bad idea, or a good one?
Thanks so much for anything you can discuss. If there's anything else I should watch out for, or
look for, I'd appreciate hearing that, too!
--Randee