Most hikers walk from west to east, supposedly because it puts the prevailing winds at your back. But this means that you have to tackle the walk's hardest part — the Lakes — first.

Backcountry hiker hostel in the Lakes District

Because towns are so close together you can, if you like, sleep in a bed every night — which means that you don't have to carry a sleeping bag, pad, tent, and stove. You don't even have to carry your pack if you don't want to: Two services will transport your packs from town to town for you. Contact the SherpaVan at info@sherpavan.com or the Coast-to-Coast Packhorse at ics@cumbria.net. If you do use the transport services, you'll need to bring a small daypack for your lunch, your rain gear, and an extra layer of clothes.

Accommodations range from hostels to stylish inns to comfortable B&Bs. Reservations are recommended during the summer months. Some establishments require a deposit, but may make an exception for foreigners. You can also use a booking service: You choose the accommodations; they do the bookings. Contact the SherpaVan for information. For bookings into youth hostels, contact the YHA's Coast-to-Coast Booking Bureau, tel +44 (01629) 581061. If you want to do your own bookings, you can get a booklet listing B&Bs and hostels for three pounds (about five dollars). Write to:

Mrs. Doreen Whitehead
Butt House
Keld, Richmond
North Yorkshire DL11 6LJ, England
Tel +44 (01748) 886374.

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