Hadrian's Wall is no barrier for pals

Two pals certainly didn't hit the wall when they completed an epic trek along one of Britain's best known ancient landmarks.
Josh and DavidJosh and David
Josh and David

Josh Hindle and David Smith endured soaking rain when they trekked along Hadrian’s Wall in the latest of their 12 challenges to raise money for Pendleside Hospice.

The wall, built by the Roman emperor Hadrian in AD 122, runs from the banks of the River Tyne near the North Sea to the Solway Firth on the Irish Sea.

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The friends, who have challenged the public to dream up a different challenge for each month of the year, completed their “toughest one yet” according to wedding singer Josh.

The 25-year-old from Barrowford said: “Walking Hadrian’s Wall was the toughest thing we have ever done.

“Day one was about covering 30 to 35 miles and making it to our first camp site. We made it to the camp site after endless amounts of fields, roads and forests. We were so glad to sit down properly for the first time as we had been walking from 7-20am until 8pm at night.

“During the night it rained and rained and rained. The rain carried on into day two and when we say carried on, we mean it rained for around 15 hours non stop, never letting up.

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“We knew this was going to be a tough day mentally. We set off at 7-30am and by 9-30am we were soaked to the skin. We did have support from friends nearby so we had to call on them early doors to change socks and footwear.

“We continued our journey meeting many other walkers from America, Germany and elsewhere. We reached 1pm and we have never ever been as soaking wet through in our lives.

“Visibility was quickly decreasing and the wind was getting up. When we were up on the hills we were so downbeat but so determined to complete the miles that we just wanted to collapse and cry.

“The final stretch came, and good friends Lindsay and Mark Brady met up with us for the final mile for moral support.

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“They helped us through the pain to make sure we made the finish line. After half an hour it was all over. We had done it.

“With the worst pain in our hips, legs and feet we had ever experienced and with blisters now becoming our friends, we were happy to complete the 89 mile walk from Bowness on Solway to Wallsend on the east coast.”

Earlier in the week, the pair had reached their halfway mark figure of just short of £4,500 for Pendleside Hospice, a figure they passed after the walk and they now plan to push on for their target of £10,000 by December.

The pals’ next challenge is on August 19th when they will attempt half a marathon with the burden of a 10kg back pack.

They are welcoming the public to join them, starting from Pendleside Hospice in Reedley at 10am.