Lyke Wake Walk ...

Taken for this week's Sunday Challenge, which had the theme of ice.

Lyke Wake Walk? No, not some weird riddle, but the name given to a forty-mile crossing of the North York Moors.

The walk, which stretches between the villages of Osmotherley in the west and Ravenscar near the east coast, basically follows the line of the watershed across the moors at its widest point and at the beginning of the route, only a few yards from Cod Beck Reservoir, stands this impressive stone marker.

The hint that there may be something unusual about this walk though comes from the name: lyke means corpse while wake is the act of watching over it.

So in effect the Lyke Wake Walk commemorates the practice (long since abandoned) of literally carrying the bodies of the dead from various points of the moor to their final resting places.

There is no official route and so those attempting the crossing are apparently at liberty to choose their own way between the start and finish points. The aim of most people undertaking the walk is to complete it within 24 hours so that they then qualify for admission to the Lyke Wake Club.

Those that achieve this are then also allowed to declare themselves either a dirger (men) or a witch (women). Oh, and just in case you're wondering, yes some walkers immerse themselves in the traditions and not only dress as undertakers, but some even carry a coffin too albeit an empty one!

It was actually the late Bill Cowley who originated the concept of the walk when he published an open challenge in the Dalesman magazine way back in August 1955 to cross the moors on foot from West to East within 24 hours. At noon on 1st October that year, 11 men and 3 women set out to perform a crossing reaching Ravenscar around 10.30 the next day and so the Lyke Wake Club was born.

The moors ... they do funny things to you at times!