Macmillan National Grid Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, 22nd August 2015

This was for Charity Challenge, again: my fourth piece of work for them.

Instead of camping, we stayed at the YHA in Malham. I do love being in my tent, but there is no doubt that everything is quicker and more convenient when staying in a hostel, especially in rainy weather.

We set off from Horton-in-Ribblesdale just before eight in the morning with weather better than had been forecast. I was assigned to a group of thirteen participants co-led by my colleague Dan. We were the first out of the the starting gate, with me at the front.

During the approach to Pen-y-Ghent it became clear the range of speeds of the participants would require a re-arrangement of the group before long, and so it came to pass, with Dan racing ahead with the very fast walkers, and me at the back, looking after the slower walkers.

One of the participants who was with me, Jodie, started to develop nasty blisters, and was in a lot of pain, and limping to reduce this, and thereby overstressing her joints. The most likely cause of the blistering was her socks, which were too large for her feet and were rucking up inside her boots and causing intense local friction. I applied the first-aid treatments at my disposal, but to no avail. She was in a poor way and and it looked as if she would have to give up, which would have been unfortunate. However, to my surprise, she took off the boot of the worse-affected foot and carried on wearing just the sock, and completed the ascent of Whernside this way. I was most impressed at this example of determination and fortitude, but more was to follow.

As we left the summit, her boot now back on but without the sock inside it, she started to speed away. I was moving forward only slowly, looking after another participant who was flagging, and no-one walking with me would have had time to complete the circuit, so as conditions were safe and our intermediate destination was in sight, I let her and two others go ahead, to giver them the best chance of completing the circuit in the care of another leader.

At the second Charity Challenge checkpoint, at Philpin Farm, I queued for the loo behind a sweaty man in a vest (not one of our participants) who spent nearly ten minutes doing whatever, then came out and announced, "That was heavenly!". Er, yes, mate: and thanks for keeping the rest us of waiting.

The last one of my original thirteen who had not sped ahead called it a day, and was taken to the finish by minibus. I was put on the minibus with her, not so that I could put my feet up and idle about at the finish, or sit in a hot tub at the local spa, but so that I could walk from the finish back towards Ingleborough to meet four very fast participants who had broken away. No rest for the wicked, eh!

I intercepted the first two, then the second two, in the Sulber Nick area, but it was clear that neither pair need me to guide to them in (and, to be honest, I am not sure I could have kept up with them anyway). Instead, I made my way back to the finish line to help out there.

Before long, Jodie came to the finish. Not only was she several minutes ahead of her group, but also, she was running! She said she had run ("jogged") the final two miles, but the signs on the path down from Ingleborough understate the distance, so she had certainly run further than that. Go, Jodie!

Her transformation was astonishing to behold, and very moving to witness.

We had been lucky with the weather, but between the first and the last participants finishing, the wind picked up and it became very blustery and much cooler, with threatening thunder clouds bubbling up nearby. Finally, while were we on the coach on the way back to Malham, the heavens opened, and we were treated to a fine display of lightning, but by then were off the hills and out of harm's way.

For the record, the three peaks of the walk are listed here; the two in bold I ascended, but not Ingleborough, as I was needed elsewhere.

1.   Pen-y-Ghent (694m)

2.   Whernside (736m)

3.   Ingleborough (724m)

Congratulations to all the participants, especially to those that I looked after, and most of all to Jodie.

Macmillan Lakes Eight Peaks Challenge, 8th August 2015

This was another day's work for Charity Challenge, which had organised the event for Macmillan, the cancer charity.

I arrived the evening before and pitched my tent at Baysbrown Farm in Langdale, attended the leaders' briefing, picked up my walkie-talkie, then helped set up the marquees and other paraphernalia of a charity event, then went to bed early for a good night's kip.

When I woke up at quarter to five in the morning, there was a very strong temperature inversion in the valley, with multiple stacked laminae of mist, the whole thing softly illuminated by the waning Moon and the pre-dawn blue sky. This promised great weather for walking.

Once the participants had gathered, my group, which had two leaders, set off four our first summit, via the Cumbria Way and Rossett Ghyll. On the climb up before the first zig-zags my tummy started going very wobbly, so I pulled out to recover, leaving my group with the other leader assigned to them. When I felt better, which was about five minutes later, I was assigned to newly-formed group of six, and stayed with them for the remainder of the day.

The first peak was Rossett Pike (651m), which was alternately bathed in mist and bathed in sunshine. From there we made our way past beautiful Angle Tarn to Allen Crags (784m), then to the Charity Challenge checkpoint at Esk Hause.

After a short break we went to Scafell Pike (977m) in one move – it was the only time I had ever been there in good visibility, and it was really good this time, with gorgeous, inspiring views all around, and brilliant sunshine.

Then we made our way back to Esk Hause more-or-less the way we had come, but deviating to Broad Crag (934m), Ill Crag (935m), and Great End (907m).

Broad Crag wasn’t on the official list of peaks for the day, but by then it had become clear that the speed of the group would not permit us to go to the three remaining peaks east of Scafell Pike, so I made the most the minor peaks nearby to make an unofficial eight.

In that spirit, we climbed the lower prominence at Ill Crag (ca. 930m, about 100m east of the main peak) and the lower prominence at Great End (ca. 905m, approximately 200m south east of main peak). We then descended on the established footpaths to the checkpoint at Esk Hause, then back the way we had come via Angle Tarn.

By any standards, it was a full day’s hiking, and all the participants did it with enthusiasm and good grace. For the record, here again is the list of peaks we reached, in order; those listed in bold were on the official list, and the others were slipped in to make eight, instead of the three we did not have time to reach.

1.   Rossett Pike (651m)

2.   Allen Crags (784m)

3.   Scafell Pike (977m) – the highest mountain in England

4.   Broad Crag (934m)

5.   Ill Crag (935m)

6.   peak ca. 100m east of Ill Crag (ca. 930m)

7.   peak ca. 200m south east of Great End (ca. 905m)

8.   Great End (907m)

Well to done all the participants, especially to those in the group of six: Jane, Cheryl, Geoff, Philip, John and Bekka.

Macmillan Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, 1st August 2015

This was my second day's work for Charity Challenge, which had organised the event for Macmillan, the cancer charity.

As the participants were arriving there was still quite a lot of hill fog around, and the first peak of the day, Pen-y-Ghent, was not visible from the field in Horton-in-Ribblesdale where Charity Challenge had set up its base. Not only was it not visible, but the rolling countryside between us and it looked complete without it, giving the impression that nothing was missing.

However, after we had all had a hearty breakfast, the mountain re-appeared, which was good, because these days are much more enjoyable for all taking part if visibility is good.

My rôle was to be a roving leader, to be dispatched to wherever I was needed most as the day went on. At nine o’clock, I was ferried by minibus to meet a group which had become rather strung out while going up Pen-y-Ghent, and to become their third co-leader. Unfortunately, this meant that I did not get to ascend Pen-y-Ghent this time.

I stayed with this strung-out group for a couple of miles, then I was re-assigned to a look after group of five very fast walkers who were legging it for the far horizon: I ran after them and eventually caught up, and accompanied them for another couple of miles to the public road.

A call came on the radio for the third switch of the day: I was transferred forward by minibus to the Ribblehead viaduct, where there was a Charity Challenge checkpoint. I was given a hasty lunch, an instant place at the front of the queue for the Portaloos, then I was assigned to lead fifteen fast walkers who were itching to get moving again. We strode off confidently and made good time past the railway and up past Winterscales pastures and Greensett Moss to the summit of Whernside, then gingerly off the mountain to the second checkpoint at Philpin Farm.

As I walked the last few paces to the checkpoint, anticipating a break and a snack, I was asked by one of the organisers if I could leave straight away with another group which was ready to go, and as I felt right in the zone, I agreed on the spot, and was underway with my new group within two minutes.

The ascent of Ingleborough was thrilling (via the Dales High Way up the zig-zags), and the views from the summit plateau were very rewarding. After getting back to Simon Fell, the descent was straightforward and fairly easy, but as often happens, the last few miles seemed to go on and on despite the much easier terrain than earlier in the day. We all finished more-or-less together, and had a well-deserved supper.

For the record, the three peaks of the walk are listed here; the two in bold I ascended, but not Pen-y-Ghent, as I was needed elsewhere.

1.   Pen-y-Ghent (694m)

2.   Whernside (736m)

3.   Ingleborough (724m)

Well done to all the participants, and especially to those in the groups I looked after.

Pavelka House Climb Snowdon day, 25th July 2015

This was my first day's work for RAW Adventures.
 
I spent the preceding night at the Llwyn Celyn Bach campsite in Llanberis, just up the hill from the YHA youth hostel. Pete’s Eats did not open early enough for me to have breakfast then get to the leaders’ briefing, but fortunately the briefing was at the Victoria Hotel, so I had a vegetarian fry-up there, instead.

So we started from the hotel, a group of fifty-three walkers and a good number of Mountain Leaders, eight, I think; I took up position at the back  as we headed along the verdant fragrant woodland path to the Pen-y-Ceunant Isaf café.

By the time we had moved beyond the café it was obvious that the last person, the one at back of the group, was going very much slower than everybody else, so I was assigned to look after her on my own while the other leaders looked after the other fifty-two participants – fortunately we were able to stay in radio contact for the whole trip.By the time she and I had reached the start of the Llanberis Path, the others were clean out of sight.

I have seldom seen such self-discipline and determination. Although it was really hard going for her, she managed to find a sustainable pace, and by sheer grit and willpower she made it all the way to the ridge at Clogwyn, and was rewarded with fine views of the Vale of Llanberis, though not of the summit, which was shrouded in hill fog. The railway bridge at Clogwyn is at about 779m, and the Victoria Hotel is at 130m, so that makes for about 649m of ascent, and of course, descent afterwards.

By then, the others had reached the summit and were about to start down, so it was time for us to turn round, too, so that we would all arrive together for the post-walk celebrations. The descent from Clogwyn is difficult underfoot, especially for the first 100m or so travelled, so we took that very slowly and carefully, then sped up towards Halfway House, where the fastest of the other participants overtook us.

Further down, I took another participant under my wing, someone whose knees were locking up painfully, but only as she walked downhill – the locking up disappeared immediately when she was walking in the level or uphill. I recognised this condition immediately: it is to do with having flat feet and the secondary effects of that on otherwise healthy knees, and I will write about it separately in a few days.

In the end, everybody arrived pretty much at the same time, and there was a good celebration afterwards.

Well to done all the participants, especially to the two that I looked after.