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.
