Yorkshire 3 Peaks

16:08:42 o'clock GMT

Having completed all 3 hills within 11 hours without seeing anything from any of the summits we decided that we had better go back again.

 

Bought a tent and went up to Yorkshire for the May Bank Holiday weekend

 

Luckily this time we were able to go up Pen Y Ghent and Ingleborough and see something when we got there!

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10:58:45 o'clock GMT

To go from walking 7 miles a day or at the most 10 to walk 24.5 miles over the three highest hills in Yorkshire in less than 12 hours is quite an achievement and something not to be entered into lightly. So the day Liz said she wanted to do 'The 3 Peaks' my first reaction was she must be joking and then well 'how are we going to do that then'.

We had already started doing some training for our Dales Way trek later in the year building up to about 12 miles a day and using the varied paths and terrain around Alfriston, Sussex and the superb spring weather gradually built up to 20 miles before we collapsed into chairs in the garden at Badgers Tea House.

The long Spring Bank holiday gave an opportunity to go up to the Yorkshire Dales and if not do all 3 hills at least have a few walks and do a couple of them.

It was really drizzly when we drove up to Horton In Ribblesdale and sat in the Pen Y Ghent cafe contemplating whether we were going to go for it or not.

A number of other walkers were already 'clocking in' using the old time keeping machine that stamps your card at the start and finish. Outside still drizzle inside pint mugs of tea! In the end we bit the bullet filled out our time card had it stamped and set off.

By the time we were half way up the first hill, Pen Y Ghent, i was thinking we wouldn't do it and considering a shorter day for us. We reached the top, in drizzle and mist then headed downward through bogs watching those in front of us disappear into the distance. By the time we had got to the bottom of Whernside my calculations were taht we could still just about do all 3 hills within 12 hours. Both of us were feeling OK not to troubled by a few knee deep steps into the bog so on we went.

The summit of Whernside was invisible in the mist, even at the top we struggled to locate the 'trig point' and shelter, heading down the cloud lifted a bit revealing the steps leading upward to the top of Ingleborough. At this point we could have stopped and made our way back to Horton along the road but we were ahead of schedule and a new sense of determination boosted by a change of socks pushed us on. Going up Ingleborough we just about managed to keep up with 3 over 60's! If they could do it so could we.

The top and the last summit, again in the mist. This time the way back was difficult to find in the mist and we joined up with a group of ladies found the right path and headed on down for what we thought were the last few easy miles into Horton.

A mile and half to Horton according to the signpost, 2 miles later and still no sign of the village.

Legs beginning to tire and the final mile seemed to be taking all afternoon but eventually the village came into view and slowly we wobbled down the street back to the cafe. 11 hours and 5 minutes after we set off. We had made it!

Written by kevanliz Link to this entry | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own