Sunday: Shining Tor and the Goyt Valley

Guide book says: 6.5 mi, 10.5 km
GPS says: 10.8 km (6.7 mi)
Time: 2 hours 25
Average speed: 4.47 km/h (2.78 mph)

The previous two weekends I'd just had short walks on the Chase. Exceedingly short the first weekend after the K2B, a little longer the week after. This weekend I'd decided to head up into the Peak District and after a little dithering decided on the Shining Tor walk.

I set out from Pym Chair at 0925. About the same time another dozen or so people also set out, but they were all heading north. There was only me heading up to Cat Tor, and I didn't see another person until I reached the top of Shining Tor. I think I can guess the reason: although the weather had improved since Saturday (no rain, some sunshine) the wind was certainly blowing hard. Fortunately it was coming from the west, so after coming down from the top of Shining Tor I was in the lee.

Other than the ridge near Stake farm, I remained in the lee all the way down to the Goyt valley. It seemed pretty deserted for a Bank Holiday weekend, although there were plenty of cars parked around. I guess they were all wandering around near the reservoir and other than a few hardy souls they weren't venturing up where the wind was blowing.

I'd spotted Jodrell Bank when I'd started up Cat Tor, but when I reached my car again I saw they'd realigned the dish. I got the binoculars out, but they'd finished moving it.

Keswick to Barrow 2010

Thanks to a combination of illness and working overseas, this year our team was down to a total of two members, myself and Mike Roberts, and no support team. Fortunately Mike Simpson, a friend and former collegue, arranged for us to use the Rolls Royce support team and facilities. One offer that we turned down was to share their campsite, instead we opted for a Bed and Breakfast in Keswick.

After an early night we awoke at 5 am and helped ourselves to some cereal before heading out to the campsite where we left Mike's car and joined one of the Rolls Royce vehicles which was to take us to the start. Alas it was Rolls Royce the engineering firm and so a Renaut minibus.

We arrived at the start a little before 6 am, but were held up by the queues and the runners going off together at 6, so I started at 0603. They'd changed the initial route this year. Instead of crossing, then following the A591 until the Thirlmere road, we went through an underpass (normally used by livestock, unfortunately) then over fields (poo dodging) and along a track to join up with the road west of Thirlmere.

It was the usual cold start, but with only scattered clouds. The wind was disturbing the usual mirror-like surface of the lake, but promised to cool us down later in the walk. Not long after joining the lakeside many of us spotted something in the lake, which many claimed was a swimming deer. My poor photograph would appear, to my eyes, to back that up.

This is how the Loch Ness Monster started

On many of the peaks around us there were scattered patches of white, on north faces and in gulleys. It was a bad winter if there's still snow around in May.

Walking with Mike R, Mike S and others of the RR team we made swift progress, although I started to lag when we left the flat route and started climbing up to Dunmail Raise. We were back on the A591 for this section, presumably because we were spread out more.

At the first checkpoint I caught up with everybody. I packed my waterproof jacket away, it was now warm enough, and set out again. I knew I'd be left behind on this bit, it was Red Bank. A lot of people will warn you, when you do this walk for the first time, about Red Bank because it's 1 in 4 (25%). What they don't tell you is that it's not the climb up, although it's tiring. It's descending down the far side which is just as steep, and going down is harder on the feet than going up.

At the bottom I passed Mike Simpson who was waiting in line for a tardis. He soon caught up with me for a quick chat then off he went to catch up with Mike R and the others.

From Elterwater onwards it was clear that most of the participants were having trouble with the phrase "single file on the right". On the side roads they were all over the road and most went to the left when a car came. On the Conniston road they tended to walk two or three abreast. That wasn't popular with the drivers on the road.

The Rolls Royce support were great. Having five full teams they also had a minibus at every check point as well as the support points, providing drinks, energy bars and salted peanuts. I tried to stop for as short a time as possible at each stop, because it's always painful starting up again.

At the halfway point I grabbed a sandwich and a banana, I can never face the burgers and there's always a queue. I converted my trousers into shorts and plugged the GPS into the spare battery to recharge. A mere 10 minutes later I set off again, 8 minutes before the 6 hour mark. I started to get hopeful for a sub 12 hour time.

Conniston is surprising long, no doubt why Donald Campbell chose it. The sun was out now, but the trees kept us in the shade and there were some strategic drinks points. The drinks points also offered bananas and tangerines, and opposite Water Park the tangerines were ready peeled, which was handy as, using a walking pole, I only had one hand free.

Clearing Conniston the weather had settled down to what the BBC calls Sunny Intervals. A nice spring day with a cooling breeze. I plodded on to Lowick Church then began the long climb up to the moor. I checked my time as I passed the 30 mile signpost, just under 9 hours elapsed. Again the worst part came after the top and the descent to Barrow began. The last part going down into Marton was particularly bad.

The GPS was almost out of charge here, so I tried a different charging system. It was a gadget that took an AA battery to power a USB connection. Alas the fit on the USB connector was poor and it kept slipping off. I abandoned that and the GPS gave up just as I reached the wind farm.

At Marton I took up the offer from the RR support and left them my backpack. The gaps between drinks posts was shorter now and I was confident that I wouldn't need the waterproof. From here on there were more and more onlookers offering encouragment, which always helps.

Near Dalton the road acquired a pavement so I moved onto that and got out the iPod. The RNG selected Fish, then Spock's Beard so it was obviously in a proggy mood.

At the Dalton checkpoint I checked my stopwatch. I had 3 miles to go and 80 minutes to beat my previous best. I got the bit between my teeth and headed off.

The last drinks post is at the 39 mile mark, at the top of the very last climb. That is always a wonderful sight. I grabbed two cups of water, almost on the go, then went into head-down mode. More onlookers offering encouragement, and the occasional finisher.

Turning into the Sports Club to go up the drive to the finish, the song on the iPod began the epic finish which gave me a boost of speed. I swiped the dog tag at the finish, then went to get my results. A time of 11:45:50, beating my previous best of 11:56:06 in 2008. I went off to find somewhere to collapse.

I'd managed to finish when there was no-one from RR looking, so after sitting down for 10 minutes I went off to get my free pint. The legs and in particular the feet protested at being forced to move, but I got to the bar. After a bitter shandy (nothing like it for rehydration), I found the support team, then Mike S and Mike R. Mike R had beaten his best time, but was 1 minute shy of his target of 10:30.

Eventually we hobbled onto a minibus and were taken back to the campsite near Keswick. It took about an hour, which just showed how far it was. At the campsite I found out that my backpack had been waiting for me at the finish. We left the campsite before it came from Barrow, so Mike S promised to deliver it to me later this week. I told him to take the bananas out before that.

It never fails, whatever Bed and Breakfast we use, we always end up on the top floor.

Keswick to Barrow

Quick post: finished in 11 hours 45 minutes. Feet sore, legs ache, happy to have beaten my previous best.

The Wrekin and The Ercall

Distance:8.38 km (5.21 mi)
Time: 2 hours
Average speed: 4.18 km/h (2.6 mph)
Time to top: 30 minutes, 42 seconds

This was the same route as in March, the difference in distance due to the fact I never manage to follow the same path down from the Ercall.

A colder day than many of late, after stepping outside this morning I dived back in to grab a jumper. There were also signs of rain recently, the route down from the Wrekin being slippyer than I like. It wasn't helped by somebody's boxer getting fascinated by my legs and trying to trip me up!