Keswick To Barrow 2012

Distance: 40 miles (allegedly)
Time: 13 hours, 15
Average Speed: 4.86 km/h (3.02 mph)

We set off from our B&B in Windermere at a little after 5am: myself, Mike Roberts and Steve Eyles, with Chris Bradshaw as our support.  Mike and I are old hands, but it was Steve's and Chris' first K2B.

It was about 35-40 minutes to reach the top of Thirlmere and then another 15 minutes to reach the dropping off point.  You can't expect to get 2400 or so people to the start line without some waiting involved and the K2B committee have made it as smooth as possible.  Chris took a quick team photo and then the three of us queued for the start.  We went through at 0607, with about 1870 people having gone through ahead of us.  This included three young women and a black labrador all dressed as bees.

The skies were clear, so it was a cold start.  There was evidence of previous rain but there wasn't to be a single drop that day, possibly a first for my attempts.  We were wearing the waterproofs anyway, just for the warmth.  A brisk walk to Thirlmere soon warmed us up.  As usual it was flat calm at that time of the morning and Helvelyn was reflected beautifully in the water.

Mike had been off work ill for much of the training period and although recovered wasn't quite fighting fit so he fell behind.  Steve and I hit much the same pace so we kept together.

After Thirlmere we hit Dunmail Raise and the sun finally found its way over the hill tops, raising the temperature.  I found myself having to take of the waterproof and shove it into the backpack, out came the hat at the same time.  I was now wearing just a t-shirt on top, not cold at all.  Steve had got ahead of me while I adjusted my kit, but I caught up with him as we reached the edge of Grasmere.  I phoned Chris at the 1 mile to the checkpoint sign to let him know we were coming.

We picked up supplies from Chris and he asked about Mike.  Steve said he was ahead of us, I said behind.  After grabbing a drink I lost sight of Steve, so unwilling to stay to long I set off again.  Steve caught up with me at the top of Red Back, which we had warning him about.  He said he was glad it was over, I said that we still had to get down the other side.  Descending punishes the parts of your feet that had been given a rest on the ascent, you also face the choice of a slow controlled descent or a mad dash.

The checkpoint at Elterwater marks the one-third stage.  I grabbed two drinks at this checkpoint, and eavesdropped on somebody having a good strop at a hapless official.  I couldn't work out what the actual complaint was, and I'm pretty sure the official was none the wiser.  Steve had already set off, so I followed him.  Other than a few glimpses over the next half-hour that was the last I saw of him until the end!  He'd obviously trained well.

I plodded on.  In a lay-by on the main road down to Coniston there was an ice cream van.  I resisted the temptation for an actual ice cream but got a cold drink from his freezer.  Not long after it was the stony track up the hill and another steep descent down to Monk Coniston.  There I met up with Chris who said he hadn't seen Steve.  Mike had been only ten minutes behind us at Grasmere, he'd started out of breath but had recovered and got his pace back.

I started the walk along the east side of Coniston and began the mental arithmetic to estimate my finish time.  I was thrown when I reached the 20 mile mark and spotted the lunch break stop without seeing the 1 mile to checkpoint warning.  Slightly clarified by the official who was having to explain to everyone that CP4 wasn't there this year, but was later on.  I was able to guess I wasn't going to beat my personal best time.  I had a quick sandwich, checked my feet, changed my socks and converted my trousers to shorts.  Then I set off before my muscles became convinced it was over.

Shortly afterwards I was passed by the bee girls and their bee dog.  They'd already passed me once or twice, but they always seemed to stop a long time at each checkpoint.  One of them remarked that I must be looking forward to a beer at the end.  Two, I said.  The first wasn't going to touch the sides.

The new home for CP4 was at Water Park at the bottom end of Coniston.  Somebody at the drinks point there had thought ahead as the was a water bowl for the dogs.  Apart from the bee dog, there must have been at least 5 other dogs including a husky.

I met Chris again at the Red Lion in Lowick, further back from the road than the usual meet up.  He'd missed Steve again, but as we were talking (and I was dumping my used socks and trouser leg ends), Mike came up.  I set off again, passing the bee girls, swiped at CP5 which had also moved this year (the community centre, not the church) and headed off for the long, slow slog up to Kirkby Moor.  Mike soon caught up, but said he'd got the the church only to be told he'd missed the checkpoint and had elected not to go back.  He was soon outpacing me.

I re-did my mental arithmetic.  With two thirds done I could just make 12 and a half hours if I picked up the pace.  But now, I could feel the blisters on my feet.  I tried to ignore them, but I knew they were going to get worse.

At the 30 mile sign I stopped to take a picture.  The bee girls were resting there and offered to take it for me while I posed by the sign.

I was through CP6 when Mike came up behind me.  He'd stopped for some crisps and I'd just gone straight through oblivious.  Soon he was outpacing me again.  Not long after my feet were in agony.  I made it to Marton and the next checkpoint.  I swiped, knocked back some water then headed straight for the First Aid point with Chris in tow.  I got tangled up trying to take the backpack of and had to sort that out before the nice St. Johns Ambulance lady could look at my feet.  A huge blister on each heel, each requiring two of the large white plasters.  After this patching up I set off as soon as I could, wanting to finish as quickly as I could.  I put on the IPod and went for a Rush live album.

The next few miles were just trudging along, trying to build up a pace and ignoring what was happening below the ankles.  You get a lot of encouragement from Marton, going through Dalton and into Barrow.  You need it.  At about 38.5 miles I passed a father and daughter struggling on.  The daughter was crying, but keeping going.

Coming up to the last mile I changed album.  Just like last year I put on Abbey Road as I was walking along Abbey Road.  Last year I started with Here Comes the Sun and had to skip a couple of tracks to finish on The End.  I didn't skip any this year, and I didn't finish on The End.  I didn't even finish on Her Majesty.  It had looped around to Something.

Chris, Mike and Steve had gone inside because they were Southern and through it was cold, so no photograph of me finishing.  There was a surprise however.  For completing seven walks you get:

For the past 48 hours I've been seeking a grant from the Ministry of Silly Walks, but I should have raised a bit over £300.