28th June 2014- Lake District 10 Peaks Long

A pleasant morning provided a hint of what the day was going to be like with a dry, cool day and great visibility when the clag lifted from the high tops as the morning went on. We we’re picked up from Keswick FC and taken to where we started at Swirls car park. I felt good goin up and over Helvellyn in the clag and after the first checkpoint up the boggy section to High Raise in the clag.

Ascending Helvellyn in the clag

Descending High Raise I felt tenderness coming no so started on the Ibuprofen. After Bowfell the peaks of Great End, Ill Crag, Broad Crag and Scafell Pike we’re soon ticked off even Scafell wasn’t too much of a problem up Lord's Rake and down Foxes Tarn and then soon found myself on the corridor route towards Great Gable.

Lord's Rake upto Scafell

Great Gable was its usually grind and not much better on the downhill. After the checkpoint it was the long detour to Pillar which despite a few moments of fatigue I was at the summit and then heading back for the Moses Trod path and to the best checkpoint at Honister where I had Spag Bol and a can of coke.

Pillar summit. Great Gable + Scafells in the background

This gave me the energy to get upto Dale Head tarn and then some good running to the checkpoint Nichol End and then to the foot of Carlside Skiddaw. I was feeling alright but that was soon sapped by the steep uphill of Carlside and after that the steep uphill to Skiddaw was very slow interrupted by regular stops for breath. There we’re no rewards at the top as it was very windy and cold and after dibbing in the last summit I managed to run all the way back to Keswick FC to finish in 16:30:08. This was probably the toughest race I'd ever done, but that's no suprise with 73km and 5600m of ascent/descent.

Large summit, Skiddaw

24-25th May 2014- Brecon Beacons

I left the car in Pencelli at 11am on saturday morning and started walking through lanes and fields till I started to ascend more rapidly up open access land. It was very hot and sunny and I was glad I had factor 50 on. I walked over the first small hill then started ascending Wynn Rydd??? passing several horses on the way.

Two of many horses

From Wynn Rydd the views to the west provided a preview of what was to come. I rejoind the path and walked up the hills on the way to Pen y Fan, including Fan y Big and Cribyn

Looking at the hills which lay ahead

The closer I got to Pen y Fann there were more and more people about and when I got to the summit of Pen y Fan I didn't hang around as it was rammed with people including people dressed if they we're going for a day on the beach and morons you would expect to see on a reality tv show like 'The Valleys' (never watched it). 

Pen y Fan

I then walked over Corn Ddu and then down to The Storey Arms as quick as possible to get away from the crowds. Once I crossed the road and started heading up Fan Fawr there was no one around, just sheep. It was a tough ascent and in the heat it was hard work. I made it to the top cairn and then over to the trig point and then had a little break enjoying the views and solitude.

Trig at Fan Frynych

I then headed down into the valley and after cooling my feet in a stream I headed up Fan Llia. After coming to what felt like the top I then headed back along the Beacons Way and after the trig at Fan Frynych I walked a bit till I decided to make camp.

A very pleasant evening

It was a pleasant calm evening and after the sun went down I got a vvery good nights sleep. I woke Sunday morning and it was looking like it would be another dry, sunny day. I started walking at 7 and followed the Beacons Way back to the Storey Arms and then up the path to Corn Ddu. There were a few people about but it was nice to not have crowds on Pen y Fan as per the day before. 

Pen y Fan in the morning (no crowds)

I retraced my steps and did all the same hills again, Cribyn, Fan y Big etc. I wanted to go quicker but I was sloeed down by a poorly toe which was making quick descents a bitpainful.

Looking back to Pen Y Fan

It was a nice day, but a bit windier,  but that gave some relief from the heat. I made it hack down into Pencelli and it was very hot without the wind. I made it back to the car before midday and it was a shame to leave with such good weather.

Cheers