Scafell Pike: A second chance...

The wind whipped up the valley from the head of the magnificent body of Wast Water and the OS map i was holding fluttered like a terrified bird in my hands. I searched it for some clue as to the next step to take on my second attempt to reach the top of Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain. At less than 1000 metres above sea level it’s not a particularly imposing mound but the lack of pathways and the steep incline at the peak makes it more of a challenge than the relatively short stature suggests.

The point at which I stood was within ten square metres of the spot at which I called off my first attempt to climb the Pike. That time I couldn’t see ten metres in front of me as the cold October rain drove into my face and the low cloud obscured the land. That walk was curtailed by various factors; injured knees, aggressive weather and the fact that we’d only just finished climbing Ben Nevis and had Snowdon yet to come. This time, I was focused on the one mountain and I had no intention of being beaten again.

Setting off up the valley

The path from Wast Water isn’t clear but by following a brook up the valley we were able to keep our place on the map. Steep screes rise dramatically on either side of the valley, ushering the hiker along until the flat basin rises sharply into the sky from whence waterfalls tumble down impossible heights. After an exhausting slog up the sodden mossy incline we reached Turnaround Buttress as it shall now be known to me. This time, with dry weather and eight eager companions I suggested we do some scrambling in the direction we knew we had to go rather than concern ourselves with  finding a path.


We set off up the rocky buttress, climbing over boulders and grassy mounds, with the occasional call of “Below!” ringing out as the face came free under grabbing hands and scrambling feet. No injuries were suffered by falling debris but one member came close to a 127 Hours moment as a large boulder sailed past his arm. After another 15 minutes of climbing we saw three hikers, two adults roped to a child. We looked about wondering which of us should be roped up and possibly who we’d least like to be tied to. The fellow hikers were descending a path from the summit and informed us they didn’t feel it was safe to attempt the peak with their infant. Using the path and various levels of geography education we could once again find our place on the map, a great relief indeed.



We followed the rocky path for a further 20 minutes before stopping for lunch. It’s an unusual path which occasionally tumbled down over rock faces which required scaling and across streams with slippery stepping stones.



The path becomes less clear

Finally we reached the promised screes. Loose rocks punctuated by snow-filled holes waiting to aid an ankle sprain stretched out above us. We set off, leaving significant gaps between each scrambler to avoid any rock-fall related injury. It was hard work and I was unable to have any real confidence in the surface beneath me; the jovial conversation which had flown about up to now froze in the bone-stabbing cold as the wind picked up. My Hi-Tec Altitude Ultra boots are fully waterproof and warm, the sole provides good grip and the ankle support helped enormously, they were finally getting the treatment they had been made for and standing up to the test admirably. I felt for the members of the team boasting urban hooves and the one clown in shorts. Some temporary respite was afforded us at a short plateau before the final climb.

We climbed through the cloud bank and over giant slabs of rock until finally we reached the summit with it’s rock mound. There we were: standing on top of Scafell Pike. In jubilation the nine of us danced about on the top of the mountain like celebrating pagan peons. A bottle of Scotch was passed about to accompany some wolfishly eaten snacks. After a few moments we succumbed to the exposure on the peak and pointed our boots back the way we had come. The descent was a hairy one, slipping and sliding down rocky snow-banks on our backsides while clinging to anything and everything to control the speed. Having offered my gloves to a friend whose hands had become numb in the wind, I suffered when attempting to use my palms as brake pads. Though it hurt I was able to prevent myself cartwheeling off the side of the mountain. The adrenaline pumping noisily past my ears made the danger no more than an exciting challenge, but looking back we really should have taken some precautions. Or an ice axe.

Alex and Ryan scramble up the final, treacherous section

As snow and rock became grass and bog I felt satisfied that I’d climbed the smallest but most difficult of the Three Peaks.

At times it felt like we’d bitten off more than we were capable of chewing and it turned out that our route should only be scrambled in summer, not during the harsh back end of winter. Risks were taken but no serious injuries or ailments were suffered. Once again we’d escaped to the natural world, found it almost empty of people but full of dangerous beauty and enriching experiences.

The route back down, eding along rock faces (Images: Luke Doyle)

Hiker Hugh

The Boot Review - Three Peaks Challenge

When it came to choosing the correct type of hiking boots for our 24hr Three Peaks challenge it could have become a long and arduous process for each of us.

Deliberation was made over whether looks or comfort was more important. In the end, all our problems were solved thanks to Hi-Tec who very kindly kitted our hiking party out with their top selling hiking boots; the V-Lite Altitude Ultra Luxe WPi, the V-Lite Rapidtrail Ultra WPi for the men, for the lady in our team the V-Lite Altitude Ultra Luxe WPi. We are all very grateful to Hi-Tec for this. The V-Lite Altitude Ultra Luxe WPi's won the Which Best Buy for walking boots (May 2010), so we were in the best of company when taking on this challenge.

As with all new things, it is a shame that they get dirty and stained so quickly but that is not the case with these boots which feature ion-mask technology by P2i, making them extremely hydrophobic and dirt repellent. You can see the technology in action here:

With our footwear sorted we were ready to take on whatever Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon had to through at us.

The Rambling Hikers Three Peaks Boot Review

James: The boots were on the whole comfortable, offering excellent support with the waterproofing technology, keeping my feet dry and warm throughout all three hikes. If there is one fault, the tongue of the boots did not give enough cushioning on the descent leaving blisters towards the end.

Hugh: Whatever the walking occasion there is nothing more important than good footwear and attempting the Three Peaks Challenge during a sodden October weekend proved to be a stern test for my Hi-Tec V-Lites, but a test that passed with flying colours. Walking for hours at a time my feet were comfortable, well supported and dry. I stood in a Ben Nevis mountain stream (below image) to test the ion-mask technology and found the entire boot, including laces and tongue to be impenetrable to continuous flow of water. Overall, an excellent walking boot.


Testing the boots out near the Halfway Lochan, Ben Nevis

Iain: The V-Lite Rapidtrail were a revalation throughout the Three peaks with my feet hardly aching at all at the end of the challenge. Well-padded on the sharp rock edges of Ben Nevis, well-balanced on the narrow ledges and steps of Snowdon and of course the waterproof technology kept nature at bay. Very good and comfortable throughout.


Chris: The first time I wore the V-Lite Rapidtrail boots was on the four hour hike up Snowdon, having had to change my original boots due to significant water uptake. In such I was wary as to how comfortable they would be as it can take a few walks to wear new footwear in. The Rapidtrails fitted extremely well and supplied support in all the right places, being comfortable, lightweight and sturdy. In regards to the ion-mask technology, I enjoyed walking in and out of streams and puddles, watching the water bead and slide off leaving the boot completely dry. All in all I was very impressed and just wished I had wore them throughout the challenge.



James and Iain at the halfway point - Ben Nevis

Rachel: Echoing James's comments, the boots were superb and my feet stayed dry throughout. The only problem was the tongue rubbing at the beginning of the hikes causing a few blisters, however by the last peak, once they were worn in, this was no longer an issue.

Greig: I can only comment positively on the V-Lite Altitude Ultra's as they performed well on all three peaks. Testing out the ion-mask technology claims, I endeavoured to put them through every river, stream and puddle I could find, including heavy rain towards the top of Ben Nevis. In each instance they passed with flying colours, my feet remained dry and comfortable. The only issue I had is the concern that has been expressed already, that they rubbed initially causing blisters until worn in. Overall, very happy with the boots and would recommend them to serious and casual hikers alike.



The Ramblers



Rambling Hikers raised £2,093!

With The Three Peaks Challenge now becoming a distant memory it is time to reflect and count the amount of sponsorship that we raised in the build up, during and after the event.

In total (including Gift Aid) we raised a total of £2,093! Which is great and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that sponsored us along the way. The money will be split equally between the following charities:

- Breakthrough Breast Cancer
- British Heart Foundation
- Children in Need
  and
- The Stroke Association

The charity page will be taken down at the end of the week, so there is still time to donate :) http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/ramblinghikers2010

Now onto the next hike...

Checklist for the Three Peaks Challenge

With the challenge fast approaching it is time to ensure that we have everything we need for a successful trip. To do so the following items are all recommended:

To take on each peak (In rucksack)
- Map
- Compass
- Gloves
- Hat
- GPS
- Mobile phone
- Spare socks (In case your boots don't do their job)
- First aid kit
- Sunglasses (It maybe sunny at some point)
- Head torch
- Camera (To prove you have done it)
- Glucose tablets
- Energy drinks/water
- Survival blanket/bag
- Snacks
- Walking poles
- Whistle

Equipment to be worn
- Walking boots & socks
- Thermals
- Walking trousers
- Fleece
- Waterproofs (Jacket & Trousers)

To Leave in the car
- Spare clothes
- Water bottles
- Food
- Sleeping bag
- Travel pillow

(List adapted from the Official Three Peaks Challenge site)

A breif guide to the National Three Peaks

As we get ready to embark on our Three Peaks challenge we thought it was time to take a closer look at the three mountains that make up the national version of this challenge: Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon.

Ben Nevis (Estimated climb time - 5hrs)

Ben Nevis (Scottish Gaelic - Beinn Nibheis) or The Ben as it is also know is the highest moutain in the British Isles and is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains close to the town of Fort William.


The summit of The Ben is 1,344 metres (4,409ft) above sea level and attracts an estimated 100,000 ascents each year, 100,006 if you include our group of ramblers. One of the key features of Ben Nevis, are the ruins of an meteorogical observatory at the summit, which wass permanently staffed between 1883 and 1904.

Scafell Pike (Estimated climb time - 5hrs)

Scafell Pike is England highest fell, or mountain and is the smallest of the three peaks at 978 metres (3,209ft). Located in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria.



 In 1919, the summit of Scafell Pike was donated to the National Trust by Lord Leconfield.

Snowdon (Estimated climb time - 4hrs)

Snowdon or Yr Wyddfa in Welsh is the highest mountain in Wales. Constantly describe as the busiest mountain in Britain, Snowdon at 1,085 metres (3,560ft) is the second highest mountain in the Three Peaks challenge.

So there it is, a very brief guide to the Three Peak mountains.

Walking in Sandford Pit and Parsonage Moor – The Last Hike before the Challenge Begins!

Our last practice walk before the big day and we headed out into the Oxford countryside once again in search of those hidden footpaths and bridleways that offer a glimpse of rural Oxfordshire. We decided on the network of routes in and around Sandford Pit and Parsonage Moor.

Once again the weather was pleasant, if a little on the cold side, and I got the chance to try out my new fleece for the first time (this may not sound exciting but it’s good to know I won’t be shivering by the time we get two thirds of the way up Ben Nevis). Almost immediately we came upon Sandford Pit, which opened out into an oasis of calm with a lily-covered pool at one end, surrounded on all sides by sandy slopes with thick vegetation at the top.

Sandford Pit from above

It was one of the first times on these walks that I felt entirely cut off from the surrounding world, which although fleeting, was an enjoyable experience.

As this was new territory for us we had no definite route in mind so we chose instead to let the routes guide us, which enabled us to be flexible in our approach. The most surreal moment without doubt was when we came upon an area of forest with several large ramps in it. We quickly decided that it must be used by BMX riders and thought little more of it. However, as we moved deeper into the woods things became even more curious as we discovered more and more ramps and about 30 empty bottles of antifreeze. Just to (ahem) ramp up the tension even more we rounded a bend and found ourselves face to face with a hand carved totem pole and skull-like carving.

A conservative estimate would say that in that relatively small area there were in excess of 35 ramps of varying sizes forming an intricate and complex circuit designed (I assume) for very skilled and experience BMX riders. The antifreeze would stop the track from becoming frosted with ice and so treacherous. We all came away with the feeling that we’d just seen something quite special, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be someone waiting to drop in vertically from the starting ramp and then have to take on such a demanding course.

Just one section of course

As we moved further into the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside we found ourselves out of the wind and able to take in the pastoral scenes that surrounded us. Greig even kept us informed of the potential pitfalls and possible dangers of doing the three peaks. Thanks to a quirky book written about the challenge, I have found out that one of the symptoms of hyperthermia is ‘death’. I’m not sure if there’s a cure for such a symptom but the book didn’t seem to offer any suggestions.

So there we were approaching the end of our last practice walk as ‘amateur’ hikers and we all looked particularly attractive in our new ‘Rambling Hikers 2010’ custom beanies (my personal favourite is Rach’s pink one and am slightly jealous that I didn’t choose that colour).

 

   

Greig & Iain



Rachel & Greig

And so we waved goodbye (not literally) to Parsonage Moor and took several faltering steps towards this weekend’s epic walk. 26 miles up and down the three highest mountains in the UK…..I can’t wait to get started. (Iain - hiker)

You can see all our pictures from this walk on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rambling-Hikers/135758203132272

Giving Shotover Country Park a Shot – Tales from the Far Side (of Oxford)

So, the big day is getting dangerously close now and I feel a bit like I did the week before an exam. I’ve got that small feeling in my stomach like when I knew I hadn’t revised enough and realised that when the questions turned to the reign of Edward 2nd I was going to be left clutching at straws. One key difference is that whereas I’d probably glanced through the history text book to give myself a chance, this time I haven’t climbed any of the peaks and so don’t even know if I have the first clue what I’m doing.

This aside I’m getting increasingly excited about the possibility of this hike. In preparation, I thought I’d put my mind at rest by going online and looking at the respective routes. I did this only to be greeted on the first website I looked at with the warning ‘NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED’. At that point I began to ask myself maybe I’m not the right sort of person for this adventure. Maybe I should just sit at home and watch reruns of Friends on Sky rather than punish my soft, flabby body with this most difficult of challenges.

Fortunately I slapped myself and snapped out of this negative mindset (I was the only person in the room so couldn’t rely on anyone else to do it for me) and instead cast my mind back to the weekend before last the ramblers decided some extra hiking practice was needed to give ourselves a fighting chance.

The venue was Shotover Country Park within the boundaries of Oxford. Having never been there before, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a diverse, undulating conservation area with pleasant views of Oxford and the surrounding countryside. Thanks to a photo taken by Greig of the information board I can tell you that it covers 280 acres and we mixed and matched the available paths through the trees (little bit of the Sandpit walk, most of the Northwood trail with some other trails thrown in there for good measure).

The map of Shotover park

Once again we were trying out our boots and I thought I’d carry a rucksack just to see how comfortable, or not, that was. It turned out to be a very enjoyable walk in warm, but not uncomfortable conditions. We spent a couple of hours negotiating the well-signposted routes of the park and even got to walk past (not play in) the sandpit from Winnie the Pooh (I was informed of this fact by a reliable source).

The routes available - Green is the longest and follows the boundary, Yellow = Northwood Trails and the short options is in Red = Sandpit walk

I would recommend having a wander around as you will no doubt be surprised that such a place exists in the urban sprawl of Oxford. Although not perhaps a challenge for the hikers out there, it serves as a brisk walk to help shake away the cobwebs, and the hills at least allow your body to feel the burn of real exertion.

Due to the sunny weather I still haven’t tested my boots’ waterproofing but I’m confident that they will stand up easily to whatever weather conditions the peaks have to offer. I can definitely feel the momentum of this walk beginning to build now and I suspect that if I have chance to write another blog before it starts then I might find that those butterflies in my stomach might have grown to epic proportions. I only hope that my optimism and excitement grow in proportion to any nerves or doubts - Iain (Hiker)


The winding path