My Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge report, 26th June 2021.
Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2021 4:43 am
It is safe to say that is the hardest challenge, I have ever done.
The first curveball was that the organisers decided to do the route in reverse order to the usual route, needless to say I'd been over and recced the usual route.
The accent of Ingleborough was first and at the summit, visibility was poor as we were in the clouds and it was raining.
Now all through my training and recce walks, I had never fallen or got injured. Of course, they'd all happen on the same day.
On the dreaded steep iniital descent from Ingleborough I had a fall on the slippy ground, luckily achieving nothing more than a cut to the back of my leg.
The ascent of Whernside was hard work it was very steep doing it this way and at times I thought my thighs were going to explode, the summit tantalised for quite a while and again the summit was shrouded in cloud.
The descent from Whernside to Ribblehead is quite a pleasant ramble, but was very popular and busy and on several occasions you had to give way. Here I had my second and most spectacular fall. As my impatience got the better of me, I moved on to a patch of grass to pass the slower walkers in front of me, I didn't appreciate the steepness of the grass and ended up breaking into a run and eventually hitting something and faceplanting at speed the earth below me. Far from laughing at my topple fellow walkers very kindly checked on my health, I was a little winded and had a bit of pain to my rib area.
At Ribblehead I stopped for a spot of lunch, with the long walk to Pen y Ghent ahead. I was blessed that as I was setting off to see a steam train make it's way across the famous viaduct.
Sometime during my walk to Pen y Ghent my left knee went, I'd come this far and received so much support and donations I was not going to give up. For what seemed like an eternity and with my painful knee the summit seemed to be out of reach, I got there and just sat in the shelter for a few minutes resting my knee. I had roughly at this time 3 hours to descend Pen y Ghent and make my way back to the event hub and be under 12 hours for the challenge.
My knee was much worse than I thought by now, I started the steep descent and had to slide down my backside often. A kind fellow walker seeing me stricken offered me pain relief in cocodamol and another walker strapped my knee. The descent was traumatic and more and more walkers passed me all concerned for my welfare, I was even at one time offered to get the Air Ambulance to assist me. I refused, hell bent on completing this.
My injury made a reasonably short descent back to Horton in Ribblesdale (50 mins) very lengthy and thoughts of missing the magical 12 hour mark entered my head. As the ground flattened towards the bottom of the descent I knew I was in danger of missing my time and as I finally left Pen y Ghent behind, I knew I had to push hard and ignore the pain.
Finally, the finish line was in sight and I crossed it so relieved I had finally completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge. My time 11 hours 54 minutes and 57 seconds, inside the time.
Despite this piece sounding so negative it is far from it, I would encourage any keen walker who hasn't done this to take the challenge, me I had a reminder that I am nearing 50 and not half that age. It is a remarkable feeling to complete it though and if you want to like me do it for charity.
The first curveball was that the organisers decided to do the route in reverse order to the usual route, needless to say I'd been over and recced the usual route.
The accent of Ingleborough was first and at the summit, visibility was poor as we were in the clouds and it was raining.
Now all through my training and recce walks, I had never fallen or got injured. Of course, they'd all happen on the same day.
On the dreaded steep iniital descent from Ingleborough I had a fall on the slippy ground, luckily achieving nothing more than a cut to the back of my leg.
The ascent of Whernside was hard work it was very steep doing it this way and at times I thought my thighs were going to explode, the summit tantalised for quite a while and again the summit was shrouded in cloud.
The descent from Whernside to Ribblehead is quite a pleasant ramble, but was very popular and busy and on several occasions you had to give way. Here I had my second and most spectacular fall. As my impatience got the better of me, I moved on to a patch of grass to pass the slower walkers in front of me, I didn't appreciate the steepness of the grass and ended up breaking into a run and eventually hitting something and faceplanting at speed the earth below me. Far from laughing at my topple fellow walkers very kindly checked on my health, I was a little winded and had a bit of pain to my rib area.
At Ribblehead I stopped for a spot of lunch, with the long walk to Pen y Ghent ahead. I was blessed that as I was setting off to see a steam train make it's way across the famous viaduct.
Sometime during my walk to Pen y Ghent my left knee went, I'd come this far and received so much support and donations I was not going to give up. For what seemed like an eternity and with my painful knee the summit seemed to be out of reach, I got there and just sat in the shelter for a few minutes resting my knee. I had roughly at this time 3 hours to descend Pen y Ghent and make my way back to the event hub and be under 12 hours for the challenge.
My knee was much worse than I thought by now, I started the steep descent and had to slide down my backside often. A kind fellow walker seeing me stricken offered me pain relief in cocodamol and another walker strapped my knee. The descent was traumatic and more and more walkers passed me all concerned for my welfare, I was even at one time offered to get the Air Ambulance to assist me. I refused, hell bent on completing this.
My injury made a reasonably short descent back to Horton in Ribblesdale (50 mins) very lengthy and thoughts of missing the magical 12 hour mark entered my head. As the ground flattened towards the bottom of the descent I knew I was in danger of missing my time and as I finally left Pen y Ghent behind, I knew I had to push hard and ignore the pain.
Finally, the finish line was in sight and I crossed it so relieved I had finally completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge. My time 11 hours 54 minutes and 57 seconds, inside the time.
Despite this piece sounding so negative it is far from it, I would encourage any keen walker who hasn't done this to take the challenge, me I had a reminder that I am nearing 50 and not half that age. It is a remarkable feeling to complete it though and if you want to like me do it for charity.
