peak district

Spine Challenger Top Tips

Clare BLOG, Lifestyle, Running, Spine Race, Uncategorised, What do we get up to! MRT Challenge, peak district, Pennine Way, Running, Spine Challenger, Spine Race, Top Tips, trail running, Ultra marathon, Yorkshire Dales

The Spine Race, Spine Challenger and Spine MRT Challenge is a winter adventure along the Pennine Way. The conditions are usually wild. It’s often windy, snowy or rainy, sometimes all three! What’s more with it being set in winter the nights are long and the daylight hours are short. There’s a high level of attrition with often over 50% of the field retiring along the way. To get to the end requires good preparation and self-management skills. Having completed the Spine Challenger previously, getting to 200 miles on the Spine Race a few years ago and finishing the MRT Challenge, I thought I’d share a few Spine top tips that helped me to reach the finish line of the MRT Challenge this year.

1. Develop strategies to cope with mental fatigue

The mental challenge is probably as tough or perhaps even tougher than the physical challenge. There are sections of the event that can seem to drag on and take forever. Or maybe you’ve been on your own for hours on end. It’s during these long unforgiving sections that you can start to think negative thoughts. It’s important to have a strategy to be able to cope. I usually give my tracker a name. This time his name was Bob. He’s that silent, strong friend who’s looking out for you!

Focus on breaking the event down into manageable chunks rather than the journey as a whole. Getting to the next checkpoint or looking forward to the next stop and having something delicious to eat. Splitting it into sections helps to maintain the motivation and having something yummy to eat is something to look forward to!

Focus on positive thoughts. Think how happy you’ll be when you get to the next stop. Have a mantra or a phrase you can repeat to yourself to keep focused and motivated. Take in all the views around you, when it’s daylight anyway, and enjoy your surroundings.

2. Stay warm and dry

This will help mentally too if you are battling the elements and can stay warm. Getting cold may develop into a negative spiral. I had three layering system of headgear, which worked a treat. I started off with no hat, but I pulled my hood up over Kinder when the weather got gnarly. This progressed to wearing a thin beanie under the hood. When the conditions got really wild, my pièce de resistànce, was a fleecy balaclava. It cocooned my head and neck like a warm, snuggly comfort blanket, and covered the gap between my buff and hat. In the worst rain and wind, I pulled the hood tight on my waterproof jacket to protect my face from the elements, which felt reassuring warm.

I like to be prepared so carry an extra layer. I’m nesh and feel the cold easily. I wore a base-layer and lightweight fleece pullover under my waterproof jacket and although I was warm going up Jacob’s Ladder on Kinder, was happy that I did later on. I carried with me two extra layers, a Rab Primaloft jacket and an Inov-8 primaloft smock. Primaloft is ideal as it’s inevitable there’ll be some seepage from the rain, so it retains its thermal capability when wet.

The bad weather often catches people out and causes many runners to retire. If you know you’re a middle-of-the-pack racer and won’t be travelling that fast, it’s worth taking an extra layer as it may make all the difference between finishing or not.

A lightweight waterproof just won’t cut the mustard on a race like the Spine unless you’re one of the front runners. A slightly thicker waterproof will have better thermal capacity and is more robust. This time I wore my Mountain Equipment Kongur MRT Goretex jacket, which is standard team issue. It’s a sturdy, heavier weight jacket and was a perfect choice as I didn’t do that much running so didn’t get too hot, and I did say I felt the cold!

At the Snake Pass

3. Protect your feet.

There’s a lot of gritstone and usually mud along the Pennine Way. The combination is lethal as when the mud gets into your shoes it becomes very abrasive with the gritstone particles and can destroy your feet.

To protect my feet, I wore Inov-8 Roclite Goretex boots to help keep any water out and chose to wear a full length walking gaitor over the top to keep the mud and other bits out. Over the top of my gaiters, I wore my waterproof over-trousers from Wessenden. I pulled these tight around the ankles to give another layer of protection.

The combination worked well for me. My toes were kept warm by the Goretex boots and although my feet still got wet, which I was expecting, the gaiters kept the mud away from my socks. I changed my socks twice, smothering my feet with Vaseline at the beginning and at the checkpoint at Hebden Hay. Thankfully, I didn’t get any blisters.

4. Have access to a hot drink

I bought a last minute purchase of a small clip flask from Alpkit. It was that last minute, I bought it on my way to registration! This proved invaluable as I could carry around a hot drink. I didn’t need to risk the chill of drinking cold water and it therefore helped me to stay hydrated. It slotted into the side pocket of my rucksack easily so I could grab it really quickly. I found that hot water worked the best in the end rather than tea.

Alpkit Clip Flask

5. Keep a supply of plastic bags and use dry bags.

Your kit will inevitably get wet when the weather turns wild. It’s worth carrying a couple of spare zip lock bags. This will keep any wet kit you’re carrying away from your dry kit you may have in your rucksack. Extra plastic bin liners and carrier bags are useful in your drop bag too.

I stowed away my sleeping bag inside my bivi bag, which was then inside the sleeping bag stuff sack. To ensure it was kept dry, I stashed it inside a small dry bag. I then packed it inside a larger heavier weight dry bag that lined the whole of my rucksack for double protection. My spare, dry clothes were also placed inside a second dry bag. This kept everything dry that needed to be as the rain did slightly penetrate the large dry bag, but not the second.

6. Recce bits

Having done the Challenger previously I was quite familiar with the route. However, I did still struggle in the dark and bad weather conditions to find the path that led down to the M62 bridge. What’s obvious in the day light sometimes is just not obvious in the dark!

If time is short before the race, it is worthwhile being selective and identifying what are considered the trickiest sections and would be most beneficial to recce. Try to work out where you’re likely to be when it’s dark, although that may be easier said than done! The best bits of the route are not necessarily the most difficult to navigate, I find it’s generally the field sections that are the most confusing as you can’t see where the next stile or gate is when it’s dark or claggy.

My recommendations would be as follows. However, others may recommend different bits:

The section from Charlestown just outside Hebden Bridge to just before Slack where you leave the Pennine Way to reach checkpoint 1. This is when you’re likely to be tired as you’re approaching the CP. It will be dark by this point too. The section initially winds its way steeply up narrow, cobbled alleyways where you could mistakenly think you’re trespassing in someone’s garden.
From Cowling over the fields to Lothersdale
From Thornton-in-Craven, over more fields, along the canal and crossing more fields before reaching the village of Gargrave.

Thank you to everyone for reading.

I raised funds for Buxton Mountain Rescue Team as part of the MRT Challenge.

If you wish to read my blog click here to read.

Spine Race: MRT Challenge

Clare BLOG, Lifestyle, Running, Spine Race, What do we get up to! #adventureseeker, #adventurethatislife, Buxton Mountain Rescue Team, Challenge, fundraising, Mountain Rescue, MRT Challenge, peak district, Pennine Way, Running, Spine Race, trail running, Winter, Yorkshire Dales

The MRT Challenge is part of the Spine Race series and is specifically for mountain rescue team members. Starting in Edale, the challenge is to head north along the Pennine Way for 108 miles finishing in Hawes!

But why?

The Pennine Way provides the opportunity to journey along the backbone of England. Much of the time is spent in remote upland and rugged, wild landscapes. The Spine Race is like no other race. An expedition almost. It’s evocative and provides a great challenge. It’s all about being able to push the limit both mentally and physically covering the difficult terrain under the gnarliest of conditions. There’s shorter daylight hours too with it being in winter and a time limit of 60 hours to get to the finish… so why not?

I was nervous before the start. Questions were buzzing around in my head. Had my training been enough? Will I be able to cope with the lack of sleep…with the cold…with the rain? I’d been here before…It doesn’t get any easier… I knew how tough it was going to be, but do you know what?…that made it even worse!

The start

So…an hour after the start of the main Spine Challenger race, 9am signalled the start of the MRT challenge. We were off! This year, there were six of us ladies in the MRT challenge along with the gents. Would we all make it to the end?

Heading up Jacob’s Ladder and onto Kinder Scout felt quite warm initially. The wind picked up though when crossing the peaty, rocky plateau so much so, I was buffeted from side-to-side at Kinder Downfall, which was famously blowing upwards. I got a face-full of spray as I jumped over the rocks and the wind whipped the hood on my jacket straight off the back of my head!

: Arriving at the Snake Pass

: At the Snake Pass

A quick stop at the Snake Pass and on over Bleaklow. Glossop Mountain Rescue Team had set up a temporary shelter with refreshments at Torside. It was lovely to see my friend, Laura, who had come out to meet me. There were also members of my own team, Buxton, cheering me along. Mel got me a welcome cup of tea and a biscuit, but I didn’t want to outstay my welcome and was soon on my way again.

: Great to see Laura at Torside

: Lovely cup of tea

The next road crossing was at Wessenden where the light was fading rapidly. A quick check in with the safety team and I was on my way again. Then…the rain started! Heading down the valley, I stopped against a rock to pull on my over-trousers. Continuing on down the uneven track in near darkness. I like to let my eyes adjust naturally so keep my head torch off for as long as possible. The only thing was as I got to the left-hand turn where the path leaves the track, I couldn’t see to find my head torch! I thought I’d put it in my left-hand waist pocket…no! What about the right-hand? …no! Front pouch? …no! I’m sure I remember putting it in here somewhere! After a little digging around, there it was in my left-hand pocket after all!

Heading over Marsden Moor I caught up with another competitor, Anne. The weather had taken a turn for the worse. The rain was hammering down on the hood of my jacket. It was a cold, dark, windy night with limited visibility as the clouds swirled all around us as we crossed the exposed moorland. We walked almost in silence only the occasional word spoken, it was difficult to hear anyway. I was just glad of the companionship.

At Brunscough Reservoir car park, I was relieved to see that Oldham Mountain Rescue Team had set up a temporary shelter. It felt good to get out of the rain momentarily. I got a warm drink, ate some cold pizza that I’d bought with me, added an extra layer under my waterproof jacket and whipped out of my rucksack the pièce de résistance, a fleecy balaclava my mum had bought me for Christmas a few years back.

I was snugly tucked away under the balaclava in the mighty hood of my waterproof jacket in my own little headtorch bubble. Occasionally Anne and myself would confirm with each other we were heading in the right direction, but mostly we kept our heads down as we marched over Standedge, White Hill and towards the M62 crossing. A quick check-in with the safety team and we confidently strode off only to find a few minutes later, we couldn’t find the path. I never remembered it being this difficult to find before. It felt like a long time going around in circles in the awful, murky conditions before we eventually retraced our steps and realised we’d missed the slight right-hand fork off the main track that led onto a minor path where we could see the bright orange glow of the lights on the M62 beckoning us on.

Another refreshment stop was provided by Pendle and Rossendale Mountain Rescue Team in the car park of the White House pub. The weather at this point was particularly horrendous, so it was good to escape the wind and the rain, and to add yet another layer under my waterproof jacket.

Off we headed along the surfaced track over Chelburn Moor alongside a series of reservoirs, occasionally taking a swift glance to the left towards the hazy, orange glow of the Greater Manchester conurbation. Eventually, we arrived at the top of Stoodley Pike with its imposing monument that always feels quite eerie in the dark!

Upon arrival at Checkpoint 1 at Hebden Hay, it was time for a complete change out of my drenched clothes into lovely clean, dry ones before I headed into the dining room. Anne and I had agreed to meet up afterwards so we could head back out together. In the meantime, the dining room was warm and cosy so I decided to catch a 15 minute nap and rested my head in my arms.

A touch of glamour! My sparkly, checkpoint footwear!

It was still raining when we headed back out and the underfoot conditions were treacherously muddy. We got lost in the undergrowth trying to locate the narrow path that led steeply upwards. It felt like I was almost on my hands and knees trying to clamber up the slippery, vegetated slope before gaining the road to rejoin the Pennine Way.

As daylight arrived, the rain began to ease off although I felt a little cold ascending up to Top Withans. I opened the door to the bothy where my mate, Drew was sheltering with a fellow competitor. There was also a group of other walkers in there so it was rather cozy. I added another layer and had a bite to eat before we headed back out.

The Spine Race organisers craftily snook a long diversion around the roads to reach Cowling. It was good to see Darren, who had briefly stopped to give his support. The fields approaching Lothersdale were like a mud bath, incredibly slippy. Outside the village pub, there was another rest stop in a gazebo organised by a local running club. I couldn’t fault the service and the broccoli and stilton soup was delicious too!

Caroline grabs a selfie with Anne and me as we leave Lothersdale

On the approach to Gargrave it got dark again. When we arrived in the village, the landlord of the local pub invited us in to use the facilities. I wasn’t going to turn down the chance to use a proper toilet so a quick visit ensued. Next stop was a visit to the infamous Coop store in the village. Who ate all the pies?! Disappointingly, the shop was bereft of hot pies so I had to settle for a bag of crisps instead!

Crossing the fields to Malham felt a bit tedious and repetitive. I was falling asleep on my feet. A weird sensation with my head literally nodding-off as I walked. I could see two head torches in the distance. It was my fellow BMRT team member, Kerry and her husband, Mike providing moral support. A welcome sight in the middle of the night.

I knew there were public toilets in Malham village and wondered if they would be open. Thankfully, they were and provided great floor space for a 15 minute power nap! Re-energised we almost sprinted to the top of Malham Cove although it didn’t last long!

Checkpoint 1.5 was in the Field Centre just beyond Malham Tarn. On the track leading up to the centre, the lead runner in the Spine Race, John Kelly over took us, and cheered us along as he passed. There was only hot water available which was perfect for my hydrated camping meal. A melee of other runners were around tending their feet, drinking tea and eating a variety of camping meals. A time limit was set on the duration that could be spent here as it was only a small room. We managed to blag some space in a dusty, old storeroom around the back of the building. It was on a cold, hard stone floor, not very luxurious or even comfortable, but again it did the trick for a much needed power-nap.

The ascent of Fountains Fell seemed to take a long time and on the way up I could have sworn I saw a grounded Spitfire in the swirling mist. I shook my head only to realise it was my vivid imagination. The descent felt like it went quite quickly though, maybe because it was now getting light. Although it was still as I remembered it, tricky at times especially with the uneveness of the rocky limestone path that was slippery in places from the heavy rain.

The climb up Pen-y-ghent went quite quickly. Although the scrambly section at the top felt a little awkward as I was carrying my trekking poles and couldn’t be bothered to fold them away! Before long, we were over the summit and heading down the long, rocky track towards the final safety check-in point at Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Darren was waiting for me at the school as he was the safety co-ordinator at this stopover. I had some soup and faffed about for a bit before leaving to make the final push for the finish. Anne and I agreed to continue separately as she wanted to spend a little bit more time sorting herself out and resting before leaving. I wished her well and then I was gone.

: Getting mic’d up

: The last leg.

The Cam High Road is an old Roman track. It climbs steadily upwards for what seems like an eternity to around the height of 600m. The wind started to pick up at this point as storm Brendon began to roll in. I ducked behind a dry stone wall for some shelter as I needed a drink. I polished off a slice of my mum’s delicious Christmas cake that I’d carried along with me too.

Battling storm Brendon

Just before the left-hand turn along the West Cam Road, I was really getting buffeted and knocked side-ways by the wind. At Ten End, the route leaves the track and descended on a slippy, muddy path towards the village of Hawes. I was really having to brace myself against the wind to maintain my composure. I was digging my trekking poles solidly into the ground to be able to stay upright although I did slip at one point where I managed a comical 360° belly-flop kind-of-roll before getting back onto my feet.

The light began to fade, the rain started to hammer it down even more as the storm became more violent, and by the time I had reached the edge of the village, it was dark. I took a rather convoluted way to get to the finish although I did manage to run a little as I headed down the main street towards the finish at the Market Hall. The claps and cheers from the spectators at the end is something that will live with me forever. Team member, Neil, proudly presented me with my Spine Race medal before I was whisked indoors and out of the awful weather to dry off. Sadly, there were a large number of retirements in the race due to the conditions so I was pleased to be one of the only two ladies who completed the MRT Challenge.

: Neil presenting my medal

: Proudly displaying my Spine Race medal

I’d like to say a big thank you to all the wonderful Spine Race volunteers at the checkpoints or out and about on the course. My thanks also go to my fellow Buxton Mountain Rescue Team members for their support and to the other Mountain Rescue teams for providing additional refreshments, shelter and encouragement en-route. It was greatly appreciated.

If you wish to read my Spine Challenger: Top Tips click here.

: Let’s get this rucksack off you.

: Swollen feet!

I was filmed at various locations en-route and I’d like to say thanks to Luke and his friends from Salford University. They are kindly giving their time to produce a social media live broadcast, which will help to raise publicity and funds for the team. My Spine Race video will feature as part of the broadcast. Follow Buxton Mountain Rescue Team on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Further details will be on social media when the broadcast will take place post Covid-19.

My Spine Race MRT Challenge raised funds for Buxton Mountain Rescue Team.

If you would like to donate, please click:

https://www.buxtonmountainrescue.org.uk/support_us/donate

Spine Race 2017

Darren BLOG, Spine Race, What do we get up to! heavy rain, muddy, peak district, Spine Race, trail running, ultramarathon, ultrarunning, Winter, Yorkshire Dales

It was a crazy race! Brutal is an understatement! I hated it at times and only realised what an adventure it had been afterwards! And then it was fab! How perceptions change! There were dark moments, lots! I questioned my sanity, frequently! …And why I was there, when my love is for mountains not wading through godforesaken bog! I could sympathise with Wainwright and appreciated why he’d ‘had enough of it’ with the Pennine Way giving some of its worst!

It was slow, right from the start. The temperature was mild (for the Spine!) but the underfoot conditions went from horrid to treacherous throughout. Day one, where I’d normally run across Kinder proved difficult with the melting snow, ice, and water covered paving stones.

The first surprise was crossing the Downfall. Normally a hop, skip and a jump will get you across but the rivers were in spate from the melt from the snow and the rain. The river was deep and I watched others tentatively cross it. I saw another female runner in front get a dunking, right up to her chest as she lost her footing on the crossing. This made me nervous so I linked arms with two other runners for security to wade across as poles were of no support with the velocity of the water.

On Mill Hill, I stepped on what I thought was a slab…which had subsequently been consumed by bog! I went up to my thighs in the soggy peat mess and bent one of my poles in the process. Damn!

The river crossing on Bleaklow was scary. Being in a race more of a risk was taken and I watched as two other guys crossed the ferocious water. I used my poles for aid but my legs were quivering with the strength of the flow pushing against them. Luckily, the two guys in front saw me struggling and probably could see the fear in my face. Their instinct kicked in and they grabbed my arm & rucksack and heaved me out of the water onto the bank, I was slightly shaken to say the least but very grateful.

At the road crossing at Torside, my friend, Laura, met me with her son, Callum. It was lovely to see them. I had tea, a cheese sandwich and Callum gave me a chocolatey biscuit he had made, yum!

On the climb up to Black Hill, there were numerous other river crossings to navigate. It was going dark as I headed towards Wessenden but the road was easy to spot as the Mountain Rescue had the blue light flashing on their vehicle, which was mesmerising as I got closer. The fantastic support provided by the local mountain rescue teams at the road crossings was really appreciated with their friendly faces and much welcome refreshments.

As the race progressed it felt so slow, no matter how hard I tried. The mud was slippery and it was energy zapping. I was glad of my poles as these kept me upright on numerous occasions, even though one had a nice bend in it now!

It took me a lot longer to arrive at Hebden Bridge than I anticipated and my original plan to have a short stay went to pot. I rested for a couple of hours before leaving the Checkpoint with Sharon.

After continuing throughout the day, I was running with Gerard as it went dark. Just outside Thornton-in-Craven, Gerard’s wife and daughter turned up to surprise him with pizza. How lovely, they allowed me to gatecrash and I was invited to sit in their car and enjoy a delicious slice of pizza and a welcome cup of tea. Gerard and I arrived at Malham village after the pub had closed, rather disappointingly. We had a 10 minute power nap sat outside on the bench before getting cold. We then continued on our way up and over Malham Cove towards the CP at Malham Tarn.

I left the CP after changing my socks, eating one of my camping meals and drinking several more cups of tea. As I reached the top of Fountains Fell, it dawned a new day and I felt refreshed as I trotted down the other side and headed over Pen-y-ghent

I had soup and chips in the Pen-y-ghent cafe with more tea consumed before heading back out. The journey to Hawes seemed a slog over the Cam High Road. On my own, I slumped into a negative mindset. By the time I reached Hawes, I wasn’t bothered about my time as I was going to call it a day anyway! I wasn’t enjoying it so why would I want to continue?!

The checkpoint team were fab. They made me a lovely meal, told me to get some rest as I would feel better after some sleep. They completely turned around my mindset. Before long, I was heading back out.

On the flanks of Great Shunner Fell, I joined up with Phil for what seemed a never ending trek to the summit in the dark and foggy conditions. We were both dropping off to sleep as we walked so we talked to try to stay awake. I’d heard there was a barn when we reached the track on the other side so we decided to bivi for an hour. It was 2am and we both set our alarms for 3am. I slept well, too well! Neither of us heard our alarms and Phil startled me by shouting ‘Oi! Oi! It’s 4.30! I scrabbled around to try and find my head torch, jumped up out of my toasty bivi and quickly re-packed my rucksack. We realised at that point we didn’t know each other’s names after he called me Oi!

After a brief stop in the porch of the Tan Hill Inn and a quick chat with Mike on the Safety Team, it was off over Sleightholme Moor. The weather was pleasant as I headed across the moors towards the A66. Several miles further on, I descended towards the car park at Blackton Reservoir and it was nice to be greeted by Karl. I was provided with a kitkat and coke (which made a refreshing change from tea!) and I was soon on my way again towards the CP at Middleton.

It was just going dark as I descended towards Middleton. My little toes were starting to feel a bit tender so at the CP, the medics taped them up whilst I ate. After another short sleep of less than an hour, I was soon on my way again heading along the River Tees for what seemed like miles!

It was at this point I was joined by Rob. We carefully clambered over the greasy rocks on the bank side path of the river using our hands where necessary. This isn’t easy in daylight and was even more treacherous in the dark. The stars were out and as I looked upwards I was mesmerised by what I thought were little brightly coloured fairies dancing up and down in the night sky. Oh dear, hallucinations from sleep-deprivation, not good!

The scramble up the side of Cauldron Snout was interesting in the dark and I’m glad nobody could see me as it wasn’t very stylish using knees and belly flopping in places! At the top, we were greeted by Ben and Sean, who checked on our well being. We headed on our way along the track and feeling sleepy, knew another barn was situated alongside the track in about a mile. The barn had two rooms; the first had a dead sheep in it, yuk! ….and the second a dead rabbit! Choices, choices… we opted for the side with the dead rabbit! The floor was springy from years of dried mud and sheep muck it seemed! Comfortable though for my bivi! I didn’t hear my alarm again but it was a good job Rob had heard his. He shouted to me that we’d had an hours sleep and it was time to get up and move on.

It was dawning as we headed towards the impressive High Cup Nick. The mud seemed even more slippy than usual at this point or maybe I was stumbling a little with tiredness. On several occasions, I overstretched my right thigh slipping and sliding and it was extremely painful. It worried me for a while but on arrival at Dufton I took a few ibuprofen and this relieved the pain. We were greeted by Tom outside the cafe and headed straight in. The cafe had thankfully stayed open all night and it was a delight to be able to get a hot breakfast, orange juice, tea and a take-away sandwich for the journey.

Onwards and upwards over Knock Fell, Great Dun Fell and up onto Cross Fell. The weather was wet and claggy so it was a little difficult navigationally. Standing by the Trig Point at the summit shelter of Cross Fell was Joe. We walked and chatted with us for a short time whilst we descended to the track where he departed in the opposite direction.

We arrived at the infamous Greg’s Hut and were greeted by John, Paul and his gorgeous collie dog, Mist. Known to Spiners as the highest noodle bar in the UK! It was stiflingly hot from the fire as we walked into the main room but what a great place. I announced that I’d been waiting three years for these noodles, ever since I’d first read about the bothy in the Spine Race. The noodles didn’t disappoint and were simply delicious!

At Alston, the checkpoint was busy but it was lovely to see so many familiar and friendly faces. The dining area was full of racers eating and medics mending feet. By now I had a blister on my heal, which needed draining. The medics informed me they’d ran out of needles so asked if it be ok to pierce my blister with a safety pin? It needed doing so I wasn’t going to argue! It seemed a routine now to eat whilst having my feet patched up. Another hours sleep was grabbed and I woke up in a complete daze. It took me a while to come round. I couldn’t think straight about what I needed to do before I left. It was at this point that Brian, Rob and myself agreed we would leave the CP together for our onward journey.

I’d heard the next section towards Slaggyford could be tricky navigationally and it certainly proved it to us in the dark. The paths were non-existent at times so it was even slower going in the slippy, sticky mud. In the early hours, we were all falling asleep so agreed that an hours bivi was needed and found a suitable barn. A re-occurring theme!

As daylight broke, the terrain towards Greenhead was boggy, heavy going and uninteresting. We were joined by Gerard again and the strain of the week was beginning to show as all four of sat in the middle of a bog for a 5 minute power nap. We were concerned as we were told we needed to be at Greenhead for the recommended time of 12.36pm and knew it was going to be tight.

The safety team met us at the road crossing and we were provided with tea. I had a minor tantrum as cold water was poured into my ration pack, which delayed our stay longer than we anticipated whilst it was sorted out and I was able to get some calories consumed. In the meantime, I changed my socks.

On our way again, we were met briefly on the other side of Greenhead by Stuart. My laces on my boots had come loose despite wearing gaitors so Stuart gave me a lesson in how to tie a surgeon’s knot before we moved on!

We got to Hadrian’s Wall by late afternoon. I’d never seen the wall before so was in awe of the amazing structure and how well it had been preserved over all this time. Hurriedly, going up and over each outcrop like a roller coaster ride, I could feel my thigh twinging in the slippery mud.

We arrived at the next roadside safety point at Steel Rigg just as it had gone dark. We were greeted by the safety team all in good spirits. The three of us sat in the back of Karl’s camper and I spotted a pot of rice pudding and cheekily asked if I could eat it whilst drinking coke (not tea!). Karl gave us a pep talk about making it to Bellingham and was positive we could make it in the time we had got. The three of us were realistic, we knew that we were chasing the cut-offs but if all went to plan, it was easily achievable. Sugar fuelled, I was fired up and ready to go!

And that’s where it all went wrong….

After entering the forest, when not on the forestry tracks, it was frustratingly soggy, ankle deep, squelchy bog. Gerard joined us again after he’d taken a wrong turn. My phone started ringing and with it being a cheapo phone that I carried on events, I thought it must be the safety team perhaps telling us to hurry up! It was my friend, Kirsty, so it was good to hear a familiar voice. Darren had given her my number and it was even better that she had phoned to motivate and to give me a boost!

A little further on, I said to the guys, I needed to go to the loo and would catch them back up shortly. After about 10 minutes, when I caught them up, I can only say it was surreal. Brian had decided to retire as his feet were in a bad way, Rob was disorientated through lack of sleep and food and Gerard had gone on ahead. Brian decided to take refuge in his bothy shelter to keep warm and take stock of his options whilst Rob and I continued. Straight away unknowingly, we messed up on the nav and went round in a big loop ending back where we started with Brian! We did see some wild boar though, which was fascinating, although I had to check with Rob that I wasn’t hallucinating!

It started to get icy and I began to feel the cold as the pace had slowed down dramatically so we sheltered in Brian’s bothy whilst we worked out what we’d done wrong and I called Darren for support. What a mess! I had to make the decision to leave them as I knew my race was already in jeopardy to make it to Bellingham on time. Rob agreed he would continue as he felt better whilst Brian was going to phone the safety team. It was at this point, we saw a headtorch and it was Peter who had caught us up. We continued together but lost Peter after a brief distance. Rob and I both had a quick can of coke at Horneystead Farm but by this time the clag had descended and it was a real pea-souper. What was slow became slower as we could see no more than our hand in front of our face in the swirling fog. At one point, we saw Peter’s headtorch heading back towards us as he himself went round in a small loop!

I was weary and wobbly! The sugar had worn off from the coke. We couldn’t see the path in front of us as we headed up past Shitlington Crags so Rob took a compass bearing from our grid reference on the GPS. As we ascended up the hill, we could hear Peter’s voice calling out to us through the dense fog. We became concerned in case something had happened and shouted back but it was very disorienting as we couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from. As we hit the track and approached the gate, we saw some lights behind us. At first we couldn’t make out whether they were headtorches but as they got closer it was car. It was the safety team. Peter was in the back of the car. They gave us the alternative of making our own way to Bellingham on foot or asked us if we wanted a lift…without hesitation, we both said yes….and that was that!!

We were timed out anyway…so there seemed no logic in prolonging the agony of completing the final few kilometres to the next CP on foot. Funnily, I didn’t feel disappointed. Of course, I wish I’d finished but what an adventure I’d had.

The checkpoint team at Bellingham (as with all the checkpoints) were amazing. They helped us with our bags, brought us bowls of water for our feet, made us drinks, cooked us a meal and generally made us feel very welcome and like heroes, even though we hadn’t even finished. Initially, I hated the idea of returning to the Pennine Way. There was no way I wanted to do it again but….I can’t leave unfinished business….so whilst being non-committal….watch this space!

The Spine Challenger

Darren BLOG, Running, Spine Race, What do we get up to! Adeventurethatis life, adventure, Challenge, peak district, Pennine Way, Spine Challenger, Spine Race, trail running, Ultra marathon, ultra running, Yorkshire Dales

The Spine Race is billed as the most brutal race in Britain and the Challenger is the ‘shorter’ version at 108 miles. It’s run along the Pennine Way in the middle of winter. I’d first heard of it in 2013 and had been drawn to the event and had entered last year with Darren but we had to retire close to Thornton. This year, I’d be running alone as Darren was part of the Mountain Safety Team so as part of my strategy, I’d spent some time recceing the route and working out my kit to maximise my chance of success.

The Challenger started in the dark at 6.30am on Saturday morning. The atmosphere was convivial with runners chatting away before the start taking their minds off the journey ahead. In typical Spine style the weather changed from dry at our arrival in Edale to heavy rain at the start. Once underway and across the fields to Upper Booth, torrential rain turned to hail and with the strong winds blowing it horizontally into our faces it was painful and difficult to see. Great!

We climbed Jacob’s Ladder towards the Kinder plateau and I was struggling to stay on my feet as the gusts of wind were so strong. At one point, I was blown completely off the paved path and into a knee deep bog at the side. Let the battle commence, I thought, it will take more than that to beat me! Onwards towards Kinder Downfall or should I say Upfall, I got drenched by the waterfall blowing back up. Having to cross the stream, I thought it was time to take out my trekking poles as a safety precaution as the stream was quite deep and fast flowing and I didn’t want to lose my footing.

Onwards I went across Bleaklow dropping down to Torside Reservoir. At this point we had a little respite from the wind (little did I know this would be the only sheltered patch during the day) as we continued through the trees and up the valley before climbing up towards Black Hill. This seemed to take forever as we followed the river initially then having to make crossing after crossing as the river snaked around, I was glad of my trekking poles as it was knee deep at times. Onto the paving slabs, I was able to get a steady pace going. I was spotted by Darren’s mate, Gavin, who had kindly driven out to meet me, to give some friendly encouragement and support.

‘If Bleaklow is a beast in bad weather Black Hill is a brute in any weather’

Alfred Wainwright

The little bit of road section at Wessenden was menacing. I got blown into the middle of the road just as a silver sports car was trying to overtake! A quick stop at the roadside checkpoint where the friendly faces of Ally and Paul greeted me and I headed down past the reservoirs where I was able to run again.

From here the route climbed out of the valley over Wessenden Moor and crossed the road to head over Standedge. The light began to fade as I headed across the moors towards the M62 and by the time I passed the trig point at White Hill it was completely dark. Two guys were cheering me on as I made my way past. I asked them if there were any cars at the next road crossing as I was getting a little cold and felt I needed to add another layer. I thought I would cheekily ask to sit in a car out of the wind so that I could put my fleece on. As it turns out there was a number of supporters cars and a camper van around so I asked a lady also called Claire who was supporting her husband and she kindly let me sit in her camper van. I was soon on my way again, over the M62 bridge feeling a lot warmer and over Blackstone Edge. This section to the White House pub I hadn’t recced so I was a little apprehensive as there was snow on the ground and the path was a little uneasy to follow through the jumble of rocks.

Just before the White House pub I missed the track down to the road and ended up jumping over the fence. Here Paweł and the other lead runners of the Spine Race overtook me. They were certainly going at some pace. I checked in with the Marshalls and was offered a delicious cake, which I ate as I jogged down beside the reservoir.

Around the top of the reservoirs, Peter and Sarah caught me up. We started to chat and I was glad of the conversation as we headed towards the shadowy monument of Stoodley Pike. Little did I know that I would spend the rest of my race with Peter and Sarah for company…and what a great team we made, supporting each other through the bad patches and boosting each other’s morale.

We arrived at CP1 just outside Hebden Bridge at 11.20pm, I had planned to stay here for 4 hours and we agreed to leave around 3am. It was a nice surprise to be greeted by my friend, David, whose enthusiast smile made us feel very welcome. He checked us in and carried our drop bags upstairs for us. As part of my preparations, I had made myself a checklist of things to do incase brain fog kicked in. I got my rucksack ready to go, ate some of the amazing veggie chilli that was on offer and then went to bed for a couple of hours. I don’t remember whether I got any sleep but I was certainly thankful for the rest and as I lay there all I could feel my face glowing from the wind! I got up at 2.15am and ordered some porridge for breakfast. I had a couple of hot spots on both of my little toes and had these taped by the medics so that they wouldn’t get any worse…then we were out and on our way again.

The next section was relatively straight forward as I’d recced it in November so it passed in a bit of a blur. We then headed around some reservoirs and started the long climb up to Withans Height. I was beginning to get a little cold as the wind was biting. I knew there was a bothy at Top Withan’s, where Emily Bronte had famously set her novel Wuthering Heights and at this point all that was going around in my mind was the song by Kate Bush! We found the bothy but dissappointingly it was locked. Hmm, no shelter there then!

Out on the wiley, windy moors,

We’d roll and fall in green.

Kate Bush

We continued to push onwards and I warmed up. It started to get light just as we approached Ponden. There were several supporters cars dotted on the roads around here so it was nice to get some encouagement from them with offers of food and water.

Over Cowling Moor (or, as Darren and I had delightfully named it poo path, after having to step over some human excrement in the middle of the slabs last year, yuk!). I was glad it was light as I crossed this year but felt disheartened as it was bleak, featureless and boggy. Then Sarah was greeted by her mate Kate, who’d ran up to meet her unexpectedly. As we descended into Cowling, Kate had parked her camper van at the side of the road and invited us in for tea and some lovely leek and potato soup. What a star! Replenished and back in good spirits, after Sarah and Peter had fixed their feet, we were on our way again heading across the muddy fields towards Lothersdale.

The climb up over Pinhaw was again very windy. There was no time to stop and admire the normally fantastic views as we headed towards the road crossing where we were met by a Marshall who took our numbers and wished us on our way. This was where Darren and I had retired last year at 2am, cold and wet because we were going slow as Darren had twisted his knee. It was a psychological boost to go past this particular milestone in the race and to head down the hill towards Thornton in Craven.

Onwards towards Gargrave, I went through a bad patch just as we pulled off the canal. Feeling tired, I felt low but fortunately, Sarah’s family were waiting in their camper van to greet us and we jumped in to shelter. Sarah’s husband made us hot chocolate and gave us crisps and a pasty, which was fantastic and made me feel better.

On our way again, we stopped in Gargrave to use the toilet facilities and also the Co-op shop to buy some supplies which we ate in the shelter before setting off again. It was now dusk and none of us were familiar with this section heading along the river to Malham…and oh my, what a section it was…lots of fields and lots of mud! At one point, we were accosted by some ponies in the dark, who were so inquisitive they wouldn’t leave us alone and allow us to get past. A little nervous we stuck together and eventually they got bored and let us through.

On arrival in Malham, we headed into the pub and had a cup of tea. The friendly locals were amazed at what we were doing whilst also thinking we were mad. Soon on our way again, we headed up towards Malham Cove. Sarah was familiar with this area and competantly navigated our way around the cove, through the karst landscape, which looked incredible in the torch light as it caught sight of the cliffs and the limestone pavement. I was toasty here with the ascent but as soon as we reached the road, it was to be a different matter as we skirted around the edge of the tarn to reach Checkpoint 1.5 at the Research Centre. The lights of the centre didn’t seem to get any closer as we were buffeted and blasted by the winds with the waves lashing at the shore of the tarn.

By the time we got to the Centre, I was cold and shivery and it was nice to be greeted by John who provided us with a cup of hot tea. Thankfully it didn’t take me long to warm up. My original plans were to only spend an hour here and make myself some hot food before carrying on. However, because of the atrocious weather conditions all of my best laid plans had gone out of the window. It was more important to stay warm and safe and to get to the end rather than worry about a particular time.

We decided we would get some rest here but there was no indoor sleeping available so although I had my bivi bag, Sarah kindly agreed to let me share her tent, which was fun putting it up in the gales. We had two hours rest but I didnt sleep well as I only had my rucksack padding as my sleeping mat which protected my core but my legs got cold. We surfaced at 2am, and went back into the centre. I was faffing about getting myself ready and I couldn’t find one of my leg gaiters eventually settling to go without it only to find it around my ankle anyway! Oh what sleep deprivation does to the mind!

The climb up Fountains Fell was navigationally straightforward but the heavy driving rain and winds were horrendous. With the dark and my head down, it was difficult to estimate how far we had got left to climb particularly when you couldn’t see the numerous cairns on the summit to see what you were aiming for. All of a sudden we were at the wall and I gave a little squeal of joy to be at the summit only to realise that now the fun was about to begin as we got the full force of the rain and the gale force winds on the descent, which was tricky at the best of times.

Downwards we went and it was so dark, I didn’t even see the road until we were almost upon it. Peter was starting to get cold and earlier on, I’d heard two guys talking about a barn at the side, which we kept a look out for. We found it and dived in to get some shelter, where we were able to sort ourselves out before facing the wind and rain again.

At the right hand turn off the road to head up to Pen y Ghent, the Mountain Safety Team were waiting in their 4×4. We chatted to them briefly and were told that for safety reasons the route had been changed and we weren’t going over the summit of Pen y Ghent as the appalling weather conditions would make it too dangerous. We were offered some sweets but because I was wearing big mittens, I couldn’t feel anything so Robin ended up feeding them to me. Talk about eating out of his hand!

Heading upwards towards Pen y Ghent, It was very cold and the rain showed no sign of letting up. We were low so what do you do? Burst into song of course…Always Look on the Bright Side of Life…can you imagine it? 3 crazy people in the middle of the night singing! It did the job though, I had a spring in my step all the way to the gate in the wall on the shoulder of Pen y Ghent. It was here, indicated with glow-sticks that this would be where we were short-routed down to Horton for safety. A comedy moment ensued as Peter put all his effort into opening the gate which was held firmly shut with the incredibly strong winds. It was that strong that I wasn’t even able step through it as I was literally being forced back by the blast. Peter gave us a helping hand by pulling both Sarah and myself through. Never, I have I come across winds so strong that you can’t move forward, scary!

The descent down to Horton was a struggle with the driving rain lashing at my face. The path crossed through some small limestone outcrops which in the rain and the wind were treacherously slippy to scramble down. Nevertheless, we soon arrived and what more of a welcome sight was the glowing sign of the open cafe. 3 cheers to the owner who’d agreed to open up all night for us racers!

It was 7.45am when we arrived and we learnt that many of the runners had been held back here since the early hours by the MST because of the bad weather. We briefly tried to dry some of our kit out over the heater whilst drinking tea, and eating a delightful bowl of red pepper soup rounded off with a mug of hot chocolate. I put my Helly Hanson Lifa base layer on underneath my thermal base layer, over that I put my thin fleece, then my primaloft jacket (which was now damp from the ingress of the rain), my windproof jacket followed by my goretex waterproof jacket. Wow, 6 layers…yes, I know I’m nesh but I feel the cold!

‘There’s no such thing as bad weather only inappopriate clothing’

Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Back out into the cold again and onto the last leg now. It felt good to have warmed up and dried out a little and to still have strength in my legs to continue. Having never been this far before, I was quietly confident that I was going to make it.

We headed up towards the Cam Road, an old Roman track, that seemed to go on forever as it steadily climbed towards Dodd Fell. It was still incredibly windy as it was so open and exposed. The back drop of Ingleborough, Whernside and the Ribblehead Viaduct was amazing. I felt my eyes getting heavy and sleepy and I pondered whether I should have a caffeine energy gel to make me more alert and then as we rounded the corner under Dodd Fell we had another battle on our hands with the wind. Just as we thought we were getting close to the end, the weather gods had come to give us a final beating! I was buffeted and blown about by the winds that were amongst the strongest we’d experienced so far. I was digging my trekking poles so hard into the ground and really fighting to maintain my balance. I was trying to stay positive, well at least it’s not raining now I told myself! Suddenly I realised with the concerted effort I was no longer tired!

As we descended towards Hawes the weather improved slightly. It was nice to be met by Darren who had run up from the finish to greet me. He guided us back through the complex network of paths to arrive in the centre of Hawes and videoed us as we went into the finish in the Market Hall, where we were applauded upon our arrival. Wow, it felt so good to have arrived and I was chuffed to have made it. As it happens, Sarah and and I finished joint second ladies.

Thank you to Darren and everyone who provided wonderful encouragement and support throughout my Pennine Journey and in particular to Sarah and Peter who I buddied up with along the way and who helped me to stay focused and get to the end.

‘Mostly it rained – pouring rain, driving rain, rain that came down like stair-rods.’ Alfred Wainwright, Pennine Way Companion

Mountain Skills – Kinder Scout

Darren What do we get up to! 999, castleton, compass bearing, compass skills, darren hunt, edale, features, grid reference, kinder scout, map and compass, mountains, navigation for runners, navigation skills, navigation training, pacing, peak district, Running, timimg, trail running peak district, walking

KInder Scout

On Saturday 16th November saw 6 brave souls heading out on our latest Mountain Skills day for walkers and trail runners on Kinder Scout. The day started with mist clinging onto the edges of Kinder with winds gusting 35mph+. This caused a dilemma! The day will mainly be based around basic navigation techniques & emergency techniques, just in case. With the wind being so strong it would be virtually impossible to carry out any form of skills transfer. With the mist being low, although be great learning conditions, would be a little advanced for today. Thankfully whilst waiting in Edale car park the mist lifted,the decision was made. The route would take a line along Grindsbrook, then back along the edges towards Ringing Roger then descend back into Edale.

All of the team arrived and we set off at 0915 passing the ole nags head in Edale and up towards Grindslow Clough. The team practiced setting the map (orientating) to the ground, identifying features such as boundaries, walls, fences, old boundaries which aren’t as prominent, overtime being reduced to piles of rubble, but in a logical line. The team then practiced pacing and timing along the path, gaining a base for walking 100 metres which is used as an aid to determine distance traveled and distance to an objective. This is a key skill to master as it can help you navigate in poor visibility, feature less terrain ( such as on the summit of Kinder Scout ) or at night.

After a short break in the woods by Golden Clough it was time to have fun with the compass. We identified different types of compass, features of the compass, such as the base plate, compass housing, magnetic ‘north’ needle, the ‘ direction of travel’ arrow at the top end of the base plate, which is used to point the direction you want to walk. A few of the group realized their confusion between the ‘red’ magnetic arrow and the direction they walked in ( I’ll post a short video blog on this) this was a massive breakthrough and they could see so many doors opening in their navigation experience going forward.

We stopped for a spot of lunch in the shadows of Nether Tor and then is was time for Grid references. The team were tasked with finding various features on the map after understanding how the grid system works in the uk. They practiced with 4 figure grid references, then progressed to 6 figure grid references which relates to 100sqm of land on the ground. Carrying on along the path towards Grindsclough stoping at various points to take a grid reference, bearings and to identify our position.

Heading on to Kinder

The skies above had cleared and although very windy. I decided to end the day and to give the team a change to see what its like on top of Kinder Scout, we climbed the short, but steep path to the summit. The wind hit us like the downdraft of a Seaking Helicopter, re-grouping behind a small tor we moved off together. With the wind sometimes knocking us off balance, inmost cases the wind our backs so helped us move quickly. The team loved the experience, the exposure and the clear views all around high above the peak district and made for a great finish to the day.

Being blown around on Kinder Scout

On the descent we practiced setting up an emergency shelter , how quickly you warm up when taken out of the wind. We then discussed basic emergency techniques for calling for help!

‘Call 999 and ask for Police Mountain Rescue’

Immediatly Giving your name,mobile number and location ( grid reference). Then nature of the emergency, casualty details( name, age , sex), number in your party.

We headed back to the car park and with big smiles we bid our farewells till next time.

A BIG thank you to Rich , Julie, Chris, Carolyn, Jojo & Johnathan for a great day.

For more photos pop along to flickr

Click here to listen review what the guys thought of the day.

If you like to find out more about our skill transfers days for Walkers and Trail runners please drop us an email – adventures@mountainsinmind.com