Yesterday my friend Dave and I walked the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge. This is a 23 to 26 mile long circuit (depending on which specific route you take) that covers three mountains in the Yorkshire Dales National Park: Pen-y-ghent (694m / 2277ft) Whernside (736m / 2415ft) and Inglebrough (723m / 2372ft). The challenge is to do it in under twelve hours. We came in at elven hours thirty minutes, which isn’t exactly going to set any records, but we’re pretty pleased with ourselves never-the-less.
But it was hard going. Bloody hard going. The third hill (Inglebrough) in particular was an absolute swine and my energy levels by that point were running on just about empty. I’d also been experiencing flu like symptoms all weekend, which didn’t help. Plus Dave and I fell into peat bogs up above our knees (twice) fairly early into the walk, and as a result were walking with wet boots. So you can see how it was easily the most physically demanding thing I’ve ever done.
In retrospect we should have taken a slightly different route (avoiding the peat bogs which, despite Sam’s reassurances, were most defiantly not “easy to get through”) and packed a lot lighter. I would say that I’d do it differently next time, but I can tell you now that there will never be a bloody next time.
I’m glad I did it, and ultimately it was rewarding, but there is no way on earth you’d be able to drag me through that sort of ordeal again. I’ve come to the definite conclusion that walking twenty odd miles and up three mountains is just not a sensible way to spend a Sunday off work.
After yesterday Hadrian’s Walk is going to feel like a stroll in the park.
Speaking of Hadrian’s Walk, the very nice people over at outersports.com recently wrote to me offering to donate 5 packs of Coolmax Hiking Socks, worth $25 each, to the American contingent of the walk.
As there are more than five American members of Team Ocelot I thought I’d use my attempt at the Three Peak Challenge as an opportunity to hold a sort of prize draw. The sound quality is a little ropey in the middle due to the wind, but it’s worth keeping with it in order to hear my ridiculously squeaky voice at the top of the third peak.
Congratulations to those people who won the socks. I’ll email you to get your shoe size and postal address over the next few days.
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I’m honored! And offended. I need to get you a Chicago White Sox t-shirt.
Erin´s last blog ..An update
@Erin, The problem with the white sox logo is that it is too easily mistaken for “white sex”
You big nutter. Well done!
Catherine´s last blog ..
I think you used the wind and the squeaky voice to avoid saying my last name out loud on camera!
Still, I am honored to get the “penultimate sock” (I hope it comes as a pair). Thank you.
And, thanks for the inferiority complex. I was very proud of the fact that I was spending almost every Sunday walking about 8 miles before even having my morning cup of coffee.
I’m a looooser (and I’m not what I appear to be).
Hope you didn’t use my sock on your walk.
@Rajiv, if it makes you feel any better I will never, never walk that far again through choice.
And trust me, after being drenched in sweat and stagnant bog warter the socks are going straight in the bin.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
Well done on the walk! All I could hear in the film was ‘bloody big hill’. Quite an effort to pull those names out of the nappy sack (you could have done the whole thing in the pub!)
Maggie´s last blog ..Pony tales
@Maggie, I was tempted to film it all at different angles on the first hill and just pretend I’d done the whole thing.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
I don’t mean to sound like a whiner but I couldn’t understand a word you said on that first hilltop due to the wind noise. Could you please post a transcript of that entire segment? Thank you very much.
Jeff´s last blog ..No really, we LOVE the four dis-stink seasons
@Jeff, I’ll tell you what, I’ll go one better. I’ll pop back up there again tomorrow and do it all over again, but this time stand closer to the camcorder.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
Well done dude, an excellent effort, avoiding death and that.
SingleParentDad´s last blog ..I woke up healthy
@SingleParentDad, cheers. although weighing myself the day after showed I’d lost exactly 0lb – wich pissed me off somewhat.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
@Dan, That’s because you added 4 pounds of muscle, of course.
JJ Daddy-O´s last blog ..Duck season!… Wabbit season!…
Thanks for drawing me first, I’m not ready for the hill yet.
@Whit, one of these days I’ll pronounce your last name right. Pony pony pony pony.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
One of these days! I haven’t done anything remotely like that since secondary school. I wonder what sort of training i should be getting into?
dadwhowrites´s last blog ..Iris Murdoch – “Under The Net”, (1954)
@dadwhowrites, I trained for the Cumbria way by walking 3 – 4 miles every morning for about three months. It wasn’t hard work (other than finding the time to do it) and I didn’t have a problem at all doing the Cumbria way, which is a lot hillier than the Hadrian’ wall footpath.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
@Dan, That could work – I’ve been thinking that maybe I should get some stout urban shoes and a pack and get off the tube a few miles earlier and walk.
dadwhowrites´s last blog ..Iris Murdoch – “Under The Net”, (1954)
Well done, that’s an incredibly difficult walk, you’re right to be pleased with yourself. Eleven hours? Bloody hell….
notSupermum´s last blog ..It’s Not Goodbye….more like Au Revoir
@notSupermum, eleven and a half. although to be fair we stopped a couple of times to eat.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
This has gently reminded me that I will in all likelihood die about 4 miles in come next July.
Xbox4NappyRash´s last blog ..Bubbles & the superhero
@Xbox4NappyRash,
it’s ok, we’ll toss you down.
Arjan´s last blog ..I’m sooooo retro
@Arjan, You can bring me back as cabin luggage
Xbox4NappyRash´s last blog ..Bubbles & the superhero
@Xbox4NappyRash, if you die four miles in we’ll still be in Newcastle so there will be asy access to funeral parlors and the like.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
You’re sure Dave didn’t kick you in the nuts half way up? You sure sounded like it. To be perfectly honest my voice was really lacking this weekend too..but I didn’t have to walk up a hill to notice :P
Arjan´s last blog ..I’m sooooo retro
@Arjan, I’m not convinced Dave had the energy to kick anyone in the balls at that point. I know I wouldn’t have.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
Well done!
My brother once did the three peaks with a church youth group and got lost in fog for a while. Scary, but they were all fine and finished the walk.
Insomniac Mummy´s last blog ..We’re going on a blog hunt – A bit of linky love…..
@Insomniac Mummy, surprisingly we didn’t get lost, which is a good job as we both forgot to bring a compasses
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
Did you realize you used swine and flu in the same paragraph? Scary.
Great job on the walk. I walked up and down my basement stairs for about 20 miles worth this weekend. Not as nice a view.
Seattledad´s last blog ..Big Harry Spider
@Seattledad, but probably just as disheartening.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
The segment on the last hill is like a Monty Python sketch, complete with Terry Jones doing his silly voice. Best laugh I’ve had all day.
Great effort.
And bloody hell you’ve either no need for this Fat Club lark or the camera takes off twenty pounds.
Steve´s last blog ..And she says I’m a softie
@Steve, you haven’t seen me naked steve.
And you better hope you never will.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
I didn’t say walk straight through the bog!
Well done though…
Sam´s last blog ..This Can Only End Badly
@Sam, we couldn’t find a way round and tried to jump at a narrow bit.
Neither of us are very good at jumping apparently.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
Hmmm. I’m no expert, Dan, but surely the word “bog” should have given you a clue that it’s not a clean paved surface?
Aren’t bogs where they find well preserved dead bodies?
@Rajiv, In our defence the map said there was a footpath through it. And my brother told us he’d managed to find a way through easily.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
From now on, you’ll be called Dan “Who Dares, Wins” Hughes. Nice job!
My brother (also named Dan) is running the NYC marathon in a couple of days, and this will give me a chance to say “Oh, yeah? Kind of a slacker, aren’t you? Where were the bogs and rocks and werewolves (because you were giving off an “American Werewolf in London” vibe there) like Dan Hughes went through?”
JJ Daddy-O´s last blog ..Duck season!… Wabbit season!…
@JJ Daddy-O, while not filmed there, the werewolf bit was supposed to be set there.
People do run the route too, but not me.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
Congratulations that is quite an achievement! I haven’t watched your vid as everyone else is asleep atm. I am up early to write as usual so I’d best get to it.
DJ Kirkby´s last blog ..I’m going to write as much as possible this weekend
@DJ Kirkby, You can’t hear much other than wind noise anyhow. That and me repeatedly whinging about a “bloody big hill”
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
Well done Dan and Dave! 25 miles is a long way (a bloody long way), and to do it in eleven and a half hours is very impressive.
You may not have lost any weight during the walk (it’s all converted to muscle or something), but after a week you should notice the difference.
Can you walk again yet? Last time I did a big hill walk, I couldn’t stand up quickly for about a week and kept falling down steps!
@Oli, No, can’t walk at all. It’s OK if I do it for a while (i.e. walked half a mile back from Amy’s school this morning and the pain wore off after a while, but I’m back to square one as soon as I rest for a short time.
I’m hoping I’ll be able bodied again by next summer.
Well done. Quite a feat to achieve. I tried the 3 peaks (Ben Nevis, Scarfell Pike, Snowdon in 24 hours and it nearly killed me) but everyone says the one you did is much harder.
You’ll have a breeze next summer.
Brit in Bosnia´s last blog ..Learning to draw
@Brit in Bosnia, the national three peaks sounds a lot harder to me! There was a point where I fancied a go at it, but after Sunday I think I’ll give it a miss.
Dan´s last blog ..Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
@Dan, It was fun, I was a LOT fitter than I am now. But you get more time between the mountains to rest, eat and sleep – and get pretty stiff I remember well. You should give it a go, but I think the Yorkshire one is probably more beautiful. During late June and early July the three peaks route is a bit rammed full of people, all just trying to get up and down the hills as fast as possible and not really looking or enjoying.
Brit in Bosnia´s last blog ..Here Comes Winter. Bring It ON!
Great post!!! Sounds like quite the adventure!!!
I love your blog and am sending you an email!!
TentCamper´s last blog ..Rooftop Investigation
Well done Dan and Dave. Brilliant. And I too thought Monty Python when you did the announcement for Rajiv’s sock. It made me laugh, even though my voice sounds like that at the moment too.
Jo Beaufoix´s last blog ..When Faces Go Wrong
Congratulations sir. I can’t imagine walking for over 11 hours.
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