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.
