24/06/2012 - The Sandstone Trail - The Last Big Training Walk

When we first designed our training schedule, we agreed we needed to do a final training walk longer than half the distance of Trailwalker and one which would test our Support Team fully. From an early stage we identified the Sandstone Trail as the perfect challenge as its 55km long, local and suitably hilly. We have trained extensively on parts of the trail recorded in earlier blogs notably the hilly sections around Peckforton, Kelsall and Frodsham but there are still parts of the trail we had yet to encounter.

This would be our first training walk with a Support Team too. As Lee's brother Neil lives in Kent and Simon was inconveniently having his eyes lasered (the things folk will do to get out of Trailwalker training) it was left to Mark's wife Kate and Martin's son Ted to support us all the way.

Given that England would be kicking off against Italy at 7:45pm and our anticipated 13hour duration, we agreed (yes, we did - it was unanimous) to bring the start time forward to 6am which, given that Whitchurch was an hour away from most of us meant a 4am wake up call - a time which should be banned on a Sunday (as Kate continued to remind Mark).

The weather in recent days had been atrocious with nearly 4 inches of rain dumped on parts of the North West and more had been deposited on Saturday night and was forecast to continue on Sunday morning then easing as the day progressed.

Setting off from Mark's house at 5am, Mark, Kate, Lee and Polly again questioned why it was we were doing this as Kate drove dodging the standing water in the country lanes and we wondered what might lie in store in the fields we would have to cross. Shortly after arriving, Martin and Ted pulled into the car park and as we began to kit up, Martin announced they had driven through torrential rain on the way and he'd forgotten his coat. Requisitioning Ted's coat, Lee then announced he'd forgotten his backpack which was apparently Polly's fault (cue discussion) though he had got his Camelbak which Polly hadn't (cue further discussion). This wasn't starting well. To add insult to injury, just as we'd got suited up, the heaven's opened. Joy.

Why are we doing this again?

After posing for a quick team photo at the sandstone arch marker in Jubilee Park marking the start/end of the trail, there was a moment of disorientation as we realised we weren't sure which way to go. Finding a path and identifying our first Sandstone Trail marker on a post, we set off through Whitchurch and soon picked up the canal which would take us out of the town with Mark and Martin walking ahead giving Lee and Polly space to continue their discussion about who had forgotten what (at least that's what we thought they were discussing).



The walk along the towpath was relatively easy going, a few flooded sections easily avoided and gradually descending out of Whitchurch until we eventually arrived at the sign which would take us off the towpath into the fields. Having never done this section of the trail before, we weren't sure what to expect though it wasn't long before our worst fears were realised as evidenced by standing water and mud. As usual this was made worse by cows and cattle in the fields. 

On entering one field we realised that it was full of bulls and they were taking a very unhealthy interest in us. Instead of moving off like cows, these guys were turning to face us and follow us. Noting the stile in the corner of the field, a steady pace was maintained as the bulls started to converge on us. Somehow Mark ended up at the back of his teammates (possibly because he was wearing red and carried a red backpack - nobody wanted to be near him) and on arriving at the stile turned to face the following herd with his walking poles raised aloft stating they were actually cattle prods (patent pending) much to the amusement of his now safe teammates and the confusion of the now stationary bulls.

We had arranged to meet Kate and Ted at a lay by near Hampton Green. When we were just a few km away, Kate's voice could be heard on the walkie-talkie requesting a progress update though it appears they couldn't hear us through our rain soaked walkie-talkie. As we approached Checkpoint 1 they cheered and we arrived to find chairs set up and the boot of the car open. A variety of drinks and foodstuffs were dished out to the team as water and snacks were replenished in backpacks.

Mark had once again managed to get his boots, socks and feet wet and in changing to a fully dry set, the zinc oxide tape, damp from the walk, fell off for the second week running. Not wanting to put the stop time in jeopardy, he decided not to re-tape a decision he might come to regret with 43km still to go. After our allotted 15minute refuelling we bid our Support Team goodbye and continued up the trail looking forward to the next stop which wasn't for another 12km in the middle of the Peckforton Hills.

As we walked along more fields doing our best to dodge large areas of standing water (which was becoming increasingly difficult), we crossed though Michael Owen's (remember that goal against Argentina?) little place for the breeding and training of race horses and started to climb off the plain and up towards Bickerton Hill - a welcome respite from the surface flooding but a sudden need to adapt to going uphill again after the long muddy slog on the flat.

There wasn't much time to enjoy the view at the top other than to remark that as forecasted, the weather seemed to be easing and the warmth was starting to sap energy levels given we were all still in waterproofs. We also noted on the far horizon the masts at the top of Kelsall and the hills above Helsby and Frodsham - they looked a long, long way away. As we descended into the village, Mark and Martin decided to make full use of a bench in the churchyard to remove all waterproofs and while recognising this would tempt fate, it would at least make the ascent to Raw Head a bit more comfortable and we were soon on our way up the road and the gradual incline.

The walkers arrive at Checkpoint 2

Arriving at Raw Head (the highest point on the trial) we were comforted knowing it was all downhill from here, apart from all the wiggly up and down bits in between and we pushed on towards Bulkeley Hill taking the opportunity to wind Polly up about "The Tramway" and the fact she was the only teammate not to have done it yet. Given we were passing the top of "The Tramway" that pleasure would have to wait for another day but on looking down it, Polly agreed that the photos don't do its severity justice.

Choosing to ignore the ropeswing and the fallen trees, we continued into Burwardsley, home of the Pheasant Inn a previous start and stop point, but on this occasion we had chosen the car park for the nearby candle factory for our second checkpoint. This time the walkie-talkie was working and our requests for food and clothing were ready and waiting as we were greeted by Ted and Kate and some odd looks from those heading into the candle factory as we sat in our folding chairs eating, drinking and changing damped clothing - 24km done, 31km to go.

Refuelling at Checkpoint 2

Our allotted time was soon over and once again we bid our Support Team goodbye and headed back up the hill to rejoin the Sandstone Trail and the descent which would take us past Peckforton Castle and Beeston Castle, over the Shropshire Union Canal and up the notorious boggy field which Mark and Martin had encountered previously. Once again this lived up to expectations as we zig-zagged round standing water and cattle churned mud. Having got this field over with, we became more optimistic though this was shortlived as we entered fields of wheat and barley where the clayey surface had become wet making traction difficult. To make matters worse, walking poles were inhibited as the crops grabbed at the poles making it necessary to carry them and hope we wouldn't slide in the mud.

Arriving at Checkpoint 3

Persevering with the conditions underfoot we trudged on and just within 2km of our Checkpoint 3 (a wide field gateway off a country lane), the walkie-talkie burst into life with Kate asking how far off we were and would we like a hot drink? Immediately three teas and a coffee were ordered and the the thought of a hot refreshing drink spurred us on and once again Ted and Kate were ready with the drinks just at the perfect hot drinkable temperature which was just what we needed at that point - 34km done, 21km to go. 

Perked up by our Support Team we set off in good spirits and soon passed the 37km/18km sandstone marker - one-third to go. As we gradually climbed up the fields we reached the point where on a previous walk, Mark and Martin had joined the Sandstone Trail from Utkinton after which we would all be in unfamiliar territory again. At this point a further curve ball was thrown at us. As we headed towards the gate it appeared a large herd of cows had preceded us and churned the ground up so badly the mud was too deep to get through without overtopping our boots - a bit annoying having only just changed to dry socks again.

Lee and Polly did at least remember the pasta salad

The terrain continued upwards which we took as a reassuring sign that we were at last leaving the boggy plains behind and as water runs downhill, thought we'd stand a better chance of keeping our feet dry(ish). Once at the top we recognised the point at the top of Kelsall where we have undertaken some of our night walks and knew that Delamere Forest and our final checkpoint weren't far now.

The welcoming sight of Delamere Forest must have hit the team with a degree of delirium. While Polly struggled on in silence with blistered feet and Mark with damp feet and a nagging pain in the hip area, Lee, having taken twice the prescription dose of hayfever tablets (after not reading the instructions) seemed in very high spirits and as Martin dug out his iPod and plugged in the external speaker, Lee started to Moonwalk to Michael Jackson. Martin then pulled out a bunch of 'Curly-Wurlys' as we climbed the hill and we found eating these isn't conducive to walking with poles.

Mark tucks into choccie ice cream at CP4

The mayhem continued through the forest as we received odd looks from people out for a Sunday stroll/dog walk/bike ride (delete as applicable) as Martin played DJ on the iPod but given we'd gone beyond 40km, we felt we had every right to misbehave. We managed to notify the Support Team of our impending arrival, though through the trees the signal was a bit broken and they were expecting us to come from the other direction but they were there, waiting with ice-cream from the Cheshire Ice Cream Farm - what a welcome surprise!

With 8km to go and still with Beacon Hill above Frodsham to get over the team were in good spirits and determined as ever to finish albeit with Polly suffering with her feet, Mark with a dodgy hip and what was now resembling 'trench foot' from the damp footwear, Lee away with the fairies and Martin gearing himself up to run up the steps to the top. 

This was now the 'Dead Zone' as so far, only Martin had gone beyond 48km on a  previous walk. As we approached the 50km mark on the odometer, Mark counted down the last 100m and there were handshakes all round - half of Trailwalker in 11hrs 15minutes and then we moved on knowing the job wasn't done yet.

Nearly there!

As we climbed, conversation dropped as we focused on this final ascent, one which we have done on several training walks before and knowing this would be the final climb before the descent into Frodsham. Approaching the '39 steps' (we're not sure how many there are as we've not actually counted them), Lee, Polly and Martin took off, leaving Mark to climb them at  a more sensible pace and we were soon at the War Memorial at the top of Beacon Hill and radioed the Support Team of our arrival at the top. Just another couple of kilometres downhill to the finish now.

Dropping down into the streets of Frodsham, we probably looked a right rag-tag bunch with muddy boots, gaiters and trousers and with it being quite a nice evening there plenty of people about and drinkers outside pubs preparing for the England game. The final point of the trail is a sandstone obelisk conveniently located outside the Bears Paw. Once again Kate and Ted were there to greet us and capture this finish and even better  - there waiting was a celebratory pint for each of us - great support.

This is the end - 55km - 12hrs 32minutes.

As we sat downing our pints, rubbing our sore and aching area sand stretching, we contemplated the fact that on Trailwalker, we will still have 45km to go which was basically turning round and going all the way back to Checkpoint 1. Food for thought.

We would like to thank Kate and Ted for being a great source of motivation throughout this walk and we couldn't have done it without you. The route is here.

Things learned from this long team walk:

1. Lee and Polly need an equipment list,
2. Mark needs better zinc-oxide tape,
3. Polly probably needs to use zinc-oxide tape,
4. Martin likes Ted's coat better than his own,
5. You can never have enough dry socks,
6. Its amazing just how much punishment your body can take,
7. Painkillers are useful when your body can't take much more punishment,
8. Walkie-talkies are very handy to communicate with the Support Team,
9. Checkpoints become a very welcome sight,
10. Nice surprises are quite motivating.

25/04/2012 - Training Walk #16 - A Wet and Muddy Evening Stroll and a Giant Leap for The Red Harrows

Tonight it was our fortnightly night walk, though perhaps evening walk is more of an accurate description given that since the clocks went forward and nights have started to shorten, the vast majority of this after-work-yomp is now in daylight and twilight with the last 10 minutes or so in darkness. We proposed to do the same route as our first night walk which takes us from near the Belle Mont Pub at the top of Frodsham, past the golf course, into Delamere Forest and back round the top of Frodsham along Beacon Hill.

Although it wasn't really dark, it was wet and boggy in places particularly as some of the paths are bridleways and our equine friends do like to cut these trails up in a big way. Our previous time for this walk was 2hrs and 57minutes and we weren't really expecting to beat this, but set off at a good early pace as the second half of this walk gets a bit tricky in the woodland and along the cliff edges so care is needed.

It was drizzling from the off so the first real chance to test our waterproof gear and backpack rain covers. Mark having broken in a pair of Merrel Ventilator Refuge Pro GTX (not fuel injected or turbo charged but do keep your feet dry) at the weekend opted to break in a new pair of Merrel Moab Mid GTX for this one and is happy to report they performed very well given they were immersed up to the ankle on several occasions.

You may recall the first time we did this walk, Mark made an attempt at a gate vault - something he hadn't done since he was knee-high to a grasshopper (not that he ever was) and given we were doing the same route and in celebration of the team achieving the revised fundraising target of £3,000 (more on this later), he decided to give it another go on the same gate - judge for yourself....

Triumphantly the team carried on towards Delamere with the pace still well above our previous walk. The drizzle stopped briefly and the clouds started to break and we began to convince ourselves that was our lot for the evening, though as we started the ascent into the woodland above Frodsham, the failing light combined with the breeze picking up and more drizzle making things a little difficult underfoot. We had decided to forego the headtorches as we convinced ourselves our night vision would see us to the finish which perhaps was a little over ambitious as the path began to deteriorate to 'bog' standard and Martin missed a tree root in the darkness causing a comedy sideways stumble, though the resultant injury to his hand was no laughing matter. Okay, it was a small scratch - we're blokes and prone to exaggeration but Martin assures us it hurt like hell (well a bit) and would need alchohol as an antidote.

Reaching the cars in 2hrs and 44 minutes (later corrected to 2hrs 47minutes by the Garmin), the team were pleased with the result and departed for the now traditional post walk Fish 'n' Chips and pint of real ale. The walk stats are here.

We are also delighted to report that we have reached our £3,000 fundraising target and we would like to thank our recent sponsors - Ben, Suzanne, Sarah, Jenny B, Hannah Freakes, Hilary, Martin Mowforth, Anonymous, another Sarah, Caroline, Adam and our fellow Trailwaker Team - The Dorset Dawdlers for helping us get through our target! We're delighted to have got this far so soon and it has exceeded our expections so we can now focus on the training which is great.

This weekend, Martin and Lee will be off for a 6hr, 27km walk in the Peckforton Hills while Mark is away at a wedding and Polly is stuck up North. Look forward to the blog chaps - hope it stays dry for you!

03/04/2012 - Training Walk #12 - Frodsham and Helsby Hill Night Walk

As the evenings start to get lighter, it's becoming harder to have a proper night walk after work though given the weather has once again turned wintry following the basking temperatures of last week, we did have cold, sleet and high winds forecast for the evening which would make things entertaining at the top of Frodsham.

Rocksavage by day

Mark, Martin and Lee met at the rendezvous point near the Belle Monte at the top of Frodsham before setting off on the evening's yomp. We were tackling a similar route to the first night walk around the top of Frodsham but doing it in reverse and this time including Helsby Hill to give us more elevation.

The ascent to the war memorial at the top of Beacon Hill was relatively quick and we were thankful that this time we could take in the views in daylight and realised just how far the fall is if you happen to stray a bit too close to the edge.

Helsby Hill in the distance

Continuing along the trail, Helsby Hill came into view. When we generated the route on the computer, it showed quite a severe drop down to Helsby before the ascent. We weren't quite prepared for it being steps all the way and were somewhat thankful we were going down and not up them (but of course Lee had to be the one to suggest it for the future - the sadist).

The climb up Helsby Hill seemed to go quickly (so we must be improving!) and we were soon at the trig point with more cliffs and views across to Wales in the west and Liverpool to the north.

Martin and Lee near the trig point on Helsby Hill

After a small 'Balotelli' moment between Lee and Mark on which was the right way down as Martin looked on nonchalantly, we continued on a slight detour on which neither of them were correct but it got us to where we needed to be and headed towards the village of Alvanley. 

Mark had included Alvanley in the route - because it had a pub (well you have to check these things out don't you?). The White Horse as it turned out was a Robinsons pub and the car park was packed so it was noted for future drinking, I mean training.


Once into the last hour of the walk, the light started to fade rapidly so on went the headtorches and by coincidence the wind started to pick up and the sleet started to come down. Without knowing how bad it was likely to get, we instinctively started to pick up the pace and started to taste the fish and chips which were waiting for us in Frodsham.

It certainly seemed to spur us on as we completed what turned out to be 13.9km in 2hrs and 47minutes, a good 13 minutes ahead of what we thought it would take us and with 303m of climb. The stats for this walk are here.

14/03/2012 - Training Walk#8 - The Night Walkers

On account of a dose of man-flu (or is it mouse-flu?), Julian was unable to attend the night walk planned around the top of Frodsham so it was left to Lee, Martin, Mark and Simon to experience our first night walk.

Lee, Martin and Mark ready to face the dark

After a quick change after work (and a wait in the car park while Red Leader did his hair) we left the office for nearby Frodsham and parked up near the Belle Mont Hotel above the town. It was already approaching dusk so armed with the Garmin programmed with our route and Mark with his new Leki Jasper walking poles we set of heading south around Beacon Hill (not that one the other one).

Skirting the edge of the golf course we made good progress as twilight set in and as we hit Delamere Way, Mark was the first to fire up his headtorch and on full beam resembled a lighthouse. Out of fear for an overhead Easyjet flight mistaking us for Liverpool Airport, the beam was soon reduced in intensity and Mark's beam was quickly joined by Simon's but still a passing car flashed us to dip our headlamps mistaking us for a car on the wrong side of the road (impressive!). Lee and Martin continued to lead using their night vision before eventually conceding defeat to the increasing darkness.

Mark getting up close and personal with a gate

As we approached Birch Hill, the team started to negotiate the stile at the side of the farm gate. Assessing the structural stability of the gate, Mark handed his walking poles to Martin to attempt a gate vault. Now, bearing in mind this is something that Mark has not done since he was about 13 years old and probably 8 stone lighter, this was no mean feat. The teammates watched the demonstration with interest awarding an '8' for the take off, '9' for the vault and a less than flattering '2' for the resultant landing. Suitably impressed with the attempt and after regaining their composure from their fits of laughter, the team continued towards the pitch darkness of Delamere Forest.

A lesson in geology

Entering the forest became even more disorientating in the complete darkness. After experimenting with light settings on the head torch, Mark flicked off the diffuser to provide more of a spot beam 2-3 metres in front to provide enough early warning of tripping over a tree root or stepping in a pile of dung. This worked well though removed all feel for what was being passed to the side. 

It is probably also worth noting that despite Martin and Simon having done the route in daylight, it became very easy to take a wrong turn. Thankfully with the Garmin set to provide an 'Off-Course Alarm' and with a quick glance, only a few yards would be lost before regaining the correct route. 

Err...good choice for a nigh walk then!

Once out of the 'Deep Dark Wood' we reached civilisation again and a short distance down the road we turned back along a field near Manley Common only to be greeted by the loud 'Baa-ing' sounds of a flock of sheep and dozens of pairs of green eyes watching us intently in the darkness (clearly they knew a Welshman was among us and they felt frisky).

Rocksavage Works by night.

After picking up the Sandstone Trail (and after a short comfort break with full headtorch illumination) we headed on up Alvanley Cliff where the nigh views of Frodsham and beyond came into view notably the illuminated Stanlow Oil Refinery and Rocksavage works. Descending from here into the blackness with sheer cliffs off the path to the left made us grateful it wasn't a windy evening.

Lest we forget.

 We then climbed back up to skirt the cliffs along Beacon Hill where the war memorial is located something which is visible when passing on the M56 motorway but less often visited. It felt appropriate to take a moment here before pressing on to where the cars were parked and the fish, chips and pint of real ale which awaited us.

Overall the walk was 14.6km with 235m of climb and descent which we did in just under 3 hours at an average speed of 4.9km/h. This was about 7 minutes slower than Simon and Martin did it in daylight so we are reasonably happy with our first night attempt and look forward to the next one. The stats for this walk are here.

10 Things we learned on this walk:

1. A spot beam setting on the headtorch helps find your feet
2. It is very easy to become disorientated even on a familiar route as you lose all points of reference.
3. Hills come out of nowhere in the dark and start to sap your legs unexpectedly.
4. Having the Garmin programmed with the route is a lot easier than fiddling with a map
5. Mark has not lost his gate vaulting skills but they need refinement
6. Martin isn't comfortable in the dark but sheep like him
7.The darkness doesn't seem to affect our pace to any significant degree
8. Cow pats, tree roots and rocks are less easily avoided in the dark
9. Hiding behind a tree and jumping out on your teammates is not big or clever
10. Fish and chips taste so good after a decent walk.

12/03/2012 Target Reached and Raised, Cheshire's Only Team and The Night Walk

As a team we haven't ceased to be amazed by the generosity of the people we know and work with and this has culminated today in our target of £1500 getting blown out of the water in less than seven weeks since our Virgin Money Giving Page went live. After discussion with the team and given we've still got some time to go before sponsorship ends, we have raised our target to £2000.

We would like to thank the following recent sponsors that have helped towards smashing our target: Ceirwen and Roger, Marc Fawcett at the Betts Geo Team, Julian Harbottle, Malcolm Hamer (Julian's Dad), Richard Osborn, Anonymous (you know who you are), Richard Swinden, Fell Runner (again!), Chris Haslam, Peter Thorn at Atkins, Karen, Gareth, Sue and Spence (whio hopefully all made it home form Mark's 40th), Orna at the NHBC and Andy Costello and the team at NIC - a big thank you to all of you.

Our donations currently stand at £1742.14 before Gift Aid thanks to the 44 people and companies who have sponsored us so far. You can see how we're doing in the Trailwalker Fundraising Leaderboard here.

Following a recent update from Oxfam, it would appear that we're the only team in Cheshire taking part in this year's Trailwalker - so we definitely need to put up a good show!

With that in mind, we have scheduled the night walk for this coming Wednesday evening after work. The intention is to walk the route Simon and Martin did over the top of Frodsham on a circular route using the Sandstone Trail towards Delamere Forest and back. The planned route is here though this will depend on the weather, how quickly we can navigate in the dark and whether we lose anyone over the edge in the dark.

We'll hopefully report back later in the week (assuming we all survive)

04/03/2011 - Martin and Simon do Re-Con for the night walk.....

While Mark and Lee were recovering from Saturday's effort, Veteran “Red Harrow”, Martin, and first reserve and support team member, Simon, undertook an impromptu reconnaissance walk on Sunday afternoon to survey the route of the first proposed Red Harrows night walk scheduled for March 14th along the Sandstone Trail between Frodsham and Delamere Forest.

Martin - master of all he surveys...Frodsham in this case

After a round-about route to the start line in Manley Common, the debate over whether to don the waterproofs or not was made for Simon by the sudden hail storm.

Martin, however, decided to stride forth with the minimum of gear - this was a back to basics hard-core trek without the backup of electronic witchery! A Paper map and a water bottle were all the support Martin needed! 

Setting off east up a muddy track we followed the Delamere Way and soon found ourselves skirting the edge of Delamere Forest before crossing farmland and avoiding the local livestock. A short section of road walking took us past Harrol Edge an down Dobbers Lane then more farmland tracks to the radio mast at Beacon Hill, making friends with the local wildlife along the way! 

The industrial side of Runcorn in the distance

The sheer cliffs of Frodsham Edge beckoned, but first we had to dodge the flying balls when crossing downwind, and down shot, of Frodsham Golf Course’s driving range! Passing the Belle Mount Hotel in Frodsham (looking a likely spot to begin, and end, the night walk from…) we continued through the wooded slopes of Frodsham Edge to the war memorial and magnificent views across Cheshire and the Mersey Estuary, including such highlights as Harrow Estates’ offices, Fiddlers Ferry Power Station, the M56 bridge across the River Weaver, the chemical works of Runcorn and in the distance the gleaming chimneys of Stanlow Oil Refinery……industrial Britain at its best and blessed with a certain majesty.

Martin was asked to look ‘intrepid’ for a photo – judge for yourself whether he succeeded or not!


Martin looking intrepid.

After a short water stop we continued and Simon noticed that Martin was leaking……unfortunately the top to Martin’s water bottle (old skool – no camelbaks here!) had come loose and filled the pocket of his jacket!

At least we know the fabric is waterproof, but the wet patch on Martin’s leg pointed to a small hole in the stitching!

The return leg of the walk picked up the Sandstone Trail and was initially a lot more downhill than expected. We must have been climbing significantly on the way to Frodsham without realising it. Passing the New Red Sandstone of the cliffs sparked Simon’s geological interest, and the dune cross bedding was particularly fine……! Alas the walk must continue and the sedimentary inspections must wait for another time. 

Stanlow Oil Refinery and the Mersey Estuary. Scenic!

Cutting back away from the cliffs the route took us through numerous gates, sparking a new game of ‘rate the gate’……yes the afternoon was dragging. The final leg was across more farmland and skirting the village of Manley before reaching the car back at Manley Common.

All-in we took 2hrs 50min and the total walk was about 15km and 240m of elevation change. Should easily be do-able for the night walk on the 14th!