16/06/2012 - Three Peaks (and Three Reservoirs)

With a few diary conflicts Martin was unavailable for a Saturday walk so would train solo on Sunday with Polly stuck up in Yorkshire also training solo, it was left to Mark and Lee to train together in what has become one of our favourite training spots over the last few months. 

The training schedule required a 46km - 11 hour walk so a plan was hatched using a route we have done before but adding in a whole new area of territory using the car park at the Knot Inn as a start, mid-point and finish. We would start from Rushton Spencer, head to The Cloud (Peak 1), then to Bosley (Reservoir 1), Croker Hill (Peak 2), back to Rushton, then Gun Hill (Peak 3), Tittesworth Reservoir (Reservoir 2), Rudyard (Reservoir 3) and back to Rushton.

As  this would be unsupported, we packed the car with a coolbox and load of goodies like sandwiches, flapjacks, peanuts, pasta salad, choccy bars, lucozade, extra water along with spare socks, trail shoes and T-shirts.

The weather over the previous few days had been shocking and over an inch of rain had fallen in The Peak District with more forecasted with high winds and blustery conditions. This wasn't going to be a pleasant 46km but would be a chance to test our wet weather gear and Mark's new BAM wicking underwear as at the end of the day - we can't pick the weather on Trailwalker.

Listen mate - we've trained with the Gurkhas....

We hit the trail at 9:10am and headed for The Cloud. As we came off the old Railway and into the fields we were quickly greeted by the boggy conditions caused by the recent rainfall and made worse by the Fresian inhabitants of the field. A little further on we found a sign lying face down in the mud across the footpath. A quick lift proclaimed the footpath closed by National Grid due to overhead line works. Deciding we could argue we missed it, we decided to carry on relying on the rubber insulation of our walking pole handles and boot soles should we get struck by a live overhead wire. Crossing under the pylons, there was no sign of any hi-vis jacketed workers so we pressed on up towards The Cloud.

As suspected, today there was little activity at the top of The Cloud and in a business like fashion we touched the trig point as we passed and headed down the face of the hill towards Bosley. As we came to the low point we were confronted by yet another 'Footpath Closed' sign and it seemed out friends at National Grid were determined to ruin our plan. A quick glance at the map gave us an alternative route along the road but we asked ourselves what the Gurkhas would do? Donning camouflage paint, we decided to go for it and decided the worst that could happen would be getting turned back. This time we could see the National Grid workers high up on one of the pylons and decided we would be through before they could get down to stop us and it was on to Bosley reservoir unhindered.

Bosley Dam - Done

It was business as usual at Bosley, the reservoir level was up given the recent rainfall, the funny looking black sheep were minding their own business and a few fisherman were sat in their shelters. As we climbed from Bosley we stopped for our first break at a point we've used before. A quick sandwich, lucozade, peanuts, choccy bar and flap jack were downed. Mark's feet were feeling a little damp and a quick check of each confirmed them on the moist side of damp so the gaiters were adjusted and we were on our way after about 12minutes.



The climb to the top of Croker Hill wasn't too eventful other than the effects of the recent wet and warm weather had encouraged massive grass and nettle growth to the point where the path had been lost in places requiring us to hold our walking poles aloft like soldiers wading through a swamp with their rifles. Touching the gates to the BT compound at the top we headed on down and then along the Golden Hill ridge noting the surrounding peaks shrouded in mist and the obvious signs of bad weather. Here the wind picked up to the point of making conversation inaudible and as we descended we met two gents heading up - wearing a soaked T-Shirt and cotton shirt and overheard one say to the other "Looks like we've got some weather heading our way". We weren't sure what weather forecast they'd looked at that morning but clearly they weren't dressed for the conditions but sure enough, the weather was shortly on us as we pulled up our hoods as the rain came in sideways. It was at this point something from the Brixham Badgers Trailwalker presentation came to mind - "Waterproof is a relative term". Mulling this over as the rain ran down our outside and sweat ran down our inside we thought how true this is as it became clear something wasn't right in Mark's boots as damp was turning to wet and this would need to be addressed as we reached our second checkpoint at the car park back in Rushton Spencer.

While we had planned a 10-15minute stop it was quickly apparent Mark would need more than a change of socks. As the socks came off, so did his zinc oxide tape as the moisture had completely de-bonded it from the skin and the skin had now softened. To make matters worse, the special orthotic insoles were also wet. A quick decision was made to hurriedly re-tape, change socks and boots. Coupling this with re-fueling, and re-stocking the backpack for the next checkpoint, the stop became an uncomfortable 35minutes sat on the back bumper as the rain re-started.

With Mark still guzzling Lucozade and downing a Mars bar we set off for Gun Hill which was to be a long ascent to the summit but at least now with dry feet. We mulled over how the stop would have been improved. Of course we'd have our support team, they would have the food ready and would re-stock the backpack with water etc. but having to re-tape wasn't something we were hoping to have to do.

The Cloud (left) and Croker Hill (right) from Gun Hill

The walk over the summit of Gun Hill was a case of dodging the big muddy puddles and our preferred route weaved left and right to the trig point and with some satisfaction we touched the trig knowing this was our third 'big' hill of the day and started our long slow descent to Tittesworth Reservoir. Tittesworth dams the River Churnet and supplies 10 million gallons of water a day to Severn Trent Water. It also has a large car park, visitor centre and big childrens play area making it quite a popular spot, though not so it seemed today. 

Lee with his new mate Bob

As we descended towards Leek, we lost sight of the reservoir altogether but once we dog-legged back over a hill it came back into view. It was at this point we realised we'd probably been walking for too long as first an effigy of Dame Edna Everage and then Bob Marley were found lying at the gates of a farm. As we worked our way around the reservoir and into Meerbrook, more effigies were apparent adorning each house. Concerned that we might end up as effigies ourselves we pressed on to our third checkpoint - a nicely sheltered (and empty) barbecue area at the side of reservoir. 

So thats where all the water goes...

Something had been bothering Mark in his right boot over the last kilometre or so, so the chance was taken to inspect and as suspected, the hastily placed zinc oxide tape had rucked up on the softened skin and once again the socks were wet through. A quick minor re-taping job and the wet socks were put back on as there were no spares in the backpack. At 33km, with an anticipated 13km still to go (it was actually 15km), blisters were a concern now. Lee was also feeling the effect of the distance and terrain with pain in the knee joint. 

 As Mark put the medical kit away, a strip of ibuprofen fell out and a second thing from the Brixham Badgers presentation came to mind - "Drugs" - so we duly obliged and within minutes of setting off round the lake both commented on how much better we were feeling and happily threw a stick several times for a demanding Border Collie who seemed to have befriended us on our journey round the lake.

Tittesworth Dam

Crossing the dam at the far end of the reservoir we were soon ascending once again and ticked off our second reservoir heading for the last one on our list - Rudyard. As we climbed over our final summit, we knew it was all downhill and then there would be a long flat to the finish. Skirting the edge of Leek we dropped down to the old railway line. At this point, Mark proclaimed us to be a little over 6km from the car with the clock stood at 9hrs and 24minutes we agreed if we hit Gurkha "Tab" pace we could make it for 10hrs 30minutes. So off we set as the rain once again had other ideas, marching rapidly, walking poles pumping along the former railway line.

Boathouses on Rudyard Lake

Rudyard Lake was built to serve the expanding canal system in the early 1800's. When a railway was built linking Uttoxeter and Manchester, it became a haven for Victorian day-trippers. Among these were a courting couple who married and named their son after the lake - Rudyard Kipling. As we marched along as the rain fell, Mark mulled over the words to "If" - and the line "If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds distance run" he wondered whether Rudyard was looking down on us now trying to work out whether we would fill sixty minutes with distance Tab. 

The old Railway Line seems to go on forever

What was clear is that the two and a half mile long lake seemed to go on forever and the railway line just seemed to keep going into the distance. The pace was taking its toll, Mark's feet were wet and sore, Lee's knee was hurting but we refused to ease off the pace. 10 hours 30minutes was the target and we counted down the kilometres and then the metres to the car park arriving there at 10hrs and 30minutes with the odometer showing 48km actually walked - further than we'd been before and despite the problematic pit-stops well on target for a 24hr Trailwalker pace. The Garmin download also showed we'd broken the 1000m climb level which was equally pleasing.

Resisting the temptation to stop for a pint in the Knot Inn, we stretched off, packed up and headed for Mark's house where wife and support team member Kate was rustling up some protein in the form of fillet steak as a reward for the days endeavours.

It was pleasing to report that despite wearing waterproofs for the full duration of this walk and getting wet feet, there were no blisters and the wicking underwear did exactly what it said on the tin.

This was our penultimate big training walk. This Sunday we plan to walk the entire length of the Sandstone Trail starting in Whitchurch and ending Frodsham - 55km with 1250m of climbs. This will be our first training walk with our support team and we've broken it into 5 stages to try and stay consistent with Trailwalker and give the support crew practice. We hope to complete it under 13 hours.

12/05/2012 - Training on The Roaches

Following a good evening walk on Wednesday where Mark, Martin and Lee were joined by Support Team member Simon (managing to shave 6minutes off their previous time), plans were made for Saturday's 6 hour walk to The Roaches and back.

The trig point on Gun Hill with The Roaches behind

Meeting up at 9am at the now infamous Knot Inn in Rushton Spencer, Mark, Lee and Martin set off into the unknown as none of us had ever taken this route before. Despite the apparent good weather for a change, it rapidly became clear that the Peak District had received more than its fair share of the recent heavy rainfall, fields had become boggy and thoughts turned to whether or not we should have donned boots instead of trail shoes but we persevered on the steady climb to the top of Gun Hill which seemed to pass very quickly.

To add to the boggy fields problem, we seemed to come across more and more electric cattle fences blocking our path with no convenient means of unhooking. We have developed a knack for dealing with these using our walking poles. While the shafts are aluminium the rubber handles keep us insulated allowing the wire to be lifted or pressed down allowing teammates to pass. Martin always seems all to willing to test this out and sacrifice himself for his teammates in this respect.

Hen Cloud getting closer

From the top of Gun Hill we descended to Tittesworth Reservoir, a place where Mark has brought his kids to feed the ducks on previous occasions but as this marked the low point and Hen Cloud was becoming ever more present we started our upward path. The plan was to go around the base of Hen Cloud and ascend from the far side, coming over the top and down towards The Roaches. As we crossed the ford near Upper Hulme, we lost all sign of the footpath we needed to take, no signs, no desire lines, no stiles and no gates. We retraced our steps and still nothing, so a quick examination of the map and we changed the plan to approach Hen Cloud from the front and walk round the base of the hill itself which meant walking back the way we had come.

The cliffs on Hen Cloud

Noting signs warning us that some paths were closed due to nesting Peregrine Falcons we wondered whether this would affect our plan but it didn't and they remained safely undisturbed in their nests. This route took us past Roaches Hall which looked a nice little place and we soon started our ascent to the top. Arriving at the top, we took in the view and the rugged beauty of this place and after 3hours of walking decided this would be a good spot for a a bite to eat so setting aside 10 minutes we tucked into sandwiches, Lucozade, peanuts and Polly's 'energy cake' which she had dispatched Lee with. After throwing in the now customary foot check for Mark, we were soon descending Hen Cloud and heading up The Roaches.

Climbers on The Roaches

The Roaches is a very popular with walkers and climbers alike and today was no exception as the trails and cliff faces were teeming with people. At one point we could see Lee eyeing up the climbers taking the 'vertical' route and pondering but we managed to drag him away before he could come up with another sadistic test for us.

We passed Doxey's Pool where legend has it a mermaid lives and entices victims into the depths of this 'bottomless' pool. Though no evidence existed today, we didn't linger too long and carried on to the trig point passing some interesting windswept and eroded rocks on the way.

No mermaid at Doxey's Pool today

Once passed the trig point we were again coming down and the route had been planned to take us through Lud's Church somewhere Martin and Lee had never been before and a place steeped in legend. The route was fairly arduous as the trail was boggy, fast flowing rainwater had eroded the peat to expose tree roots and high winds had brought trees down across the path making it heavy going. Dropping carefully into the chasm in the rock, we worked our way along the bottom, stopping to check on the geocache hidden there (a hobby of Mark's) and sign the logbook before working our way to the very muddy exit.

The Lud's Church chasm

Back on the trail which was in much better condition we worked our way back towards the end of The Roaches and along the boundary of Swythamley Hall and noted a number of large felled trees and wondered whether the recent Oxfordshire tornado had detoured this way. In the valley below we noted a building and reading the letters on the side identified th as the 'Wincle Brewery'. A detour was debated to the brewery but then we felt better of it as we we had pie and chips awaiting in the Knot Inn. It was at this 22km point Mark suddenly got an inconvenient twinge in his right calf but he managed to stretch it out.

We completed this 27.5km with 663m climb training walk in 6hrs 12minutes, a little longer than we had been looking for but put this down mainly to the conditions underfoot and negotiating the many electric fences.

05/05/2012 - Trailwalker Prep Session and Training on The South Downs - Pt2

Our plan following the Prep Session was to train on the Trailwalker route starting at Checkpoint 5 (Washington) to Checkpoint 7 (Devil's Dyke). Our logic behind this is that as we previously discussed in our blog, Stage 7 is arguably the hardest section of the trail with Stage 6 not far behind. It's likely that these stages will be done as we hit nightfall, we'll have already walked a long way and then we'll have to face the biggest climb on Trailwalker to the top of Truleigh Hill.

Mark was also taking the opportunity to test his Spot Messenger - a device which enables friends and family to track the team, and allows messages to be sent confirming all is OK or even issue an SOS (not that we're planning on using it) all by satellite where mobile signal is absent. In tracking mode it issues a location every ten minutes which should help the Support Team anticipate our arrival. The track can be seen here (well until we delete it anyway).
 

Chactonbury Hill

To do these stages presented somewhat of a logistical problem. Simon was going to walk stage 6 with us and then retire so he needed to leave a car near to Checkpoint 6. Mark, Lee and Polly drove to Devil's Dyke and arriving at the car park were blown away by the stunning view. It's a pity that it will be dark when we get here on Trailwalker. Leaving Lee's car in the car park, the gear was loaded onto Mark's and we headed for the Car Park near Checkpoint 5 collecting Simon on the way. This process took us nearly 2 hours. One thing we did note was the traffic congestion the closer we got to the coastal roads, it was Saturday and the out of town shopping parks were busy - this is likely to be worse in Summer so perhaps routes for the Support Team need to avoid.

Lee and Polly on the trail climbing Chactonbury Hi

Arriving at the car park at Washington on the East side of A24 presented a further small logistical problem. We had to cross over the A24 Dual Carriageway to find Checkpoint 5 but as this is actually in a field which is out of bounds during non-Trailwalker hiking we had to take a detour round it in order to reach the start of the route. This at least gave us a brief taste of the trails which given the recent rainfall were well churned up by hikers, horse riders and cyclists. We imagined what they would be like after a couple of thousand people had trudged it and decided it was probably a good argument for an earlier start.

Pond or path? You decide...

As we reached the southern side of the field, Chactonbury Hill came into view as we descended back to the A24 crossing the road using the public footpath through North Side Farm rather than being able to access the official Trailwalker road crossing and we were soon back on the official route, climbing the hill. The trail at this point was vehicle width, very chalky and full of flint. We could imagine the chalk becoming very slippery when wet (sounds like a good name for an album) and the uneven flint was felt with each footstep. The climb was steady and not particularly arduous and we were soon at the top and on the gradual gradient down again.

Taking note of where Checkpoint 6 will be we decided to take a 10minute break to simulate the stop, have a quick snack and Mark took the opportunity to change socks as well (well the simulation had to be accurate) while Lee timed the stop (yes - we trusted him with a clock!). The opportunity was taken to scoff a piece of Polly's 'Energy Cake' as well. 

The ten minutes over, we headed from Checkpoint 6 and crossed the River Adur where we said farewell to Simon (he counted us out and will count us all back in again) as he departed for his car and we trudged along the muddy path at the side of the river observing a large group of young swans gracefully swimming against the strong current.

Crossing the Rubicon, sorry, I mean Adur.

At near sea level, the River Adur marks the low point of the trail and weaving our way through Upper Beeding we found the track which would take us up to the top of Truleigh Hill - a 200m climb the biggest on Trailwalker. The track is quite straight and the initial section is the steepest part , this gradient starts to ease but just seems to prolong the climb to the top where the masts sit. The masts are a very useful landmark for gauging how much further it is to the top. Once at the top, unfortunately it's not downhill to Devil's Dyke. There are a series of rolling hills between you and Checkpoint 7. We passed the sign marking 'Fulking Escarpment' taking the opportunity to remark something similar as we went into the next climb.

Masts mark the top of Truleigh Hill - a good landmark

Polly noted a walker in the distance and set the team a target of overhauling this lone walker.  We seemed to gain ground on the uphill sections only to find this lone walker was running the downhills so we lost ground again. Eventually and only as we approached Checkpoint 7 did we eventually catch up only to find this was a fellow Trailwalker (The Champagne Chicks) who had already been walking most of the day on her own and had decided she would go to Checkpoint 8 before calling her boyfriend to pick her up! We bid her good luck as we turned at the National Trust Devil's Dyke sign and headed to the Car Park near the Devil's Dyke pub and managed to avoid the temptation of a quick pint before heading to our digs.

Devil's Dyke distant with rolling hills in between.

We completed the 23.36km in 4hrs 34minutes with a climb of 492m this was a good way ahead of the 5hrs we thought it would take us (mainly due to Polly 'Pace Setter' methinks). The stats for this walk are here.

It was great to finally experience the South Downs and the scenery we have seen so much of in photographs provided by other teams. We were amazed how far you can see inland to the North and out to sea in the South. It was well worth the effort to come down and do some of the course knowing the next time it will be the real deal. 



From hereon in, our training ramps up again as we add an hour to our long walk each week up to the event. Our next training walk takes us back to The Peak District and a route taking us from Rushton Spencer, over Gun Hill, down to Tittesworth Reservoir, up Hen Cloud, along The Roaches past Luds Church and back to Rushton Spencer. This 28km walk should give us nearly 700m of climb and hopefully great views if the weather is half decent.

15/04/2012 - Training Walk #14 - The Return of The Croker

With Martin recovering from the disappointment of the FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool (Liverpool won 2-1 incase you didn't know) it was left to Mark and Lee for this weekends training. Having spent all week in Scotland with Polly mountain-biking and completing an epic 43km walk in the highlands, Lee was driving straight down to what is rapidly becoming a base for the Red Harrows - The Knot Inn at Rushton Spencer.

Unfortunately, one of us (OK it was me and yes I am fallible) forgot to bring the camera for this walk which became a source of frustration as today was probably the brightest and clearest walk we've had yet (I promise to continue to beat myself up about it) so sadly no pics in this blog. If you want to refresh your memory, this is the same walk we did at Training Walk #6 - only in the opposite direction tackling The Cloud first.

You may recall that when we last attempted this walk at the beginning of March it was at the time a bit of leap for us (well actually more me). It was a first introduction to doing two 200m climbs back to back over an extended distance - and I don't mind admitting we nearly cut the walk short at the time after it took us 5hrs and 30minutes to cover the 20.7km with 570m of total climb and Lee thought I was having a heart attack.

Since then, training has been going well and my fitness which was virtually zero before starting Trailwalker training has improved dramatically (this week I recorded I'd lost a stone in weight - believe me, I needed to). On the back of this, we had set ourselves the ambitious target of completing this in 4hrs and 30minutes - a full hour quicker than previous.

We set off towards The Cloud gradually climbing through fields full of new-born Spring lambs who seemed totally unfazed by our presence and soon reached the sapping steps to take us to the summit. There was a reasonable group of people enjoying the view today as we reached the trig point in 52minutes (we had targeted an hour) so were pleased to be ahead of schedule.

Descending the steep side we gradually dropped down towards Bosley reservoir and reached our halfway point in 2hrs 6minutes (out target was 2hrs 15minutes) so took the opportunity for a quick energy bar before contemplating the ascent to the top of Croker Hill. This was a sapping climb but this time, there was no need for pauses to catch breath and we reached the summit in 2hrs and 45minutes a good 15minutes ahead of schedule which we were happy with knowing this was the highest point and it was generally downhill from here.

The views as we descended the ridge from Golden Hill were spectacular. We could see Beeston Hill and the Peckforton Hills where we walked last weekend and beyond that The Clwydian range all the way down to Breidden Hill some 50miles away atop which Rodney's Pillar sits. Gun Hill and The Roaches looked dauntingly spectacular in the near distance where we have a 6hr training walk planned in a few weeks time.

We made it to the Knot Inn in 4hrs 24minutes a good 66minutes faster than the last time we walked this double-header. So we celebrated in typical fashion with a couple of pints of real ale and were sooned joined by Mark's wife and support team member Kate and The Junior Red Harrows for sunday dinner. A good way to end the day.

We have no training walks scheduled for this weekend as this Saturday we have been invited to train with the Queen's Gurkha Signals at their barracks in Nuneaton. We're looking forward to it with mixed feelings. It will be good to meet the Gurkha's first hand, share their insights to help us prepare and to meet some of the other teams taking part but we're a bit apprehensive nonetheless!

31/03/2012 - Training Walk #11 - Croker Strikes Back

The weather had certainly broken as we drove to Rushton Spencer this morning. A misty gloom with slight drizzle had descended and had us wondering what conditions may be like at the top of Croker Hill. Martin met us at the car park at the back of the Knot Inn which given he would be driving to Cambridge after our walk to pick his son up from University certainly showed commitment.

Approaching Golden Hill

We were heading up a route Lee and Mark had walked previously to the top of Croker Hill and then descending it and coming back a different way. On our previous outing, it had taken us 1hour and 50minutes to the top of Croker Hill so with that in mind we set off at a brisk pace. We found it a lot easier this time as the mist wasn't as bad as before, it had begun to clear and the route was familiar from a month ago.

The Cloud in er....cloud.

As we climbed steadily from the Dane Valley we could see other local hilltop landmarks coming into view. One of our regular favourites, The Cloud was shrouded with mist and as we looked around we could see The Roaches and Hen Cloud, somewhere we have yet to experience and agreed that it would have to be part of a future training walk at some point. As we cleared the top of Golden Hill heading for Croker Hill, we identified Tegg's Nose and Macclesfield Forest in the distance and thought that would be another good walk extension to have at some point.

The Roaches and Hen Cloud imposing in the distance

 We ascended Croker Hill and touched the gates to the BT tower after 1hour and 35minutes - a good 15minutes quicker than our previous attempt. At an average 5.0km/h we were pleased with this, so we broke out the energy bars and started our descent back and into unfamiliar territory.

As we descended through a field we came upon our first group of Scouts heading towards us, the first of many groups we would see as they navigated with map and compass. 

Croker Hill - we can see it this time!

 It was heartwarming to see so many kids doing this. Realising that Trailwalker has a minimum age of 18 we decided we couldn't recruit any of them for our 4th member and besides, they would probably only show us up.

The only slight confusion on the walk back was where a footpath ran through a farmyard and the farmer appeared to have done as much as possible to remove markers and make the route as uncomfortable as possible. Once off the Gritstone Trail,we ran out of the steady stream of Scouts and the path became very scenic, taking us up and downhill, through fields and woodland back towards Rushton Spencer.

We arrived back at the cars in 3hours and 50minutes, a good 30minutes faster than we had expected overall. A celebratory pint was called for in the Knot Inn, though Martin with the drive to Cambridge to follow restricted himself to a quick Coke. Salivating at the pies being served up, a plan was hatched for future, longer training walks where a small break might be in order - sorted.

Lee and Martin contemplate carrying on to Tegg's Nose

The total climb today was 497m which was less than was expected with a total distance of 17.88m at an average speed of 4.7km/h but at 27.8m/km this was one of our toughest yet. The stats for this walk are here.

Total team distance walked so far in training (not including some individual stuff by Lee and Martin) is 471km with 9521m of climb (Everest weighs in at 8850m) and we've been walking for 7 days 3hours and 28minutes.....and counting! There's still a long way to go - but we're happy with the way the training is going so far. Now, about that 4th member......