Ennerdale 2 Day Hike

Total Distance: 26.7 miles (GPS), 30.1 miles Memory-Map
Day 1 Distance: 10 miles
Day 2 Distance: 16.7 miles

Wainwrights: 15

On Friday & Saturday I spent 2 days walking the Ennerdale valley in the Lake District. I spent Friday night wildcamping on Haystacks. I've split the 2 days into separate post on the blog.

I'm not sure why Memory-map always says walks are longer, I will go with the GPS distance. Unfortunately I didn't look at the distance at the end of day 1 on the GPS, but looking at the site I took the route from they reckon it's 10 miles.

Walk done :-)

I thought I would do a quick update, just in case anyone was interested (not likely).

I completed my planned multi-day hike yesterday night, in 2 days. It was planned as a 3 day walk on the site I took it from but on the second day I had a mamoth walking session and covered about 17 miles in 12 hours going over some of the Lakes bigger moutains. Well it felt it with the pack on!

I will write a full post tomorrow, I'm busy working on a new project. Marking my walks onto google maps, with links to my write ups. Boring to everyone else, but I have been thinking about doing it for months and google have just made it a whole lot easier :-)

Lakes Walking

I'm going to the lakes walking for 2/3 days. I am following this route, which is a 3 day route. When I looked at it thought I could easily walk it in 2 days but after putting my pack on my back, I think it probably is 3 days. Unless I decide to ditch some stuff in the morning (might do).

I want to enjoy my walk, not go without things I need but also don't want to feel like my bag is pulling me into the ground.

I suddenly feel quite a bit of trepidation about the trip carrying all this stuff. I'm so used to carrying barely any weight for 1 day walks. Anyway I better go and get in the bath, then I will add some music to my MP3 player before finally getting a good nights sleep (I hope).

Will try to send a short post from the hill if I can get a signal :-)

Pack!

Above is what I have been packing into my bag which is at the top right of the picture. This includes food which I have too much of for only 3 days, but for my first trip I am unsure how much of anything I will need.

I just picked the pack up 5 minutes ago with everything and got a huge shock at how heavy it is. I tried to put it on the scales (bit big for bathroom scales) and it comes out at roughly 30Ibs including food and water. I thought I was going lightweight, but I'm certainly not. I'm not looking forward to carrying this lot up the hill now and can see why the trip may take me 3 days. Maybe I should take that book out it will save me a couple of hundred grammes or get rid of some of the food and it will save me a few hundred more!

I think after this trip I will be cutting a lot of things out, but for the first trip I would rather be safe rather than sorry. Although carrying this lot I'm more likely to have an accident!!

Le Grand Cirque

I went to see Le Grand Cirque at the Newcastle Theatre Royal with Mandy and Val. We all really enjoyed it, you would think they had stolen the entire Chinese gymnastics team :-)

This is really short because I am getting ready for my trip tomorrow...

Boxing

I've never got around to writing about the boxing last Friday night. My mate (Nigel) won his fight after the second round. Britain lost the cup to America though, overall the fighters were just better which is what I expected.

I'm not sure if I will go again, certainly not on the bus after arguments on the bus. It wasn't me arguing but the same people who usually do. Anther lad that went with us got thrown out and walked 10 miles in the wrong direction trying to go home.

The Illusionist

The Illusionist: I just watched this and really enjoyed it. The first film I have watched in months and I certainly picked a good one to get me back into watching them again.

I guessed the ending before it was revealed but very good. Certainly makes a change from most of the run of the mill Hollywood movies.

Go watch it, I gave it 9 out of 10.

Wolsingham to Tunstall Run

Distance: 6.75 miles
Time: 1:18

I went for a run from Wolsingham up the road to Tunstall reservoir then back down the road to Wolsingham after work tonight. I think its best to go straight after work, it seems to be my best time of day to run.

The last time I attempted this I got about a mile into it and just didn't feel right so turned arounf and came back. I felt a lot better this time and could easily of kept running after I had finished. I know the time is very slow but at the moment I'm not aiming for times, just want to get my fitness up. Then I will start to push for times.

Deerstalker Run

(Above) official route map (erm borrowed)

(Above) computer drawn route I did

(Above) Elevation profile of route

Actual Distance: 5.5 miles (8.85 km)
Highest: 1378 Feet
Lowest: 455 feet

Checkpoint Punch Split
Checkpoint 1 00:41:56 00:41:56
Finish 01:16:57 00:35:01

Time: 1:16:57
Position: 34 (provisional)

Yesterday I completed the Deerstalker with Helen and Mandy from work. When we got their I was a little worried looking up at the hills around us and after looking at the map which is the top image of this post (we borrowed it) it didn't make me feel much better. But I was determined to do it.

We registered and got our SPORTident tags, then we had a quick wander around and sat in front of Traquair House in the sun relaxing. As the starting time approached we went to get ready, we started to wonder where Mandy had gone because she wanted to get changed in the toilets rather than the car.

We made our way down to the tents and stood about for a while before we noticed people heading to where the start obviously was. We were stood around at the start for a while looking up the bank at the first obstacles a wall of straw bales.

Eventually we set off at about 5:15pm and ran to the bales which I leaped straight on top of then had to teeter on the edge because a lass had fell on the floor on the other side. I lost Helen and Mandy over the bales so slowed down to wait for them for while the caught up.

After the bales we ran along the road towards the Pond, on the way there was some guy telling another how he should be running, as he was some sort of personal trainer (could of been) he was doing my head in. We got to the pond and I think everyone got a shock, before the race the guy had mentioned about waist deep water (thought he was joking), it was almost waist deep and several people fell over (including Helen I think). From here I lost Helen and Mandy I looked back for them but couldn't see them. They had told me to just leave them if I had wanted to, so after a minute or so of trying to spot them I decided to just go. I kept quite a steady but very slow pace up the bank (most were walking). I walked 2 short sections up this bank and caught up to the guy giving the running lesson, he was telling the bloke with him to keep running and basically looking a prat waiving his arms from side to side (does that help?). I was gonna ask the guy he was ordering about if he was getting on his nerves but decided better of it.

Eventually we came to a flatter section (slightly) with a gradual bank that stretched for a fair distance but then I noticed people heading off to the right straight into the wood where normally there would be no path. I followed them up but unfortunately everyone was walking or better description would be sliding going up here. I wanted to run up but couldn't get past them. I thought this was going to be be where the first checkpoint was (I was wrong) we then headed back down the the track I had been looking along and carried on around the corner.

Again the track went to the right and up a steep hill I managed to run past a few people up the beginning of this hill, but we then came onto an area where the woods had been chopped down and it was very uneven underfoot so had to follow the path, everyone was walking in front so I had to as well. After what seamed an eternity the path become wider just as we entered the trees again, I ran past a few people here. Then the next obstacles were ahead. The first obstacle was tree hugging, there was wood around the trees that you needed to step from between each tree and a rope overhead to hold onto. You could only go as fast as the person in front of you and she looked quite unstable ;-)

The next obstacle was balancing over several thin logs and blanks, some people avoided these but I wanted to do them as its part of the fun. There was a badger run I think they called it next, it was basically a tunnel you had to crawl through in the mud. Then a bit further and I scrambled up a wooden frame (wall) and had to jump from the top (about 7 foot), I could here some people saying it was too high. I might of got the order of the obstacles muddled up!

Then a short run up the bank and there was some strange music playing as you scrambled through the trees I'm sure there was some sort of obstacle here but can't remember what it was. Then there was a clearing and the checkpoint was straight ahead. I put my Dibber (SPORTident tag) into the checkpoint but couldn't hear if it made a noise as someone else did it at the same time. So I had to do it again to make sure and the Marshall checked it with me.

It was a short run along the track before there course went to the left and down a mountain bike trail, where we turned left there was 3 bottles of Lucozade and I was wondering if this was what they were calling the drinks station but decided against picking one up as it could of been bottles of piss for all I knew.

I enjoyed this next section running down the hill and followed some lass with "The Outsider" on her back before I eventually decided she as going too slow and over took her. I then followed another lass for a while before deciding again she was going at slightly too slow of a pace. We joined back onto the trail we had been running along earlier but about quarter of a mile further along it. The route then headed down through the trees where the wasn't any normal path it was just a route through the trees, again I really enjoyed this but got stuck behind a few people. A lass appeared from the trees to the left, everyone thought she had been for a wee but she had got lost (so she said). We headed down towards the road where there were some nets but we were directed around them (for some reason), a couple of people slipped down the bank here (Mandy too I think).

Once over the road I slid under the crash barrier and down the little bank to follow the river to the foot bridge then bank along the other side of the river this section was quite long and I pulled a lead out from the people behind me (not that I was really trying to). I could see someone in the distance ahead of me but they must of been at least quarter of a mile ahead. I think I went wrong at the next section just before the river crossing, I went a little further than I needed to, oops. I waded through the water which was shallow compared to the earlier pond.

Then it was through the trees to the drinks station, picked some up as I ran but it was in a cup (why when its a run). I took a sip but it tasted horrible (High5), I forced some down to keep my hydrated. The next section wasn't too bad it was still flat, I then approached the sump and a couple of people directed me the right way. It was through a tunnel under the road and the water was waist deep here, it was quite stagnant as well. I clambered out of the beck (up a gate I think it was) then over Tweed Bridge. I knew I couldn't be far from Traquair house because I could remember us driving over the bridge on the way there.

As I ran through the next bit totally alone with no one in sight, suddenly the house appeared ahead and I knew it was nearly over. I still didn't feel too bad considering what I had just covered. I ran along the side of the house and thought I could hear someone approaching in the distance behind. Once I joined the road there was someone sat down having a breather before the last slight incline. I could see a load of people gathered ahead near the toilets, the slapping of feet behind me got louder and I could tell there was someone on my shoulder. Someone at the side of the road shouted "you can take him". I wasn't having that so I increased the pace slightly and the slapping of the feet behind increased too. The people only looked to be 100 yards, so I sprinted at the top speed I could manage, which was surprisingly fast. I couldn't hear the slapping feet anymore. I got to where the people were standing and started to slow slightly then I realised it wasn't the end. I had to run into the field and around a taped finish (shit). I ran still fast towards the taped run in and the bloke on the mike said something about me sprinting so I ran even faster around the corner past everyone. Everything was a blur at this point because I was feeling dizzy and sick. I got the finish line and the lass was pointing to the checkpoint machine. I waved my had past but of course I have to put the dibber into it. I struggled doing this as my sight had gone blurry and felt like I was going to puke.

I dibbed my tag then walked 5 yards further on before puking up for the next minute just after the finish line. I was sick because I had ran so fast over the last 200-300 metres.

I handed the tag in and was given my print out and I got a total shock when I found out I was 34th (1:16:57) I had no idea I had done that well, I was expecting to be towards 100 or something. I picked up another free drink, that horrible High5 stuff but ended up throwing away. I waited at the finish line for a while for Mandy and Helen but there was no sign so decided to stand near the toilets where I had thought the finish was when I was running in. After another 5 minutes or so I saw them come into view, Mandy looked to be struggling while Helen looked fine (well, maybe OK). I jogged around the corner to meet them (still had plenty of energy), a couple of people tried to direct me through the run in thinking I was finishing the race but waved my finish ticket at them, lol.

When I got the finish where Mandy and Helen were I saw them getting a medal, I hadn't been given one. I must of missed it when I was being sick. So went and asked the lady for one :-)

The sum up for the day was that we all thoroughly enjoyed it and I was certainly surprised how well we all did. It was a lot better than I expected and was great fun going over, under and through the obstacles. I will be back next year I hope (10K maybe?).

Oh we did the 5k but according to the computer it was 8.85K (5.5 miles), the computer sometimes shows slightly more but not by much, it will be at least 5 miles. The times look incredibly slow for something that long but it ain't no road race and there were many obstacles.

We all agreed that we were pleased we weren't doing the 10K, you can see the route of the 10K on the the top image if you click on it. It goes up a nasty mountain in the dark. I may attempt this next year if I can continue to improve my fitness (not sure yet).

I will keep an eye out on the official website for the full results as well as photos. Helen and Mandy finished 82nd and 83rd in about 1 hour 30 I think? well done :-)

Another running partner

Distance: 3.15 miles
Time: 36 minutes

I went for a run tonight with Hayley around the normal dinner time run. I'd had no break all day and was shattered and pissed off, so decided I would go for the run just after 4:30.

Hayley was asking how far my run was on Saturday and said should we not go around the route twice then if its only just over 3 miles. I said trust me NO.

There was no way she was gonna get around there twice she found going around once hard, it was good to run with Hayley as she runs more of an even pace rather than sprinting off then walking.

The time wasn't too bad considering it was the first time she'd been around.

I have felt really good running this week, never needed to stop and hardly been out of breath. Felt like I could of probably done it twice tonight :-)

can't sleep

why is it whenever i want to be up early i can never get to sleep. i
want to get and go to the sorting office to pick up 4 parcels that
came today before i go to work. it opens at 6, so wanted to jump out
of bed at 6. if up sharp enough was going to do the extremely short
run i used to do when i first started running to see how quick i can
do it. then get ready and pick up my parcels.

unfortunately its after 1:30am so gonna be Knackered as usual. i have
been better at sleeping recently after years of never being able to
shut off. tonight i am back to my normal though.

my head is buzzing with thoughts of runs and walks. in some ways its
good that something is igniting my imagination again. there are so
many things i want to do but can't fit them all in :-(

where is my lottery win so i can live that life of leisure i have
dreamed of for so many years. then i could make a serious dent in my
list of things to see, do and experience?

everything i want from life is there before me i just have to choose
the correct path. that path always seems to blocked by decisions. for
once i'm not talking about work but my personal life. wait too long
and the opportunity disappears forever and do you then live a life of
regret or does something better materialise?

in my life i have always been lucky although at times it certainly
hasn't felt like it. when the chips have been down, things have always
turned out for the better eventually.

i have a picture on my living room wall i took last year when i was
going through one the toughest times in my life. i stood on the top of
crinkle crags looking down at the langdale valley beneath me. it
looked absolutely amazing the picture is excellent but being there was
so much more. it was almost spiritual stood there with no one else
around. i made some important decisions then whether i realised it or
not.

i am fairly certain there will be more times like that ahead over the
next couple of months when i am away walking for days on my own with
only my thoughts to keep me company.

i look forward to it, it's no wonder i can't sleep. far too much stuff
runs through my head!

Work, route planning and general think

I am actually quite happy at the moment even though I have loads of pressure at work with being the only IT person. When I'm driving about the 2 counties listening to good music I can forget about the amount of work I have to do. My viewpoint is I can only do so much, I try to do the urgent stuff but I'm only 1 person and everything else will just have to wait.

I was supposed to be getting a temp while I'm on my own but over half of that is already over, there is no way they are going to sort anyone out in the next 2 weeks. Exactly as I predicted, HR are absolutely fucking shite. I get on well with a couple of the people who work in HR but its not with them where the problems lie.

I think one of the reasons I am happy is because of all the planning and looking forward to walking in the lakes. I intend to go away from the 6th April as long as all my essential gear turns up by then. I am thinking about walking from Ennerdale , a variation on this route. I may decide a lot of where I go as I'm on the fells but somewhere similar to that looks good. I wanted to walk the Langdales, and Scafell area but it will be Easter weekend so it will be very busy in that area. It will probably be busy around here too but hopefully not quite so bad.

I am going to have to do some more match betting to help pay for all the equipment I've bought over the last week (£1000 worth :-O)

I'm off on Friday afternoon because I am going to watch Nigel box again, he's fighting in the contender series. Each fight which all take place on the Friday will be broadcast over several weeks on TV. I am going out from 1:30 though in Crook, before getting the bus to Newcastle at 5, then the fights start at 7. I can't drink too much because I am running on Saturday!

Regular run in reverse

Distance: 3.15 miles
Time: 34 minutes

I went out for the regular run today but decided to do it on my own in reverse. The others never want to do it the other way around because they say its harder. I'd never tried it, so set out today and just kept a nice steady pace. I expected it to take longer than it did, considering I never ran fast at any point. I never walked any section, which tends to happen when I'm running with others because they try to run too fast up the hills and end up shattered, no such problems today :-)

I think this way is slightly better, although will try the normal way around on my own and see how quick I do that. I know I could do it in under 30 minutes if I kept an even pace. I'm not sure this is the week to try it though with the race on Saturday!

Gear arriving

My Hilleberg Akto (tent) arrived today from George Fishers, I was beginning to worry a bit because I had nothing more other than the initial order confirmation. I haven't taken the tent out of its bag yet. Tonight would of been a good night to try it because it was a nice night but I had a bad headache from lack of sleep and food. So decided to eat something and have a sleep.

As well as the Akto, I had also ordered a platypus 1ltr and some Wayfarer meals to try. The meals feel really heavy (300 grams each). The 4 meals appear to weigh more than the tent, they may not but it feels like it.

On my way into the Middlesbrough office I popped into Millets to buy some gas for my stove but I didn't take enough notice and the gas I bought isn't screw in, its some other crap. Luckily it was only £3.30 because I had to take the seal off before I realised. I couldn't see it wasn't a screw in because the seal covered it. I had bought 2, so could take one back.

Pacerpoles

I have just ordered some Pacerpoles which are walking poles. I have never used any before and used to always ask my parents why the hell they were using them. Yet over the last few weeks when my knees have been causing me problems I've decided to give them a go.

I could buy cheaper walking poles but everyone raves about pacerpoles because of the moulded handles. I'm really not sure if I'm going to like them but if they help me come down off the tops with a full pack I'm sure I will be a convert.

My mother swears by her walking poles after her knees have given way a few times, she says she would never of of got down without them. Will just feel a clip using them but who cares if they help take the weight from my knees :-)

1001 Albums Continue...

Here's some of the albums I've listened to in the last week or so, a couple of these may of appeared on the last post where I mentioned what I'd listened to. I can't be arsed to add the Album covers like I normally do.


Depeche Mode – Violator ****
Megadeth – Rust in Peace ****
Happy Mondays – Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches ***
Michael, George – Listen Without Prejudice: Vol 1 ****
Young, Neil – Ragged Glory ***
Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted ****
Ice T – OG: Original Gangster **
Blur – Modern Life is Rubbish **
Goldie – Timeless ***
Genius GZA – Liquid Swords ***
Hole – Celebrity Skin ***
Doves – Lost Souls ***
Air – Virgin Suicides: Original Motion Picture Score ****
Coral – Coral ****
Radiohead – Hail to the Thief *
50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin’ **
Arcade Fire – Funeral **
Libertines – Libertines ***
Judas Priest – British Steel ***
REM – Murmur ***
ZZ Top – Eliminator ***
U2 – War ****
Police – Synchronicity ***
Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back ***
Beatles – Revolver ***
Hendrix, Jimi – Are You Experienced *****
Beatles – Beatles [aka White Album] ***
Led Zeppelin – II ***
Hendrix, Jimi – Axis: Bold as Love ***

Run with Jeremy

Distance: 4.86 miles
Time: 54:40

I went for a run this morning with a mate I used to work with (Jeremy). I wasn't sure how fit he was going to be, luckily he was OK. I had shown him a few of the runs I had done a couple of weeks ago and he fancied doing the above route (Brancepeth - Willington - Oakenshaw - Brancepeth).

When I got to the car park, Jeremy was already there and there was a few cars there. Theer was some horse event going on.

We set off and I tried to keep a steady pace, I think Jeremy at first wanted to go a bit faster but I knew he would struggle if he did. We kept a slow but steady pace until we got to Willington and started up the hill towards Oakeshaw. Jeremy struggled up the hill and when we got to the top of the first he asked me to stop, so we walked for a 100 yards or so before setting off again. After that we kept running all the way back. I walked the same section when I did the run last year although I walked for further then. I fet so much better today and didn't need to walk at all.

When we got near the very end I totally upped my pace and sprinted the last 300 metres or so, leaving Jeremy behind I thought he would of done the same but he must of been more tired than I realised.

I enjoyed the run and hopefully he will want to go out again. Feel a bit more positive about next weeks run now :-)

Kit, Kit & more Kit

I have just ordered almost everything I need for my backpacking trip(s). I will write a proper list with exact models & pictures tomorrow but I have bought..

Osprey Atmos 50ltr pack
Mountain Equipment Dri-lite pants
Smartwool Light Hiker Socks
Montane Kinetic Shirt
Berghaus Infinity Light Smock
Berghaus Spectrum Hat
Sealskinz Ultra Grip Gloves
Sealskinz Mid Light Socks
2GB Mp3 Player (very cheap one)
Folding Toothbrush
40 day razor
Small Towel
Folding Spork
Alok Bags
Fire Starter

Besides for the hiking stuff I also bought a couple of things for my running next weekend..
X-Socks Sky Runner Socks
Ronhill Classic Tracksters
Helly Hansen Stripe Crew Long sleeve top

I needed the above because you have to be totally covered and I normally run in shorts and short sleeve top. Just wish my bloody Inov-8 315s would turn up, I could of ordered them on the net 2 weeks ago and had them by now but bit too short notice to now order them online :-(

I had no money in the first place but after all this I am now even more in debt but sometimes I guess you have to just bite the bullet and buy it?

I think I only need a few things now, dry bags, stuff sacks and gas for my stove. I will look over people kit lists to make sure I haven't missed anything.

Other Gear

I also ordered a few other things last night, a stove & MSR Titan Kettle, 1ltr Platypus, Wayfarer meals, Tikka Plus Headtorch and a couple of other things. I ended up on the phone for quite a long time last night so never bought everything I wanted.

I got a call from backpackinglight.co.uk to let me know they didn't have the stove in that I wanted (MSR Pocket Rocket), so I changed the stove to a Vargo Jet-ti and bought the kettle seperate which is costing me more money (oops).

Hopefully I will order some more of the gear I need tomorrow (Saturday). I don't have any money for any of this but hell, we only live once (I think).

Akto

I ordered my tent last night from George Fishers, its the Hilleberg Akto shown above. Its the most popular 1 man tent around for backpacking and has been for years. I just hope it doesn't take ages for it to arrive because they are supposedly hard to get hold of. The website didn't mention anything about stock levels :-(