For the second May bank holiday weekend - long weekend - Chris, Julz and Ants convinced me that camping in the Lake District and climbing Britain's highest peak, Scafell Pike, would be a great idea.
Given that I can count the number of times I have camped on one hand, and the fact that we would not only be climbing the 1000m peak, but incorporating a scenic walk that would take an estimated 7 hours, I was a little nervous. I am not really known for embracing these sorts of challenges!
Saturday night it rained down on our little bbq, and we made the best of it enjoying some wine and bbq expertly cooked by Ants. The four of us huddled under the golf umbrella as the pub up the road was shut for some weird reason. Can't say it was my best night in a tent, somehouw my sleeping bag warmth was awry, and the chattering of my teeth woke Chris up. Sunday, it was time to pack up our bacon and egg sandwiches, water and snacks, ready for the trek....
Post-hike, I am reading about the walk we did, and it turns out that rather than the four hour scramble to Scafell Pike, we took 'the more taxing, but scenically far superior', option. Did we what...
After making Scafell Pike, which was actually the easier part, it became obvious that 7 hours was going to become a few more. Climbing Scafell Pike was just one part of our journey, as we then took on the ridges and valley of Glaramara. At the bottom of each rocky peak my team assured me 'just one more'....so we'd hike over rocks to the top, and it would become clear there was another ascent to climb. I think everyone felt sorry for me when they saw my face as I'd scramble up the rocks and glare at the next hill in front of me...and then maybe glare at each of them a little bit! All of our estimations went out the window in the end, and we just kept on walking!
It was stunning scenery though, past waterfalls, tarns (lakes), over and down rocky ridges, through the bogs, past lots of sheep and new little lambs. By our last descent, my feet were swollen and sore, some serious sunburn was starting to emerge on my walking buddies, and Julz was apologising for misleading me and offering to organise a luxury holiday for our next weekend away - even she had had enough! But now, I do feel really happy with everything we saw and the satisfaction of having completed 10 hours of trekking without preparing. Without my fellow campers/hikers I never would have even bothered trying something like this to see if I enjoyed it, and I really really did.
PS - Hills build character is something Dad always says : )
3 comments:
You guys are crazy! 10 hours of walking, well that certainly will build character. Well done to you all for doing it...and surviving.
Looking forward to reading about your future adventures in this blog. Hopefully more prepared hikes in the future. After all a sheep could have attacked you!
Take care,
Angie X
Really does look stunning Nay - TOTALLY something that I'd tackle in a heartbeat.
This year though, I can now confirm, my mates and I are tackling the trails and ice fields of Kluane National Park on the border of the Yukon and Alaska.
Should be EPIC - can't wait!
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