Pennine Way Trek 2008 a Success!

Following several dissapointing drop outs from the team; yesterday saw the loyal few head out to Edale for a day of hard walking, torrential rain and gale force winds. After trekking many miles up to the summit of one of the highest peaks in England, braving some of the fiercest weather conditions many of us have ever experienced, today finds us aching, limping and generally just realizing how foreign walking really is to us.

Present on what is now known to us all as 'The Death Walk' were our mutual friend Sarah and her friend Marcus. After some debate as to a team name (with suggestions ranging from the Fantastic Four to the The Famous Five Minus A Dog) I believe we settled on the Fat Four, or at least that was my preference.

After a late start and an hours fine weather the walk initially seemed to be going well with high spirits, good conversation and a general sense of purpose. This was, afterall, the open country, with no limit on the abundance of wonderful scenery, fascinating wildlife and enough tales of ghostly animals, phantom highwaymen and air crash victims to fill a Goosebumps omnibus.

With 3 miles under our belts and a third of an ambitious climb behind us we decided to stop for lunch at about half 12 on a break in hillside overlooking the valley we had just traversed. With an abundance prepacked food, fruit and chocolate raisins moods were still high and Marcus took the opportunity to entertain us before hitting the trail again (see video to be attached).

The rain came after another hours walking and, combined with gale force winds, the novelty to being blown against rocks whilst soaked to the skin soon wore off for some of our merry band of adventurers. In fact, with the realization of the scale of how far we had yet to walk (provided by a clear view of the not insubstantial valley and reservoir we had to trek across in order to reach our destination) prompted even the hardiest of spirits to wane.

With cloud cover providing a soup-like fog and wind preventing much walking at all we took our second food break around five hours in to the walk to re-coup, re-gain the feeling in our fingers and generally check that all the limbs we could no longer feel were still attached to our bodies. At this point resolve was definitely on the way out, I was still laughing manically into the elements and the people behind me, I suspect, were beginning to despise my cheery disposition.

But what do you do when the people you are responsible for are clearly fed up with a walk you know has at least 6 miles to go? You downscale of course!

And so it was that the 2 mile path that led to the gate that led to the 3 mile road that led to the pub became the little path that ends in the gate which is technically right next to the pub in question. But trust me, in the rain and when you can feel water running down your back and the blisters on your feet are so big you can't actually see your foot anymore; you want to hear that the end is in sight. Whatsmore, I was looking forward to the end that much that I actually believed every word I said myself.

The best part about all this was that when we arrived at the pub in a condition I can only relate to the survivors of the movie 'Hostel' it was closed for refurbishment. And with a group already tired, angry and hoping for home this was the part when I decided I really should be watching my back.

We survived though. Wet, cold, tired and in pain we ambled into the nearest village and sat dripping in the warmth of the local pub. Never before have I appreciated a pub more.

Needless to say, I was eventually forgiven.

Total amount raised for charity will be updated soon.