Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon)

We got to Bangor at 21:30 and were then bussed to the Pen y Pass at the foot of Snowdon. The coach was full of loud chatter as excited walkers looked forward to the first hike. After kitting up, we started our walk at 22:25. The advice from our guide was ‘Be bold, go cold’. In other words, start with fewer clothes, and then layer up as you progress. The temperature felt cool at the start, so I didn’t go cold enough, and pretty soon I was too warm. First mistake!

The three hikes all have cut off times. This is when you must turn back and return to the start, irrespective of whether you have reached the summit. This enables enough time for everyone to get back to the train before it sets off. For Snowdon it was 00:45, so we had two hours and twenty minutes to reach the summit. Google Maps estimates the 4.2 mile walk to the summit to be 2 hours 27 minutes, so from the off we were up against the clock.

Walking at night is strange. You sense there is an amazing scenery.

Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man are visible on a good day. But not at night. Visibility is as far as your headtorch range, which is not very far. If you don’t have a head for heights that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We walked along a very high cliff at one point, oblivious to the drop next to us. On the way up, navigation was not a big issue. There was a stream of lights in front of us which we followed. The event team had also laid markers so we could also see which way we were going. We ascended and descended via Pyg track. This varies from being a clearly defined path, to a completely undefined scramble across rocks. At nighttime this is disconcerting. Several times we had to take stock of where we were, and inch forward across the rocks.

THE TOP OF THE ROUTE OF SNOWDON

For most of the walk, the weather was very tame, with little wind. But when we started the final ascent, the weather hit us. From calm conditions on Pyg track, suddenly we had 50mph winds and horizontal rain, blowing in from the Irish sea.

We knew we were close to the summit, but the final stretch seemed to go on and on. All the time we were checking our watches to make sure we got there before the cut off time. Which we did, with just nine minutes to spare.

The descent was a whole new challenge.

All the teams were spread out. Thus, navigation by following distant headtorches was not an option. Luckily we had the event team’s markers.

Ravenglass

We arrived at Ravenglass at 09:00. We made the short walk to the narrow gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale steam railway. We were crammed into tiny carriages for the 40-minute journey. It was a special trip, travelling through beautiful Lake District woods. This took us to Dalegarth, the terminating station for the narrow gauge railway.

There were two hikes for the day. The first was a five-mile hike from Dalegarth to Wasdale National Trust Campsite. This is on the edge of Wast Water. (Fun question – how many lakes are there in the Lake District? Answer at the end!)

After a few photos of the train, and other getting-ready-for-the-day tasks, we set off just before 10.00. It was a pleasant walk, but it was still physically tough. There was still a substantial amount of climbing – nearly 300 metres. We were also keen to get a good pace, to give ourselves as much time as possible to get up and down Scafell Pike. We were continually overtaking other hikers – this requires acceleration, using even more energy. 

The volunteers

Before the next leg, I should really discuss the volunteers who worked on and off the train, ensuring the whole event could happen. They were fantastic. They provided the food and refreshments and helped with issues. Without their involvement, there would be no event.

We had to keep walking as much as possible.

There was no time for nice photos or resting.   

This time I did ‘go bold start cold’ and it worked. I had a light t-shirt and trousers on, with the temperature below 10C. But any cold I felt was gone within 10 minutes.

I told the others that Ben Nevis was gentle. And this time I wasn’t lying. Why I thought that Nevis was ‘fairly gentle’ I don’t really know. I must have been younger and runny-aroundy in 2008. The walk itself is well marked out, and very popular so there is no chance of getting lost. 

The four of us slowly got stretched out. Esther powered away and reached the summit first. A very tired and sore me followed up. Dave and Chris emerged from the clouds at the summit a few minutes later. While cold at the summit, there was an absence of wind making the experience the most pleasant of the three. The four of us gathered for the team photo.

But it wasn’t over. Now for a 3-hour descent. Again, it was long and painful for me. Again, Esther zoomed off. I plodded slowly down, trying to cope with sore muscles. This time there was no short cut for me to get ahead of Dave and Chris. But the views were spectacular. The photos do not do them justice. But here are a couple.

As I crossed the bridge to end the final trek, a bagpiper greeted the hikers. I then staggered to the bus, as quickly my exhausted legs would take me, finding Dave and Chris.