EDALE SKYLINE CHALLENGE. PEAK DISTRICT - 22 MILE SOLO HIKE. скачать в хорошем качестве

EDALE SKYLINE CHALLENGE. PEAK DISTRICT - 22 MILE SOLO HIKE.

As the Summer Solstice was now behind us, the nights were drawing in. I decided that my yearning to complete The Edale Skyline Hike would have to be sooner rather than later. I set out from home at 0400hrs to capture the Sunrise at Mam Tor, Mother Hill. The Sun Worshippers had given up, and I had Mam Tor summit and Trig to myself. I knew this was going to be a very long, very arduous and very demanding hike. After all, I am 61. I took three litres of water with electrolytes and four packs of sarnies, some flapjacks, and dogged determination. From Mam Tor, I hiked across The Great Ridge to Lose Hill, passing Hollins Cross and Back Tor on the way. I stopped for a while at Lose Hill and ate my first pack of sarnies. After a long and persistently steep gradient down off Lose Hill, I entered the village of Hope where where I ate my second pack of sarnies on what appeared to be the only bench in the village of Hope. After another enforced rest, I hiked up Win Hill being overtaken by a young couple who made it look like a walk in the park. Once on Win Hill, the third pack of sarnies was demolished. I can't say I was hungry, but I knew I had to keep myself fueled up and watered. The long awaited easier section lay before me for my hike to Hope Cross a Medieval Waymarker with a Keystone, which was added in the 1700s. My legs were feeling it, my thighs, my feet, and my shoulders were aching. Here, I rested again and ate my last pack of sarnies and some more fluids.The hike up on to Kinder wasn't as bad as Win Hill, but every step hurt. I hiked past Ringing Roger, Nether Tor, and Upper Tor before tackling Crowden Tower, The Woolpacks, and Noe Stool, traversing several fords along the ridge. It was then time to start my painful few hundred yards down Jacob's Ladder before turning right to head towards Brown Knoll. I've hiked to Brown Knoll a few times, so I knew the rest of the hike with my eyes shut. The last section of the hike from Brown Knoll took me past the air shaft for the Cowburn Railway Tunnel and a final left along Rushup Edge and past Lord's Seat. The hike was nearly over. The Purists would at this point hike back up Mam Tor to complete The Edale Skyline Circular Hike. Me? I started at the car in the layby and I was going to finish at the car in the layby. The whole hike was 21.69 miles and took me 14.49 hours. My average speed, according to OS Maps, was 1.5 mph. My normal hiking speed is 1.8 to 2 mph, but I could feel myself gradually grinding to a near standstill. The stops had become more frequent, and I had used up the three litres of water with electrolytes. My mouth was parched. The more I sat, the harder it was to get up again. By the time I had got to the car, my feet were wrecked, my legs had disowned me and were like jelly, and my shoulders were hurting despite me having lightened the load by eating and drinking everything I had. I had trouble untying the shoe laces on my Merrill hiking shoes, and I had to move each leg into the car using both of my arms. My head was mush, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I could hardly form my words or keep my eyes open throughout the outro. I drank four cans of full fat coke and two large cans of Monster on the trip home. Amanda had to help me undress, and 24 hours later, I am still hobbling around the house. Every joint is in pain. The nail on my left big toe has become detached, and the toe next to it looks like it is going the same way. As I'm riddled with arthritis I know it is going to be at least a week before I can function at my normal levels. I have dreamt of hiking The Edale Skyline Hike since I first heard about it a year ago. Am I glad I completed it? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Never. It is definitely a hike that pushed me to the limits of my physical and mental abilities. The only way I would ever consider it again is if I had a wild camp on Kinder at the 10-mile point. If there is no wild camp, then absolutely not. I know that there are people out there younger and fitter than me who might consider it a breeze but I'm 61, riddled with arthritis, a right knee replacement, a fused right wrist and my right leg is over an inch shorter than my left. This took every ounce of physical and mental strength to complete. A year ago, I couldn't hike up Mam Tor from The Broken Road. On this day, I completed The Edale Skyline Hike. I would like to thank my wife Amanda, who isn't well at the moment, for her regular texts of encouragement telling me that she believed in me and that I would get there in the end. Without you, Amanda, I am lost. With you, I am complete. Thank you for believing in me when even I had doubts. And if you, dear reader, have watched this vlog all the way through and have read this 'description', then I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. But I have one burning question. What were six tins of farmer's Tripe doing in the middle of the trail on Kinder? #EdaleSkyline #winhill #mamtor #losehill