Aching feet

This week has flown by due to work commitments and a charity hike I did yesterday.

Every year I go away for nearly a week for an annual conference that my company exhibits at, this year it moved location to Manchester and it meant a bit more of a hectic week than I had planned.

Usually there would be some down time where I have practiced my patterns and/or done some exercise to keep on top of things, however with the move of venue combined with a busy schedule I was unable to get the spare time needed to do anything apart from work, have dinner, sleep then repeat!

Getting to the end on Thursday was a relief as I knew I wouldn't have much time at home as I had to pack ready for the charity Welsh 3 peaks challenge. Unfortunately events conspired against me (M6 closure) and I didn't get back home until nearly 9pm, so everything was a massive rush to get all my gear ready.

Finishing work early on the Friday the team set off to travel up to Snowdonia with plenty of time, once again traffic and the football meant we didn't arrive at our hotel until 11.15pm, wouldn't have been so bad but we had to be up at 3.40am the next morning!

Fuelled by coffee and bacon and sausage but butties, we piled into the mini bus and made the 15 min journey to the starting point. As we pulled away the rain began and it got heavier and heavier, as we arrived and assembled in he car park the wind and rain was horrendous, within minutes we were freezing and our waterproofs we're testing their ability to the limit. Meeting our guides for the event the ominous words 'apocalyptic' and 'weather' were mentioned which didn't fill me with confidence that I would be enjoying this first peak.

As a team we kept hacking up the trail all the time with the wind constantly trying to buffet and pluck you off the side of Snowdon. The views were very limited and most of the focus was merely on keeping upright and carefully placing your feet, one in front of the other.

About 40 mins from the summit the lead guide called a halt and shouting over the howling wind informed us that as a team were only as strong as our weakest members and due to the increasing wind speeds that it was too dangerous to continue. With heavy hearts we turned and trudged down a different path to get ourselves off the mountain as soon as possible, all the time being assaulted with freezing, monsoon like rain and hail.

On the way back to the car park we came across three young guys walking in the opposite direction, one guy was dressed more for a night in the pub than for a mountain, with trainers and a heavy leather jacket. Our lead guide was also a member of the Snowdon mountain rescue and he pointed out the atrocious conditions but they ignored him and ploughed on, it was at this point that the guide pointed out that 7 people had already died on Snowdon this year.

Racing back I managed to be one of the first of my team to get back to the mini bus so after stripping off completely and throwing the sodden clothes into a bin bag it was time for a swift change of clothes, a cup of tea, some chocolate and then it was time to set off to the next peak, Cader Idris.

2 hours later and much drier and warmer than earlier on it was time to get out, don sodden boots and get moving. The weather initially was much kinder and we made good time up to a large lake, after a short break we then started up to the ridge that we would then traverse around the mountain to the peak.

It was on the ridge that the foul weather kicked in, hail, freezing rain and winds even stronger and faster than on Snowdon eventually meant a premature departure from the ridge, again very close to the summit, which in places is very narrow with sheer drops. Marching back down the paths we had followed up were now fast flowing streams, so much water was being dropped from the sky.

After a revitalising hot meal, some more chocolate and yet another change of clothes an increasingly weary team set off for the final peak, Pen Y Fan.

Arriving in the evening we were all determined that bare extreme conditions this was a peak we were going to reach. I set off with a couple of the team and went at a blistering pace, making the summit(898 metres)in just shy of 38 mins, finally we had done it! A swift descent was followed by congratulations and a short journey to our hotel for a few well deserved pints and a hot meal.

I finally got home at midday today where Shelly and the girls took me out for a delicious roast dinner and now my feet are up having soaked in a very hot bath!