I wasn't intending to post again, but the journey home took 9 hours and, as a proportion of the whole weekend, took quite a significant amount of time.

We had a little swap around and switched drivers more than once to combat tiredness. All of us were feeling the effects of a long day and more than one of us had nearly fallen asleep on Miriam's sofa.

Each of us found that we had eaten quite a lot of food over the preceeding 24 hours and, as a result, we didn't stop for a proper Sunday lunch (as we had half planned to do) and carried on snacking on flapjacks (later, flapjack crumbs) and sandwiches bought from motorway service stations. We learned a lesson that flip-up picnic trays don't hold cups of coffee very securely and that you should hold on to your hot drink unless you want it all over your leg!

Both cars arrived back at Graham's house at roughly the same time and disgorged their contents of half-packed bags and weary bodies. Showing our resilience, (or maybe our stupidity) conversation had already started to turn to "what form might the next challenge take?", however, the consistent theme at this point was the need for a long, hot bath. Oh, and a large glass of wine.

Until next time,

Rob.

We made it to the foot of Ben Nevis just before 3 o'clock in the morning - thanks to our two awsome drivers - while we all tried to get some sleep.

The sky was looking like we were in for a good sunrise on our way up the mountain.

Our tired legs started well, but soon slowed to a trudge, the gradient was incessant. We all stayed much more together as a group this time, all walking at a steady pace, knowing that we had 6 hours to do a climb that ought to take us 5 1/2 hours. The terrain wasn't vey kind: large rocks embedded in the dirt track; varying sizes of gravel; more rocks; and then snow for the last half a mile.

The euphoria we felt at the top, while we toasted ourselves with some more champagne, was slightly tainted by the knowledge that we would have to lug our tired bodies back down that long, steep, rocky path.

Walking on snow was quite tiring, so much so that we were glad to get back on the gravel! Whilst we had managed to stay together on the way up, we stung out a bit more during the descent as we all fought varing stages of tiredness.

Getting back to the car park was a good feeling, realising that we didn't need to walk any further. Our aches and pains temporarily forgotten, we posed for our final team photograph.

Our mood was further improved by a "full Scottish breakfast", served up by Miriam. She was not only good enough to put up our drivers for (what was left of) the night, but also said that she would cook breakfast for all of us, in her pyjamas, once we had finished. What a star!

Only 8 hours driving ahead of us now. What a fab day!

The weather was a kinder to us in England than it had been in Wales. The scenery was fantastic and it was a much more enjoyable climb. We spread out more than we had on Snowdon and, although that made it less sociable, everyone managed to find a pace that they were comfortable with.

Even though Scafell Pike is the shortest of the three peaks, it was a tougher climb than Snowdon and we were all glad to get back to the cars for some food. Some champagne at the top was well received by all!

It looks like we'll be starting Ben Nevis either in the dark, or in the faintest glimmer of light, so we're all a little aprehensive about that.

First ascent - Snowdon

Well, we started off from the car park at the foot of Snowdon at 9:22, after a hearty breakfast at the Little Chef attached to our Travel Lodge hotel.

Of the two possible routes, we had chosen the Pyg Trail over the Miners track. It is more of a steady climb and a little shorter, too. The track was quite narrow, making it awkward to walk two abreast for most of the way. There were quite a lot of other people doing the same route - some plodding up for charity, some whizzing by in running vests with numbers pinned on their shorts.

The weather forecasters didn't disappoint us. It rained most of the way up and down. The only respite was when we were walking in fog.

We were up to the summit in 1:50 and back down only 3:20 after starting off.

Let's hope the views are better from Scafell Pike.

We all met at Graham's house on-time and loaded our belongings into the two cars. It looked like each of the walkers had packed enough to last them for a whole fortnight, rather than just 2 days, but then we had all been forewarned by the weather forecast.

The trip to Oswestry was no trouble and we settled down to some intense preparation... in the bar!

7:00 breakfast and then off to Snowdon!

3PC - Update 9

Having just looked at the weather forecasts again, I can confidently say that this challenge is going to be more of a challenge than we had hoped: there's a strong chance we'll be doing our climbs in the cold and wet. I'll be including gloves, extra layers and plenty of changes of clothing within my kit bag, plus another bag to store wet clothes.

Rob has set up a "blogspot" which will be used for updates throughout the weekend of our progress. If you think your family or friends might want to see your progress on Saturday or Sunday morning, they can log onto http://overthehillskiclub.blogspot.com/. Previous updates are also posted on this site.

See you tomorrow evening at 7pm.

Graham

3 PC Update 8 - weather forecast

Enjoy the great weather while it lasts. According to the BBC weather forecast, we can (predictably) look forward to rain on Saturday. I'll give another update on the weather later in the week, but in the meantime, you should check out that wet weather gear.

Forecasts:

• Snowdon
• Scafell Pike
• Ben Nevis

Rob's special walkers' tip for this week is: "don't cut your toe nails the day before the big walk". I hope you find this helpful!

Best wishes

Graham

3 PC Update 7

Given that all the training seems to be going well, it's time to turn our attention from training to logistics for the event. My proposal is as follows:

Departure

Everyone meets at my house at 7pm on Friday 5th June, preferably fully fed and watered. We then set off in our two vehicles for Oswestry Travelodge, about 3.5 hours journey.

Food and drink

I'll do a big supermarket shop on Friday, aiming to cover all the provisions we'll need for the weekend (ie water, juice, energy bars, breakfast cereals, fruit, sandwiches, pasta, savoury snacks etc). Let me know if you have any special dietary requirements. I expect that we'll elect to stop for additional things en route (eg hot drinks and meals), but will generally aim to minimise stops between the three climbs.

Finances

I'll record all the costs and split them between the walkers (following expense policies set by our MPs).

Expected approx timing during the event

Leave Oswestry at 7.30am (eat breakfast in car?)
Start climbing Snowdon at 9am
Leave Snowdon at noon Saturday
Start climbing Sca Fell at 4.30pm Saturday
Leave Sca Fell at 9.30pm Saturday evening
Start climbing Ben Nevis 3.30am Sunday morning
Complete challenge 8.30am Sunday (with 30 minutes to spare!)
Back in Ashe at about 6pm Sunday evening

So that I know everyone is OK with the arrangements, can you each please reply to me to confirm you've got this email?

Cheers

Graham

3PC - Update 6 (there were two 4s)

Six of us did the Beacon 6 times again on Thursday, and this time we were joined by Lisa, Matt and wet weather. It was a useful training session as I was reminded of what happens when you walk through incessant rain. Apart from the obvious (ie you get wet), the following tend to happen:

• you walk slower (as it can get very slippy going downhill)
• if you wear glasses, you can't see much
• maps and other items in your backpack get soggy

Things I'm going to do as a result of these "learning events":

• bring lots of spare clothing in case it rains on all three climbs
• laminate at least one map
• reconsider whether to have contact lenses
• pray that we have decent weather in three weeks from now

I have not made any plans for a training walk next week, but if you would like to go walking one evening, please let me know which day suits you best and we'll advertise more widely (Tuesday or Wednesday good for me).

If you're interested in studying maps of our 3 climbs, I've attached maps. The blue squares are 1km wide.

Graham

3PC - Update 4

There were 6 of us trudging up and down Beacon Hill last Tuesday evening; thank you Arthur for introducing us to the Beacon Hill path. It was excellent training, and so enjoyable (!) that I'm going to be doing it again on Thursday 14th May, starting at 7.30pm. As before, it'll be 6 quick ascents.

I believe that Matt and Lisa will be coming along on Thursday, so here's your chance to meet the most youthful division of our team. Congratulations to the senior member of our team who passed the half century mark last week.

26 days to go.

Graham

3PC - Update 4

Our challenge kicks off exatly one month from today, so no doubt everyone is now in full swing with heavy duty training!

I will be walking again Wednesday evening (ie tomorrow), so please let me know if you would like to join in, and if so what time you'd be available to start, assuming we are in the Overton/Kingsclere area.

A few weeks ago I gave a list of the kit you would need, and forgot to mention the head torch, which might be needed either late on Saturday if we're slow, or early on Sunday when starting Ben Nevis. The revised list is therefore:

• walking boots and several pairs of walking socks
• small backpack (camelback packs are great as they make it easier to drink as you are walking along)
• wet weather protection (ideally lightweight top and trousers)
• hat (easiest way to regulate body temperature
• head torch!

Graham

3PC - Update 3

The countdown continues ... we set off 6 weeks from today.

And meanwhile the training is paying off: in the last week I have walked with Nick, Ben, Arthur, Simon, Rob and Dave, and there are no signs of stragglers within this group (although Simon's choice of shirt raised a few eyebrows). I hear that Lisa and Matt are training hard too, which leaves Mark as the unknown quantity. Now that Mark is back from California, I'm sure he'll be getting up to speed.

Caroline and Tristan have bravely volunteered to be the lead drivers. Welcome to the team.

There may be a practice walk again this weekend (sorry I can't join you), and after the success of our evening stroll on Tuesday, I propose another evening stroll on Thursday April 30th. I shall be at the intersection of the Wayfarers Way and the Kingsclere-Overton Road at White Hill at 7.30pm that evening. Let me know if you can join me for some steep hill training.

Have a great weekend

Graham

3PC - Update 2

7 weeks from now we'll be on our first mountain climb/descent, so only 6 weeks of hard (!) training to go. I know that some of the team is putting in some decent effort (I joined Arthur and Ben for a 12 mile walk up and down the slopes of Watership Down on Good Friday), and I am hopeful that everyone has managed to make some progress in the last two weeks.

I have now booked our accommodation for the night of Friday June 5th at Oswestry Travelodge. Yes, I know it sounds glamorous and extravagant, but I got a reasonable price for the twelve* of us.

In terms of other preparation, each person should make sure they have all the necessary kit:

• walking boots and several pairs of walking socks
• small backpack (a camelback packs are great as they make it easier to drink as you are walking along)
• wet weather protection (ideally lightweight top and trousers)
• hat (easiest way to regulate body temperature)

On evening of Tuesday 21st, I shall do a fast walk. Starting from my house at 6.30pm, passing through Overton at about 7.15pm. Let me know if you will be joining me and whether it will be from start or from Overton.

Graham

* we're currently still at 10 walkers plus 0 drivers, so it's time to find our supprt team! Happily we now seem to be sorted for cars.

Three Peaks Challenge: Update

Here's a quick update, along with some comments on preparation:

Logistics:

• we still need to find drivers and cars: any further ideas?
• I will book overnight accommodation for Friday June 5th this week (ie please shout now if you're not certain about joining in)
• you will need to have your walking boots and small rucksack soon so that you can get used to wearing them well ahead of the event

Training:

• by the end of this week, we have only 7 weeks available for training (excluding last few days when we should be resting up)
• essentially, there are three aspects to this (1) fitness/endurance, (2) being used to walking up and down hills, (3) being used to your walking boots; people fail the challenge because of lack of preparation in any one of these areas, so it's worth paying particular attention to each:

1. Fitness/endurance: this will come from putting the hours in: fast walking, jogging and cycling are all great for building up core stamina. Your body does improve quite quickly if you train properly, but 7 weeks is not long. Aim for at least 3 exercise sessions a week. For the 3PC, we need to be able to exercise for 5 hours and then sit in a car for 5 hours ... and then repeat twice, so bear this in mind when training. Practise exercising twice in a day to prove to yourself that you can recover quick enough.
2. Walking up and down hills: the best way to prepare for this is, funnily enough, walking up and down hills. If at all possible, get your legs used to working on gradients. If there are no hills nearby and you happen to work on the 25th floor of a tall building, then at least you can use the stairs as a form of practice. You also need to get your cardiovascular system used to the work rate of hauling your weight upwards which is why jogging is useful in the training routine (rather than just walking on the flat).
3. Wear yor walking boots whenever you are out walking. Please don't leave this to the last week.

I've marked the following dates in my diary to do a fast evening walk, probably in the Overton area. Let me know if you'd like to join in with any of them:

• April 21, 28 and 30.
• May 6, 12, 14 and 20.

Happy training.

Graham

Three Peaks Challenge: 5-7 June.

I've now had all the confirmations for participants (total of 10 walkers), along with general agreement, I believe, on the points below.

Main objective: complete the three mountain climbs and descents in under 24 hours. Doing so as a team ... so that all ten get back home safely.

Schedule:

leave in evening of Friday 5th June (7.30pm and hope that we're after the worst of the rush hour)

stay overnight in cheap accommodation as close to Snowdon as we can get

do Snowdon on Saturday morning, starting before 9am.

do Sca Fell on Saturday evening, hopefully getting down before it's dark

do Ben Nevis very early on Sunday morning, and finishing less than 24 hours after starting Snowdon.

Cars: I can provide a people carrier that is good for driver + 5 comfortably. If you know how we can get another, please let me know.

Drivers: we have a few ideas on who might like to join our team. If you know anyone who we may want to "interview" for the role, then again, let me know.

Preparation: because this is a team event, everyone must be well prepared, both in terms of training and kit. I'll send out a note on both these topics shortly, but if you've any doubts about your ability to complete the challenge in the 24 hour target, it's better to withdraw now than to find yourself in trouble at the top of Sca Fell late on the Saturday night. (Lecture over!) Having said that, I am confident that everyone in our team is capable of the challenge.

Further information: there's a good website with more information on the challenge at http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/richieev/tp/

That's all for now.

Best wishes

Graham

Three Peaks Challenge

I have spoken to each of you from time to time about doing the Three Peaks Challenge this year (and if I haven't, I just imagined it).

Date is the weekend of 6/7 June. I have a team of 5 including me from Steventon (Hants) who are planning to do this.

So that I can plan the campaign properly, can you let me know if you are up for this challenge. If I hear nothing, I'll assume you're not.

Outline of plan for the weekend would be something like:

• leave home very early Saturday morning, aiming to get to foot of Ben Nevis for a 5pm start.
• spend 5 hours getting up and down Ben Nevis, then start journey south
• try to get some rest overnight (probably in car) whilst travelling to Sca Fell
• start Sca Fell climb at about 6am, aiming to be up and down by 10.30am.
• drive to Snowdon for a 1.30pm start; then up and down by 4.30pm (hence 30 minutes within the 24 hour target)
• then drive back down south, and home late on Sunday evening

Points for discussion are:

• would it be better to leave home on Friday for a more leisurely drive up to Ben Nevis?
• would it be better to do the event on the Friday evening through to Saturday evening, leaving Sunday at home for recovery?

Please let me know if you are planning to take part in this challenge? Thanks.

Graham