Monday 19 July 2010

The Welsh 3000s Part 4

We completed this tough challenge in 19 hours, 55 minutes.

Good job my kit was up to it!

It was great to be part of a good team.

Next up in terms of important things was our "support"

Firstly: the Pen Y Pass youth hostel had been booked early so we had the best place in Snowdonia to start from, result.

Once returning from Snodown to Nant Peris we entered a hive of activity. Fresh water, a gazebo, a stove, hot drinks, sausage and bacon rolls, clothes lines for wet kit, plasters, encouragement, all there.

Off we trooped onto the Glyders and then having returned to down to Llyn Ogwen, there they were, minibus, gazebo, hot drinks, fresh water, pasta meal, goodie bags with flapjacks and fruit, bananas, another hot drink, encouragement.

Off we trudged, up the Carneddau.

Imagine my surprise, at 11.55pm that evening, to catch a glimpse of the minibus in the distance, and next to it, the gazebo, it can't be can it? A fresh mug of tea thrust into my hand, awesome!

Two first aiders went to help out one guy who had hurt himself slightly. My headtorch failed in the wet and the support team lent me one. Whatever you needed, if they could fix it they did. And they could see the weather, so they could look you in the eye and tell you that you were doing brilliantly.

All in all, I know you can do this challenge in one straight walk or with just a couple of cars at each point but I found having people around, knowing there was a plan B, and a mug of Tea, gave the whole thing a much more friendly face and meant that we felt much less isolated.

You can just take your kit and disappear off into the mist and crack on if that floats your boat, but having a skilled, available, well organised support team increases your chances to completing it vastly.

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