Nice hard slog

 Distance 18 miles

During half term Darren's dad David asked if we wanted to go for a walk so we said yes and off we went. I had no idea where we were going or how far it was going to be and I'm kind of glad I didn't.

We set off from Cutthroat Bridge (!?!?!) and walked up (the long way) on to the ridge. It was dry but cold and as we got higher and higher we started to come across snow! We headed along the ridge which was a long way but I liked it because every so often there was an outcrop of rocks so I could aim for each one as we went along, making it seem like less distance.
When we got to the highest point of the walk I got a bit distracted by the snow and nearly got myself into a snowball fight with Darren (which I would never have won). We pressed on and soon we were in what David called The Wilds. This was the worst part of the walk for me as it was long and flat and we could see for miles around us. It felt like I was walking for ages and not getting anywhere. It was made worse by the amount of mud and wet peat underfoot which made it much harder work than if it had been dry. My boots were picking up so much my feet were starting to feel heavier than when I put them on!!
When we eventually got to the end of this section we sat down for lunch. It was nice to get some fuel and have a quick rest. While we were sitting we watched as a section of land was burned on the hillside. They do this for the grouse population as it encourages new shoots to grow. It looked quite spectacular when it got going.
We carried on once we had finished and headed downhill towards the reservoir. This was much better for me as there were trees and other landmarks to break up the length of the walk. When we got to Agden Bog we had another quick break as we noticed someone had put loads of bird feeders on some of the trees and there were a lot of birds feeding. We sat for a while watching them and I got a lesson in bird breeds!!
After this we continued up and towards the Agden Reservoir. There was a plaque about the disaster that occurred there in the 19th century when the dam burst and killed many people. We gave it a quick read and carried on. The next part of the walk was my favourite as the path we took went along the side of the reservoir. It was very pretty and flat so I had chance to appreciate it.
When we reached the end of the reservoir we had one last uphill section to complete before a straight walk back to the start. This was hard! I was very tired, my legs were aching and I had lost a bit of motivation. But I knew I had to carry on so I did. It took me quite a long time and I stopped to rest a few times but I got to the top and felt much better.
This was the point when I dared ask how far the walk was in total and David said it would be 18 miles by the time we finished. The longest walk I had done up till now was 10 miles so this was a big leap forward in mileage. At this point we were well over 10 miles already so this helped spur me on a bit to the end.
We walked past a large tower and then started dropping down towards where we started. My legs were aching but I knew we were on the home straight which made me feel a bit better.
When we got back to the start I was relieved we had finished but I was proud that I had managed such a long walk.
This was the first time since I decided to do LSW that I have realised what I have let myself in for. I realise now how hard its going to be but I am determined to carry on training and do the walk in June!

First ten miler

We decided to do a section of the actual walk I will be doing in June. We started between checkpoint 1 and 2 and then turned off in a loop before hitting checkpoint 3.

We started the walk in Froggatt Village and walked up through the woods on to the top. It had rained very heavily the night before and the path we were taking had flooded. There was even one bit where Darren had to lift me over as the water was so deep it would have gone over the top of my boots. I didn't fancy having wet feet that early on!!

The walk up onto the top was quite short but steep.
I am still finding it slow going on the uphill sections but I pressed on steadily and reached the top. I have been on Froggett edge a few times before so I knew what to expect from this part of the walk. It was flat but long which makes it harder psychologically. I think I'm going to take my ipod on LSW with me as I think it will help with sections like this. I think it will be useful to have something that keeps me going in case I get a bit disheartened. It was VERY windy the day we went up there which made it extremely cold. This also did not help with my mood but at least there is less chance of cold and wind in June! At the part where the LSW goes on, we turned right and stopped for a spot of lunch. We managed to find a relatively sheltered spot to hide from the wind but because we stopped moving we got cold quite quickly.

Darren asked me at this point if I wanted to do a route back which made the whole walk 7 miles or a route which made it 10. My first reaction was 7 but when I thought about it knew it would be better to go for 10, so we did.
We walked down towards Baslow village. The wind dropped pretty much as soon as we were off the top so I warmed up quickly and going downhill was much easier than going up!!

Then it was a case of heading back to Froggatt Village. We walked to Baslow and crossed the river. We then followed the river all the way back to the car. At one point I saw a puddle which looked like a giant footprint! We didn't see any monsters though ;)

We got very muddy boots and trousers but it was a very satisfying walk. I felt like I could have walked on when we finished which I found encouraging.
Not long to go now so all I need to do now is more 10 milers and then go for some longer walks.

Happy New Year

Hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year.

I haven't been training for the last few weeks because of the festive season but kick started the whole thing again on New Year's Day.

It was only a short one but I joined the Ellis family (extended) on their annual New Year's Day walk. We went up to Eyam Moor for a round walk down to the river and back. It was VERY muddy and although the distance of the walk was only 2 miles we must have walked about 3 because of all the slipping and sliding we were doing.

It was a good short walk to get back into the swing of things (and the best for hangovers!!).

It also prepared me for my first 10 miler which was only a few days away.............

Other ways.........

Off to play squash tonight to try and improve my general fitness.

I went to play for the first time last friday and enjoyed it loads. I have also joined the gym at Cresswell so I can try and get some basic fitness when I can't get out to do any walking. I've been a few times since moving to the village and have been doing between 30 and 40 minutes on the bike or treadmill before doing a few weights. Generally feeling good at the minute about my fitness levels.
Let's hope it keeps improving.

Charlotte.

Kinder Scout

Length - 5.1 miles Height ascended -  353 metres Start time Midday Finish time 15:05 Duration 3hr 05 mins

This one was so much fun!! Just a quick note though to say don't attempt this route up Kinder Scout if you are not experienced/confident on rocks and scrambling up them! It was slippy in places and I was with a qualified mountain leader.

I did this route with Darren Ellis and Tony Draper (both previous LSW walkers). We started at Upper Booth and made our way up the relatively gentle start up towards Crowden Clough. The fun started when we began a gorge scramble up the river towards the top. This was a mixture of picking my way through rocks and climbing small sections of waterfalls! This was loads of fun and also distracted me from how far I had gone and how high I had climbed. After walking, climbing and scrambling for quite some time we reached a small pool of water with a waterfall coming down into it which was very beautiful. After having some lunch and Tony and Darren had finished messing around on the closest rock face we tackled the final longer scramble to finish our route.

   I was nervous at first as I am not great with heights but I had come a long way up to that point and there was no way I was going back!! In the end it was much easier than it looked and I shot up it leaving Tony (who was behind me to make sure I was safe) far behind me. We could have left the river at this point and continued on to the summit of Kinder but Tony insisted we follow the river all the way up. This lead to a spot of weaselling - I did choose the easiest gap to get through but it was still quite hard work as the rocks to push yourself out with were quite high (sore arms!)

  At this point we had reached the plateau of Kinder and it was extremely windy! So much so some of the waterfalls were going upwards. Walking along the top in that wind would have been hard work if it hadn't been pushing me along in the right direction. Must have been a sign!
  The worst part of this walk was tackling the peat bogs. Walking through them was tough. Just like walking through snow or sand, but much dirtier! There was a treat on the plateau though. There is a group of rocks which have formed very strange shapes up there, including one which resembles a giant mushroom. The largest concentration of these rocks is called The Woolpacks and is really quite something to see. We paused for a couple of minutes to have a bit of a play on them and have a bit of a climb.
  Then came the long trudge to the trig point. It was a little disheartening as I could see the trig point for ages before I got to it and there was a large area of peat to walk through just has I got to it. But it was worth it.

There were a lot of people up on the top and we had a quick chat to a couple who were doing the Edale Skyline, which Darren has told me I'll be doing in the spring as one of my last training walks. We wished them luck and started our walk down. We followed part of the skyline route and then broke off towards Jacob's Ladder. This was a long steep staircase type path which made my knees ache going down it. I turned round about half way down to take a look back up and it made me glad we didn't go up that way. At the bottom of the ladder it was a simple flat ramble back to the start point.

I thoroughly enjoyed this walk and, combined with the inspiration I got from the presentation night, I feel more motivated then ever! I even agreed to tackle Snowdon some time soon.
I'm feeling really positive about my training at the minute and can't wait for my next walk. I'm planning on taking on more distance next time as the walks I have done so far have been relatively short.

Charlotte.

LSW Presentation night.

I'm back!! All moved in and settled in the village.

Last night was the presentation night for the 2011 Louise Smalley walk. All the support teams were thanked and given badges for helping the walkers. I was in support team 1 so I got my very own badge (proud!!) I was amazed how much thanks is given to the support teams. I didn't really think twice about volunteering this year for it but I was made to feel so valued and appreciated.

The walkers all received certificates and well deserved they all were! And most importantly a cheque for £10,000 was handed over to Landmarks in Cresswell which will go a massive way to help them out. They were thrilled to receive that amount of money and there were even tears!!

It was good to be reminded about why I am doing this walk. Joe and Trev both spoke about how much they appreciate how many people do the walk and how much help is given. Trev also spoke about Louise and how this walk keeps her memory alive. I was moved by the emotions shown by both of them and clearly I wasn't the only one as Trev's son made a speech (apparently the first time he has) and took the opportunity to propose to his girlfriend!! Making everyone in the Smalley family even more emotional!!

It was a great evening and I felt inspired by the attitudes of all those who have been involved in this walk from the start. There is so much emotion and pride in this event and hearing these conveyed last night only spurred me on and motivated me even more.
I am still a bit of an outsider in Whitwell but I have loved this event ever since I first heard about it. It makes a wonderful contribution to local charities in the name of a very brave little girl. What better way to honour her memory? I can't wait to be a part of this event next year. I know it will hurt and no doubt they'll be tears but I am now more determined than ever to finish it!

Hopefully I'll do Louise proud!!

Charlotte

Plans changed

No walk took place on Monday as planned as me and Darren are in the middle of moving house and could not fit it on around house viewings.
Sometimes life gets in the way.

Hopefully get going again soon, although I am glad to have missed out on walking in this heat!

Charlotte