Finally got to the van and got boots etc on ready for the hill. Now last night at The Scawfell Lodge, I was given all sorts of advice about how to cut time off my trip. One of the members of the lodge was a volunteer for the local mountain rescue team and so knew the hill like the back of his hand. Me, not knowing it at all, decided to stick to the path and play it safe. The weather was closing in all the time and I couldn't afford to end up in the wrong place or worse still injure myself.
Most of the walk up was great and again there were some spectacular views before I disappeared into the cloud (first image is of Wast Water). The top section of the path was a bit drafty though, so much so that at one point I was actually blown off my feet. So in true tourist fashion it was get to the top, take a photo or two and then leg it down. Image 2 - view from summit; Image 3 - see, I did go to the top!
The path on The Pike is mostly steps and my quads were really burning but I found that they eased by running down gently. That was great from a time point of view but I didn't half get some 'looks to kill' from people struggling up.
Two and a half hours after setting off I was back at the van and car (yes, AND car). Dad had arrived whilst I was on the hill and he and Tim had transferred all the gear to his car ready for the second week. A huge thank you to Tim for supporting me through the first week. It took so much hassle away from me and let me concentrate on the cycling and walking. Thank you Tim !
The wind was still really strong so cycling into it past Wast Water was horrible but as soon as I turned north - wooohooooo ! For the rest of the day it felt like my legs were rocking, I just flew along. Even with various lumps and bumps I had to climb, I was averaging a fraction under 20 mph and I know my legs aren't that good on there own.
It was going so well that we ignored the final stop so we could get to the hotel that bit earlier. That proved to be a great decision as the heavens opened within seconds of my arriving and they haven't stopped since. All in all what a fab day - The Pike plus nearly 70 miles on the bike. Few more weeks of this and I'll soon be fit :-).
It's hard sometimes to realise how far we have now come. It's a total of 501 miles on the bike plus 2 of the 3 hills done. I am now officially more than half way through !! Bring on Scotland.
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