It's not that i'm a total 'fruitcake' but........

..... when an appeal went out on facebook for a 4th member of a team for trailwalker it seemed to good an opportunity to miss.

So I am now a member of Team 'Fruitcakes' where baking seems as important as walking.

looking back.....and forward....

What a journey from the first walk of 3 miles to 63 miles in only 5 months!

As a team we have laughed, cried, screamed and hugged,
we have supported each other through personal trauma, medical injury, through hungover walks and learned to laugh when its painful (I'm thinking of those hailstones!)
spent hours talking nonsense and had more discussions about our horrible feet than was probably needed

Some thanks:
A mention of our support crew who were wonderful, and really did step up in the end, they turned up, sat in the sunshine having a BBQ, talking to pretty girls dressed as nurses and never once complained - our heros!!

Thanx to Sam with out whom we would never have left Hetton, and to the 2 medical guys who sat and patted my hands while I cried, and cried also with out whom I would never have left Hetton.

Thanks to John and Simon for their harsh words at Conistone we felt less than thankful at the time, but it was what was needed.

I'm sad that our journey is sort of over........ but excited that it will start again.........

To next year...... and to getting right all the things we got wrong.....to the weather being just right (not too hot, or to cold, no hail or snow)

To Team 'Caminata' x.x.x

I will wake the blog back up in September when we start training again!!

Looking confident at the start

Making it to the top of Pen-y-Ghent

I was ill between Malham and the bottom of Founatin Fell so we lost time in this section

Steph and Su looking like they are on holiday at check point 2.

Simons Soup got us all up and moving again!

Water Stop between check point 2 and 3

Sun Rise!

At the top of the last climb! If you think you could climb this after walking 90K - you can do Trailtrekker!

There were many times we thought we would never get here.......

phew...

Sunglasses and hairbands located!

the final countdown - 7 days to go.....

Training seems to have ground to a bit of a halt the bad weather has sent us all retreating back into the gym, and sore knees and toes still recovering from the K2B have taken priority.

Final team meeting last night, with all 4 of us there. Have got the Coms sorted with high powered radios that should give us contact 3 - 5k out of the check points. Menus are agreed. All essential kit is bought and checked.

the only elusive items are a hair band and sunglasses .......

Toenails..are over-rated anyway!

It seems my team may be literally falling to bits!

The text string below happened on Monday afternoon (when reading my responses bear in mind I was on a team building course and was at the time trying to work out how to suspend a bottle of wine 18 inches off the ground using only paper, string and balloons)

Su - my toenail is falling off, it's disgusting
me - toenails are over-rated anyway
Su - its 3 toenails now
me - can I have details (why I asked this I will never know)
Su - both big toenails are bruised and are lifting up, you can see between my toe and my nail. 1 other nail is completely black. They are very painful

Feeling a touch sympathetic I contacted Friend Brenda who has done trailwalker and lost a toenail or 2 herself - what advice did she have
"tell her to hang on to the other 7..........................."

!

3 weeks to go....team caminata take on the mighty K2B

If you're from round our way you will have undoubtedly of heard of the Keswick to Barrow challenge. If not it's an annual 65K challenge event where 3000 people of varying abilities get together and run, walk, hobble and crawl through the lake district.


When we were asked to join a team it would have been rude not too especially as it gave us chance to answer the following....

1. Training, have we done enough?
   



2. Our support crew, are they as useless as we think?

Setting off from my house at 4.30am was no fun but I guess walking while asleep is good practice. All 4 of team Caminata were out as part of a team of 10 called 'run and rumble'. Caminata Team member Fay was team leader for this event and was aiming to beat her last years time of 8 hours!! she shot off at 5.30am as soon as the official gate was open, we followed at 5.35am and the rest were out at about 5.45am.

The already tough route was made harder by driving rain and cold, we had decided to walk with all our Trailtrekker kit, but most people as support crew access is frequent were only carrying water, they were wet cold and miserable in about 5 mins!

Fay was in great form and was well ahead of her last year time until 25 miles when she began to feel unwell and she unfortunately had to retire at 35 miles.

For the rest of us we had decided to be happy with 10 -12 hours (12 - 14 is the average) and up to 30 miles we were on for 9 1/2 hours. The really bad weather set in at this point there had been heavy showers all morning with sun inbetween but on the higher ground the rain fell as hail - no fun in shorts!! and the wind had reached a gale force head wind.

We all finished in a respectable 10 hrs 45 mins 04 seconds.....

Have we done enough training - YES!

were our support crew useless - YES!

see the pics at...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=80373&id=637492755&l=486d7a979d

4 weeks to go.....it all seems like hard work!

The start of a new week Steph and I (Su had a hand sized blister on her foot, and Fay had completed the London Marathon the day before in 5 hours!)) decided to practice night walking . It is a very strange thing to climb a hill at sunset and then wander about until it gets dark so the fun can begin.

it was all Ok out in the open on the top of Whitbarrow Scar but then we had to get down...through a wood ... I tend to get irritated by girlyness but clearly put me in a wood in the dark and this is what takes over (although Steph telling Fairly Tales - scary ones! did not help) Much squealing and giggling later we made it back to the car and I was pleased the next day to find we had wandered 16k.

The rest of the week was the usual runs keeping the training level well over 50k.

Sunday night was fundraising time again with a Quiz Night in our local 'The Punchbowl'. We had planned a night for fun, but it seems other people take quizzes rather more seriously and after much complaining (mainly about our common norther accent - er...derr..you are in the North and if you don't like it eff off back where you came from) Su and I decided to cement our common routes and hit the pints! It was not all bad though cash is cash and the animal racing was funny!

Below hopefully final laminates of the route, surely they can't go changing anymore (?)

5 weeks to go..the week in walks (and other stuff)

walking was put on hold for a day for some desperately needed fundraising!

5 hours in the foyer of our local supermarket netted us £80.00

An evening 12km run taking in the Sunset at Kendal's famous 'mushroom'

Not long after I took this I was bitten by a rather large dog, and then tripped over a tree root and hurt my knee :-(

a cheeky mid-week 10 miles - by Steph and my-self!

Getting to grips with support crew preparation.

We also have team boxes with our names on, medical box, tuck box (for Jaffa cakes and jelly babies).

Trying to think less Check point more formula 1 pit stop!!!

Out on the route again

Walking from the water-stop at Beckermonds to the outskirts of Skipton (40K)

This section will be in the dark for just about everyone (not the 12 hour people but the rest of us mere mortals) I twisted my ankle in the middle of the day so a bit worried!

Have just looked at the updated route guide and this section has been changed - slightly frustrating that we keep walking bits of the route that then get changed - but a relief that all of the bits that get changed are excellent changes!!

to finish the week off a 10k hobble!!

Takes the weekly total to 78km

6 weeks to go... the week in walks

With 6 weeks to go and pure panic setting in had good intentions for training this week...

Sunday, 5km walk up Gatesgarth pass - 5km run all the way down was very summer like, had stupidly put a jumper on under my gilet, and was boiling. Decided to remove the jumper and just wear the gilet - anyone who knows the Eastern lakes will know that you often think if I fell out here no one would pass and find me for a month. So had a check about and stripped off - immediately a group of walkers rounded the corner!

Monday - 10k run from my house over Scout Scar, Cunswick Fell and Helmsfell Nab.

Saturday - 30km along the Lancaster Canal

O.M.G - They've only gone and changed the route!

OLD ROUTE - we have walked all of this, and we thought it was the hardest part of the route

NEW ROUTE - we have'nt walked any of this, but ar






e very pleased that it has changed!

A certificate and a badge - It can't get any better than this?

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=73994&id=637492755&l=a8fc4743aa


I am pleased to say that we all completed the 22 mile challenge with an additional few miles thanks to Petes navigation. Don't think we need to worry about whether we can beat Team Speedos anymore as they will probably end up going in the wrong direction and riding donkeys on Scarborough sea front.

After weeks of stomping round the lakes and over taking most people out for a stroll it was a little unerving to suddenly be the slow ones - we were relived to find out that we were not last and infact there were 12 people behind us, I should never have asked the question "how many people set off?"

A little bit of competition can only be a good thing!

Laura and Steph from team Caminata and Pete from team Speedos(?) have all entered the LDWA challenge event 'Lakeland Spring' on Sunday, 22 miles round the Lake district - not only a good training opportunity but also a chance to check out the competition!

Weather looks fab - I'm off to buy some shorts!!! Possibly we will be able to put some pictures on where we are not buried under 20 layers of waterproof clothing.

Sunday day weather
Sunny
Max: 11°C 52°F
Sunrise: 06:31

This weeks team kit additions!


Lanyards with our team name on for the laminates of the route map we are making!



Little face cleansers sent from New Zealand by my Mum who has been trekking there for a couple of weeks - she is now on her way to Nepal for a month!

A Visit to a Podietrist(?)

As I was at the Outdoor Show and the offer of a free visit to a podiatrist was on offer, I decided to show her my lovely blister city on my right foot. I did ask her if she was feeling brave, it was only 9am and the poor woman was still eating her breakfast! The visit went as follows!

P - "ooo, don't worry I've seen it all before"

I got my foot out

P - "OH MY GOD, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?"

me - errr, I'm training to walk 100km in 24 hours for Oxfam

P - "well at least that really big blister should go down in couple of days"

me" I got that last Sunday, I think it might be getting bigger"

P "oh"

me " is it a problem"

P - "look I'm not supposed to do treatment here, insurance and stuff but I'll hide your foot and I'll do something"

me - "excellent, thanks"



once my foot was wrapped in cottony stuff, she showed me lots of magical treatments little toe covers and gels for your heel all available at significant cost of course.



I wandered off in a grump, not ideal when part of your role on the Oxfam stand is to promote Trailtrekker - "Hello folks, would you like to take part in one of Oxfams 100km challenges? you too can have a blister city like mine!"

What do we talk about for 9 hours?

22 March training walk from CP1 (Malham) - almost CP3 (buckden) 46km

Hour 1 - in reference to climbing Malham Cove
" blimey that was easy" (Laura)

Hour 2 - at a sign post
" which way is it, I have no sense of direction" (Sue our appointed navigator)

Hour 3 - Top of Fountain Fell
" I hope the camera doesn't fall in that mine shaft" - don't ask!

Hour 3 1/2 - bottom of pen-y-ghent
"god what a massive step up to this style - it must be to keep small people out" Steph and Sue looking at me

Hour 4 - Pen-y-ghent
"I really thought that was fun" Steph in reference to nearly being blown off the cliff on the way up

Hour 5 - at the Three Peaks Cafe Malham
"a pint of tea, can you believe it" Sue

Hour 6 - Somewhere in the Yorkshire Dales
" I hate being lost - well we're obviously not lost lost, just a bit, you know, lost" - Laura loosing her mental faculties somewhat

Hour 7 - - somewhere in the Yorkshire Dales
"I put my jeans on and realised that my muffin tops have gone away, so thats made it all worth it" (speaker shall remain nameless!)

Hour 8 - Just after the enchanted forest
Laura "aaaaaargh, my god, ow, that's, ow, one of the worst pains I have ever had"
Suzanne laughing hysterically "oooooh I told you I find anything funny once I get tiered"
Laura " but I think my toenail might have just come off"
Steph laughing hysterically " you have got me going now"
Laura wanders off chuntering about being glad to make every one happy and falls knee deep in a bog just to ensure her status as slightly useless comedy team member

Hour 9 - possibly near Oughtershaw
"oh I have been reading the map wrong we are miles ahead of where I thought we were"
5 mins later
"sorry no we're not"
silence followed this navigational error until it was all over!

7am WOOOOOOO HOOOOOO!

I never thought I would be excited to get an email telling me I can start walking at 7am, but everyday brings a new experience!

A Happy Surprise.......Monday 16th March

Arriving home last night looking like I had just spent 20 hours in a wind tunnel, walking like I was 200 years old did not bode well for the continuation of our Trailtrekker challenge.... The blisters that I had been aware of while walking covered most of the back of my right heel, and the left side of my right foot, the top of my sock on my right ankle had rubbed away the top couple of layers of skin leaving a bright red strip round my leg. My right Knee was swollen (do not know why the universe was picking on my right leg only?!) and it was painful to get off the sofa! even phoning Dominos for a pizza was an effort!

I was aware of the pain even while asleep, and in the morning .......................................

well nothing! the blisters were (and still are) sore, but my knee had gone down and mostly my muscles had recovered, by Tuesday it was all just a good story to tell, by Thursday we were planning how to make sure we were in the top 100 fundraisers by Friday to ensure our 7am start, and planning Sundays 50k stint on the trailtrekker route. A friend explained that no matter how fit you get it is still hard, but you just get over it faster,

I think I can do this...... even if it IS like that...........

"make your Training harder than the route" advice from the March prep session!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71005&id=637492755&l=499c5d8ccd


Sitting in my car at 7.00 pm, Sunday 15th March the threat of tears from pain, slowly turned to threat of tears of sheer relief that we had made it, the burning pain from my knee and the stinging from the heel of my right foot were a worry that we had not made it entirely unscathed!
"I don't think I can do it, If it is anything like that"............

The weather had indeed matched its promise sunny, warm, finally no rain, no mud, we were organised and off on time this was it, this was going to be great, nothing was going to stand in our way (except a couple of mountains, but hey we are fit(ish)) walking by 9am, home by 4.30pm at the latest 30K - brilliant - my route planning is getting loads better I thought.

We had decided to tackle Eastern lakes again - we had had such a great time (ha,ha) over there last time we thought we would give it another go (also the free parking is good)

Stage 1 - Longsleddale - Gatesgarth Pass - Hawswater (5km - Ascent from 189m - 600m at Gatesgarth, Descent 600m - 40m at Hawswater)
Sun shining, blue sky, steep hill, perfect! Steph and Sue still run away and have to wait for me every so often but put in the ipod and plodded along, fantastic drop down to hawswater which is stunning, admired the gigantic mountains on every side - (should have been worried right about now!)

Stage 2 - Round Hawswater - Weather Hill (10Km - Ascent from 40m at Hawswater - 670m at Weather hill, descent 0 - 2 hours up hill!!)
Going round Hawswater was a scramble, we stopped for our sandwiches on the edge of the lake still admiring the mountains on all sides. Set off up Low Kopp, bit of a struggle to find the right path I didn't want to carry my 2 maps as the route was across 2, so had rescued a 1976 map out of the bookcase, hadn't thought that much would change as far as mountains and the like go (wrong, it seems people grow forests in 32 years!) after an hour of uphill my legs felt like jelly, and I started to feel sick, and a bit dizzy - wondered about what the number is for the mountain rescue (999??), considered if I felt ill enough to suffer the embarrassment of calling them? asked Sue to ring Simon, who promptly told us "'no pain, no gain' get bloody walking" kept going up for another hour, finally reached weather Hill.

Stage 3 - Weather Hill - Red Cragg - High raise - High street (5Km - Ascent 670m - 802m at Red Cragg, Decent 802m - 792m at High raise)
I have nothing to say about this part of the walk I think I may well have blocked it from my memory due to trauma, couldn't even eat my emergency malteasers as I still felt sick!

Stage 4 - HighStreet - Mardale Bell - Nan Beild Pass (3km - Ascent 792m - 828m, descent 828m - 700m)
Finally feel better Hurah! feel a million miles from anywhere, the view is literally breathtaking, (either that or it's the gale force winds!) we are up in the snow again, we have now been going upwards for 4 hours and we realise that at some point we have to go down - noticed that the daylight was starting to change, to a lovely sunset........
Shit! Sunset! Bugger! ..................For weeks we have laughed at Sue and her enormous rucksack, her survival bag, torch and whistle.....I hope she lets us all share!
At this point we should have possibly tried to let our families know we were alive, and running a tiny bit behind schedule - (we had said we would be back by 4.30 - it was now after 5pm!)

Stage 5 Nan Beild Pass - Kentmere - Longsleddale (8km - Descent - 700m at Nan beild - 200 at overend - Ascent to 300m descent to 189m at the car!)
We were out of the wind, and away from the snow, and for the first 4K were pretty happy for the first time in several hours - this lasted until I said "it such a shame we still have that one last big push uphill" well that ruined the mood! the lovely sunset had also been a while ago and the temperature was dropping rapidly and by the time we turned on to the path to longsleddale it was just about dark.....now decided to try and let people know we were alive only to find that we had no mobile reception!....our first experience of walking in the dark, after 8 hours on your feet, when you feel exhausted.......

I can't do this..... not if it's anything like that...........................................

We live in hope....

The BBC weather for tomorrow is

Sunny Intervals
Temp: 7°C
12:00 (Sun)
Sunny Intervals
Temp: 9°C
15:00 (Sun)
Sunny Intervals
Temp: 11°C

'Love your Support Crew' Advice from the March prep session....

These are the happy smiling faces that will greet us at eachCheck point (if they haven't given up and gone to the pub!)...

Have replaced support crew with 3 geese - at least we can eat them when we get hungry

Why didn't we enter Trailtrekker Australia? Feb 2009

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=68582&id=637492755&l=0ea52

I have lived on the Lake District pretty much all my life! so I get it, it rains........

The weather played a game with Sue and i as we walked from Arnside to Crooklands - ViaYealand, and Holme (Steph had cried off with a hangover - must get my team in order drinking, going out, having a life - I dont think so!)

Weather - hello, have some rain and Hale
Laura & Sue - stop put the waterproofs on
Weather - he he, have some sunshine
Laura & Sue - stop take the waterproofs off
Weather - ha ha, have some rain and wind

you get the gist after 4 hours the novelty had well and truly worn off!

we're in Windermere - somewhere? Feb 2009

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=66160&id=637492755&l=c3cf6

In order to prevent to much wasted time being lost the simple plan was to walk the Dales way from My House in Kendal to Windermere.

All went well until we arrived in Windermere where the Dales Way ends in the middle of a housing estate - why?

I though walking was free?

Kit and costs so far

Walking boots bought in the sale £85.00

Waterproof jacket from Oxfam fabric4Life range (had to get a plug in! - coming soon to Kendal, Tavistock, Malvern, Skipton, Sheffield and online) £50.00

Waterproof(ish) trousers £15.00

Rucksack £1.99

2 pairs of socks £10.oo per pair

Trainers £40.00

Wick base layer £10.00

polka-dot thermos £10.00

i-pod - £40.00

Just another excuse to buy shoes...phew!

Hey...let's all be gym buddies - Feb 2009

Joined the gym that Steph and Sue go to...

errrrrr....why does that Man have an Ice Axe? Feb 2009

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=61946&id=637492755&l=76ffe

"Lets go to Longsleddale - it's free parking" was a sensible sounding suggestion from Sue - a quick jaunt up Harter fell and Kentmere Pike before the forecasted snow comes down at 3pm!

Great walk up to 800m, a few other people also making the most of the sun before the weather changes - all seemed to be carrying a lot (ice picks, crampons and the like!) shrugged them off as mad walker types and carried on climbing..... hit the snow at 750m, crossed the gully by clinging to the fence while staring nervously down the sheer icy drop to the tarn 600m below!

I have never, ever, ever been so cold I was biting my lip and then realised that it had gone numb - like if you sleep on your arm, numb - decided to stop biting it! there was a strange facination whatching the snow clouds blow in and it made us move fast - spent the rest of the day lying on the sofa unable to move!

Laura and Steph Get Lost! Jan 2009

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=60614&id=637492755&l=5bb23

Just a quick afternoon stroll 17ish miles. The sun was shining and along the canal was easy, just me and Steph! Sue had some flimsy excuse about filling a skip!

Got to Crooklands no problem and after lunch set off to walk home and got lost - suddenly realised the usefulness of maps - note to self "buy a map!!"

A 2 stop lunch strategy! - January 2009

www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=59461&id=637492755&l=20566



Terrible nights sleep before this walk
What if we (or more specifically I) couldn't do it! maybe we should have practiced before we registered! Spent an hour in Asda wondering what people who do outdoorsy stuff eat - finally decided to pack food for the 5000 (Plougmans lunch, fairtrade banana cake, fruit, tuna sandwich, cheese sandwich, organic crisps) then realised I didn't own a sensible rucksack to put it all in - off to Oxfam luckily found an ancient Lowe Alpine number for £1.99 did intend to replace it but feel that it has become a bit of a mascot now! just hope it hold it's self together until May.

Walk was much easier than I had thought the first sign of competitive spirit came through as we set off before everyone else and were determined not to be caught up ..... started to think we could actually do this!

The only down side was the lack of lunch Duncan was in charge and suggested a 2 stop lunch strategy - shame we forgot about the second lunch stop!

What was I thinking!

The story so far...................

It all seemed such a great idea sitting in the pub in front of a roaring log fire in early December. All we had to do was raise some cash and go for a walk!

Now I am not the most active person in the world, in the far and distant past I was quite sporty, I was in Scotland U14 Nordic Ski Team and ran X-country for Cumbria but a knee injury, a subsequent operation and 3 children had put paid to that a long time ago.

After a bit of persuasion I managed to get Steph and Emma to join me on my quest, as we were still a team member down we just registered Jacqui and hoped that she would be speaking to us again by May - For anyone ever thinking of doing this I would recommend that you ask your team members before they receive their entry pack in the post, I can't understand it myself but apparently getting a letter thanking you for entering Trailtrekker when you have no idea what trailtrekker is, is not the best Christmas present they will ever receive!! (Oxfam sent out the entry packs rather quickly so when I came home to find mine had arrived I felt it was time to confess) so the texts went somthing like this.....

(me) Hi Jacs, I have somthing to tell you.......

No respone

(me) I think I might of accidentally entered you to walk 100km in May.....

No response

(me) Jacs?

(Duncan -Jacs Husband) errr... I'd give it 5 mins if I was you

(me) Oh...is she a bit mad?

(Duncan) errr...yes!

10 minutes later...

(jac) Accidentally? Think? you don't think you have entered me, you HAVE entered me and explain how it was accidental?

(me) I couldn't think of any one else?

(Jac) SUNRISE, I can cope with blisters, and cuts and bruises but SUNRISE that means I have to be up all night?

(Jac) Shit, Duncans got the maps out!

(me) ooo what does he think of the route?

(Jac) OK - bit of a hill in the middle?

(me) What hill

(Jac) Pen-y-gent

(me) are you going to do it then?

(jac) I'll think about it

(me) Really, fantastic our teams called Caminata

We quickly realised that this might require a bit of training and that having 1 team member in Norfolk wasn't going to be easy so when Suzanne declared that she though it sounded like an easy challenge (at 1am on NYE) we made our first team change.

On January 15th we set off on our first proper training walk - along the route from Malham - Horton and lost another team member. Jacqui who had got in to the spirit of Trailtrekker once she had stopped shaking with anger, damaged her tendon and we were back to a team of three...

This is my story on behalf of my team, Caminata (or as my Mum calls us 'the Calamities') This is for anyone who has ever wondered what would it be like to walk 100km in a day, or for all sane people who may wonder why would you walk 100km in a day.......